Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 °F

Add all the dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips into a large bowl, combine the ingredients together using a whisk. 

Add the apple sauce, almond milk & vanilla extract into a small bowl, mixing everything together using a small whisk. 

Add the wet ingredients together with the dry ingredients, using a spatula to fold all the ingredients together & scrape down the sides to form the batter. Finally, fold in the vegan chocolate chips at the end. 

Spray 2 8-inch spring form cake pans with cooking spray, cutting out a circle of parchment paper to fit and line the bottom of the cake pan. This will ensure the cake doesn't stick to the pan.

Evenly pour the batter into both cake pans, using a spatula to even out the tops. 

Place both cake pans onto a baking sheet and place them in the middle of the oven.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cakes are set and not jiggly in the center when shaken. Since gluten-free cakes tend to get very dry if over-baked, they will firm up quite once they cool. 

Once the cakes are ready, let them rest and set for 5 minutes on a heatproof surface of the kitchen.

Run a chef's knife around the sides of the cakes, carefully pushing the cakes out from the base to release them from the pans. Set the cakes upside down onto a cooling rack and remove the parchment paper from each of the cakes.

Set up a food processor onto the kitchen counter top. 

Remove the peels & seeds from the avocados. Using a cutting board, medium dice the avocados & place them into the food processor. 

Pulse the avocados until they're combined and form a purée. 

Add the icing sugar alternative pulsing to mix the sugar with the avocado purée while using a spatula to scrape down the sides between mixing. 

Add the cocoa powder, coconut oil & salt to the food processor, pulsing to mix the ingredients together, while using a spatula to scrape down the sides between mixing. 

Set up a fine mesh strainer above a medium-sized bowl, add the icing to the strainer. Use a small ladle to force the icing through the strainer and remove any fibers left over from the avocados in order to create a smooth icing.

Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap & place into the fridge for 30 minutes allowing the icing to cool. 

If the tops of the cakes are uneven & rounded, cut and even out the tops of each cake using a serrated knife. 

Place one of the cakes, and cut side down onto a cake platter. Add 1/4 of the icing to the top of this cake, spreading the icing out using an offset spatula or small spatula.  

Place the second cake directly on top of the first cake with the cut side down onto the icing layer. This helps to ensure an even & leveled top of the cake. 

Add a layer of icing onto the top of the cake, evenly spreading the icing out with the spatula. 

Coat the sides of the cake with the remainder of the icing, smoothing the icing out with the spatula.

Garnish the top of the cake with the optional garnishes & place the cake in the fridge for 20-30 minutes letting the cake and icing set before cutting the cake. 

Once the cake has set, place a chef's knife under hot running water, dry off the knife using a kitchen towel & slice the cake into 12 pieces. Running the knife under hot water will help to create clean cuts when cutting any cake. You will need to repeat this step every few slices throughout the cake cutting process to achieve a neatly cut cake.  

Place directly onto the dining room table to serve to your happy guests.