Allow me to introduce my absolute new favorite cake.
Chocolaty
Hazelnutty
Vegan
Gluten-Free
1 Bowl
The obsession is real.
This recipe was inspired by my Best Vegan Gluten-Free Chocolate Cupcakes, and my love for Nutella. I mean who doesn’t love Nutella? Even Rhonda loves Nutella. Get on board people.
While there isn’t any Nutella actually in the cake, it has all of the essential components: Creaminess, chocolaty-ness, and loads of roasted hazelnuts!
And to keep things simple, it all comes together in 1 BOWL. Anyone can make this cake. No special mixers, methods, or equipment necessary.
This cake gets extra height from a solid layer of roasted hazelnuts + more on top! They also provide a healthy crunch to the cake, which I happen to adore.
I think you guys are going to LOVE this cake! It’s:
Super moist
Rich
Mega chocolaty
Loaded with hazelnuts
Seriously decadent
Not too sweet
& Simple to make
I think this is a great “everyday” cake with its simple preparation and universally loved flavor profile. However, I could also see it making an excellent cake for birthdays, anniversaries and any upcoming spring celebrations (like Easter!). In other words, make this cake and instantly make a million friends.
If you give this recipe a try, please rate it and leave a comment! Also, be sure to take a picture and tag it #minimalistbaker on Instagram so we can be cake twins. We love seeing our recipes come to life in your kitchens. Cheers and happy baking!
1-Bowl Chocolate Hazelnut Cake (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
CAKE
- 4 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 10 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tsp baking soda
- 2/3 scant cup maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
- 2/3 cup cane or granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or vegan butter (such as Earth Balance)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce (or other hearty fruit puree, such as beets)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (if clumpy, sift)
- 1 cup almond meal (finely ground from raw almonds)
- 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour (finely ground from raw oats)
- 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour blend*
FROSTING / TOPPINGS
- 1/2 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 1/4 cups dairy-free dark or semi-sweet chocolate (chopped)
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil or softened vegan butter (cut into slices // such as Earth Balance)
- 1 1/4 – 2 cups powdered sugar (ensure vegan-friendliness)
- 1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted hazelnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and butter two 8″ round cake pans (or line 24 muffin tins with paper liners // as original recipe is written // adjust number/size of pans if altering batch size). Dust with gluten free flour and shake out excess.
- Measure out almond milk and add vinegar. Stir and let curdle while moving onto the next step.
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Add baking soda to the almond milk vinegar mixture and stir.
- Add the sugar, maple syrup and almond milk mixture to the flax egg and beat/whisk to combine. Then add applesauce, vanilla, melted coconut oil, salt and mix.
- Add cocoa powder, almond meal, oat flour and gluten free flour and beat/whisk to combine. If the batter appears too thick, add a touch more almond milk, but it should be perfect. It should resemble a semi-thick batter that’s pourable.
- Divide batter evenly between cake pans (if using muffin tins, it should be enough for roughly 24 filling generously 3/4 full // amount as original recipe is written).
- Bake cake for 35-45 minutes or more (cupcakes for about 29-35 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top appears dry. Time will vary if you sub ingredients, as well as depending on the size of your pan.
- Let rest in the tin for 15-20 minutes, then carefully run a butter knife along the edges and invert onto cooling racks. Let cool completely.
- FOR FROSTING: Add almond milk to your rinsed out mixing bowl from earlier and microwave for 1 minute. (Alternatively, heat in a saucepan until just simmering and then transfer back to mixing bowl.)
- Immediately add chocolate to warm milk but don’t touch for 3 minutes so it can melt.
- Stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate, then add coconut oil or softened butter and cover. Let rest untouched for another 10 minutes.
- Use your mixer (or a whisk) to beat the mixture together. Then add 1 cup powdered sugar, mix again, and place in fridge to set for 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you tip it and it’s slow to move.
- Remove from fridge and beat again. If it’s still too thin, add another 1/4 – 1/2 cup powdered sugar (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) and beat until light and fluffy. I found that adding 1 3/4 cups total powdered sugar (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) was perfect. Set aside.
- Transfer the bottom layer of the cooled cake to a serving plate/dish. Spread a semi-generous layer of frosting on the top of the bottom layer and top generously with hazelnuts. Press down with hands to settle them into the frosting (see photo).
- Carefully top with second layer and frost the top generously, then the sides. Using a butter knife yields a smooth surface. It should be the perfect amount of frosting – not too thick, not too thin.
- Add hazelnuts around the perimeter of the top of the cake. Slice and serve.
- Will keep well-covered at room temperature for several days, though best when fresh. Refrigeration not necessary.
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Barbara says
This cake is absolutely delicious. The only modification I made was to chop the hazelnuts a bit rather than leave them whole. The cake is moist and chocolatey and the frosting is fudgy and smooth. The combination of that with the crunch of the nuts makes this cake a total winner. I have brought some to our new neighbors who just moved in. They loved it. I also brought a piece to a coworker and she loved it as well. We tried this recipe because we were craving chocolate, but there was no special occasion. However, this will be my go to cake for special occasions now.
Liza says
Hi there, I used the round 8” pan as recommended (8 x 1.5 in by Wilson Bakers Choice from Walmart). The cake still turned out tasty by the way. It had a brownie-like taste and texture.
Liza says
I just made this! I had to bake the cake longer than 45 minutes though and still had to taste it tomorrow on my husband’s birthday ?. I think i added 10 minutes 3x, checking every after 10 or 5 minutes if toothpick will come out clean but it never did and was afraid of overbaking it so i just left it as is. Is it ok to have a bit of smudge on the toothpick or i wonder if i did something wrong?
Hi Liza! What kind of pan did you bake it in? Depending on the size of pan, that can affect the baking time.
Valerie says
This recipe was so yummy!! Thank You!
Yay! Glad to here it, Valerie!
Kristinaloha says
Great recipe! I subbed hazelnut flour for almond, coconut sugar for cane, and organic white flour for gluten-free, but other than that followed the recipe. I do not like dry chocolate cake and have been disappointed by many other cakes I’ve tried baking. This one, however, came out moist and fudgy! It was a delicious birthday cake enjoyed by all! Thanks for giving me some hope in the baking department!
Kristinaloha says
Made this cake 3 times now, and the last time following the recipe exactly to make it gluten free. It did take longer to bake, but still came out excellent. I reduced the icing sugar to 1 1/3 c and still think it ‘s pretty sweet. I like the fudge texture of the cake once it’s been refrigerated.
Alexandra says
I made this cake twice and going to make again this weekend! Thank you so much for such amazing recipe! I made it without hazelnuts as my husband is allergic to this type of nuts. But otherwise everything worked out and the cake tasted fantastic! Thank you Dana!
Thanks for sharing your recipe change, Alexandra!
Isabelle Payne says
OMG! This tasted divine and nobody guessed it was vegan AND GF! Thank you.
Nofar says
Hi! Sorry if someone asked this before but would subbing the oat flour for coconut flour work?
Hi! We always recommend subbing a mix of almond meal and gluten free flour blend!
Avocuddly says
I made this cake for a (non-vegan)family party and it was amazing! Everybody loved it and couldn’t tell it was vegan.
Yay! Glad to hear it :D
Ben says
Any recommendations for high altitude? I am making this tonight for my wife’s birthday!
Sorry, none at this time! We hope you and your wife enjoy the recipe!
Ben says
No worries, the cake turned out perfect! I used the high altitude(4000 ft.) recommendations from CSU by reducing the baking soda by 1/8 tsp per 1 tsp and added an extra 1/2 TBS of liquid(Almond Milk).
Kim Dempsey says
Are there certain grocery stores that sell the whole roasted unsalted hazelnuts…I live in an area where I have access to Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Publix but not sure I have seen hazelnuts
We’re not sure about the grocery stores near you, but you should be able to find them at one of the ones you listed!
Emelie says
This is one of the best GF vegan cake recipes i’ve ever made. It’s so moist and not too sweet and loved by gluten eaters as well! We make this for every birthday in my house now (and every holiday!!). Thanks for sharing!
Michelle says
Hi, I noticed it says “serves 14-16″, but that seems too much for only an 8” cake? Or am I wrong?
Hi Michelle! I will answer both of your questions here! If you are using a 9.5″ pan, you could still do double layers, but they will just be a bit thinner. As for the servings, it would serve 14-16 as long as the pieces are small. If you want to do larger slices, I would say it serves 8-10. Hope this helps!
Michelle says
The cake looks amazing – can’t wait to try it! I only have a 9.5″ round pan, so if I still want to make a double-layer cake, what quantities should I use?
Gabrielle says
Oh man, this cake. The first time I made it to take to work and ended up only taking about 3/4 of it because we decided to ‘sample it’ at home the day before. Texture turned out great! Like a normal cake. I only changed the flax eggs for a no-egg mix we had in the pantry. Second time I made it was for my Dad’s birthday yesterday, with more substitutions (no-egg again, vegan butter instead of coconut oil) as my family as a whole has a lot of different allergies/sensitivities. Texture was definitely different – more spongey, but still so delicious and my whole family could eat it for once! Thank you for the amazing recipe.
Keegan says
I made this for my boyfriend (who has Celiac disease) for valentines day with one change! No hazelnuts, but I piped a barrier of the chocolate frosting and filled it with just regular cherry pie filling! to top I just did chocolate frosting rosettes and some gold sprinkles. It was FANTASTIC, it was better than most wheat-cakes I’ve had or made. Incredibly moist, great flavour, not overly sweet at all. I was very impressed with the turn out and EVERYONE who came over that week and had some has requested it as their birthday cake. Although I didn’t make it with the Hazelnuts, its a Great recipe for sure!
Remi says
Hi when it says 1/2 cup oat flour and I want to grind old fashioned oats to make oat flour, do I measure 1/2 cup then grind it? Or do I need to grind more to get 1/2 cup total?
Hi Remi! Thanks for reaching out! You will want 1/2 cup total.
Martha says
I have made this now several times. I didn’t want to mess with the hazelnuts so I left that part out, but I can tell you that this cake is the best GF vegan chocolate cake I have tasted and I’m so thankful for your GF blend. This cake is the bomb.
Natalia says
I made this cake for Christmas and everyone asked for the recipe. Nobody could believe it was vegan. And I also made and brought to work. It was done in few minutes! Love it!
Iris says
Hi Dana!
My family has just turned semi vegan, but since we have our own chickens we still eat their eggs. Do you think eggs could be substituted for the flax eggs in the recipe? Thanks!
Jo says
I made this for a charity bake off a couple of days ago and came 3rd place – I have never made a cake so this was a big achievement! My colleagues were amazed that this was gluten free and vegan and said it was one of the nicest chocolate cakes they had tasted! It was very moist but I really enjoyed it that way, it did take quite a while to bake and did have to cover in tinfoil to not burn the top but cook the inside.
Will definitely be making this recipe again, thanks!
Daniel says
Made this yesterday and it is so good!! I doubt you could even tell its gluten free or vegan.
Linda says
I am sure this is delicious, but can you count? Your intro says you specialise in recepies with less than 10 ingrédients, but this has 14 for the cake plus 5 for the frosting! and some of them are not simple or easy to purchase.
A pity! It sounds nice but is just too much complicated shopping for me!
Hi Linda, all of our recipes are either 0 ingredients or less or made in one bowl, or 30 minutes or less to prepare, as said in our intro. Hope this clarifies things for you.
Karotte says
Made this for non vegans and they adored it. Great recipe
kp says
Hi,
What else can i replace honey,maple and agave nectar? Something with sugar or? I would like to skip the liquid sweetness all together?
Hi! You could use a bit more applesauce, or pureed banana!
Natalia says
Hi Dana, it’s not easy getting gluten free oats in Australia, could the oat flour be replaced with something like buckwheat flour??? Can’t wait to try this recipe :)
Hi! We always recommend subbing a mix of almond meal and gluten free flour blend for the oat flour!
Kate says
Could you bake this recipe in a 9″ x 13″ pan?
Hi Kate! Yes you can!
Heather says
Made this for a vegan friend when I was invited round for dinner on Wednesday. Most of her household is vegan and they also try and maintain a low gluten diet so this was a double winner. I’m more of a savory cook so I’ve actually never made a cake form scratch before but this turned out so perfect!
Gosh so many compliments, one asking how the frosting was made as it was so nice (I opted for coconut oil for a subtle coconut hit) and another girl said she’s never had a gf/vegan cake so nice and she’s had a fair few from actual vegan cafes.
Paired it with Wall’s Swedish Glace vanilla dairy free soy ice cream (which I would also recommend, you’d never guess there’s no dairy in it) and it went down a storm. This is being printed and tucked away for another day as I’m sure it’ll be requested again!
One thing I will say is the wooden skewer I used to test it for ‘doneness’ never came out clean and I left it in for about 50 mins in total as I was scared too much would overdo it but it was still really nice and didn’t really seem to affect it in terms of moistness or taste.
Astrid says
Made this for the upcoming arrival of baby no. 2 and had turned out delicious! Agree with other posters that figuring out European measurements was a bit tricky, but worked out fine. It is dense, moist and chocolatey… Yum!
Ana says
I tried it, terrible. Such a waste.
Heather says
Sorry another question before I make this. The almond meal is that more like flour or ground almonds? Ground have a slightly chunkier consistency so I’m confused as which to use. I have a vegan party to bake for and I want to make sure I get it right haha.
Thanks again for your time!
It is less fine than almond flour, so more close to ground almonds!
Margaret Nippert says
I just made this as a birthday cake and it was delicious. I had to work through some of the Americanisms but once I realised what the odd numbered measurements and temperatures were it was easy to adjust. I found it a big job to make all the ingredients eg apple sauce, roasting the hazel nuts , processing the oats etc but luckily I made it the day before it was needed and had the time. This cake was rich, moist and super chocolatey and suited the combination of vegan, gluten free family members perfectly. Thanks
Silviana says
How can I make this cake vegan, but not gluten free? I want to make it for my daughther’s 2nd birthday.
Yes! I would recommend all-purpose!
Heather says
For the cake in the picture did you use vegan butter or coconut oil in your cake mix? Thanks!
Coconut oil, but both work!
Polly says
I don’t need this to be gluten freebie only vegan – can I substitute for plain flour and if so are the quantities the same?
Yes, all purpose at the same quantity will work.
Sam E says
Made this with AP flour. It was very moist. I had to bake small thin cakes because it was too wet. Overall I had a four layer cake and it was excellent! The chocolate came out nice and smooth, I can’t say I didn’t burn my face off eating freshly-roasted hazelnuts though…..
Aisha says
Hi!
So excited to try this. May I know which brand you use for the unsweetened cocoa powder?
Thanks :)!
Yummy Cake in Delhi says
I must be pleased for sharing your ideas. Thank you for the good writes up. It’s a brilliant job.
Rhianna says
Hi Dana,
This is by far the best gluten free cake I have come across, and it’s vegan too so my dad and sister can eat it. We love it and I cannot thank you enough for your recipe.
I have a quick question; 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp/ 146 ml seems like an awful lot of maple syrup, is this the correct amount or is a typo? I only used a squirt of it and the cake turned out perfectly.
Many thanks
Rhianna
Hi! It is correct, but I am glad to hear that it worked out with less!
Lenora says
Can I just say… that this cake is AMAZING. I was in a time crunch last night to make a cake, and this recipe had caught my eye a while back and stuck with me. It is SO GOOD and SO EASY and what I made actually looks like your photos. I can’t wait to share it with my friend tonight for her bday party.
I will note that I did use 2% milk and 4 eggs instead of the almond milk and flax eggs since none of us are vegan. I did make it GF though, and I am blown away with how moist and fluffy it turned out! ALSO I used hazelnut meal instead of almond meal, and the aroma of the cake is just mouthwatering.
THANK YOU so much Dana for this recipe – can’t wait for your cookbook!
Kathy says
I did everything according to the recipes but my cakes have been in the oven for almost two hours and the toothpick just doesn’t come out clean. It formed a crust on top but underneath it it still feels soft. I now put some aluminum foil over it because I don’t want it to burn. I hope they still turn out well. :((
Laurie says
I made this cake yesterday. My guests and I all enjoyed it immensely but I have one comment: can you make a cake that has more of a hazelnut (Nutella!) taste? I am thinking of subbing ground hazelnuts next time. What do you think?
That sounds delicious, Laurie!
Jodi says
AMAAAAZING CAKE! It was the first cake I’ve ever made from scratch. I followed the instructions carefully. The only change I did was regular white flour for the gluten free. It turned out so well. I served it to my omni friends at a BBQ last night and they couldn’t believe it was vegan. As other reviewers say – it is a dense, rich cake. I made it in 8.5″ pans and cooked for 40 mins and it turned out very well. Thank you so much for this recipe. It’s a keeper!
Polly says
Hi Jody – can I ask did you do the same quantity of plain flour to gluten free oat flour and flour blend totalling 250g?
Jodi says
Hi Polly – I think I just replaced the gluten free mix (200g) and also used the oat flour (50g), but you would likely be fine either way.
Clare says
My daughter asked for this cake for her 9th birthday. I made it in a star shape tin. Everyone loves it – it looks and tastes amazing. Just made it again two weeks later – it’s going to be a regular thing. Thanks for the recipe
J says
Hi Dana
I want to make this for Easter celebration (just 5 or 6 weeks away) with 24 people invited.
My mother adores hazelnuts and chocolate. This recipe will undoubtedly do the trick.
If i make 2 x layers of this cake in 2 separate 9″ x 13″ cake pans would :
1. the cakes hold up to stacking since it is larger in size?
2. how much inner filling do I make?
2. how much of the cake recipe do I increase this by?
Thank you in advance for your reply.
J
Hi! I would probably double the recipe size in that case (filling included) Hope this helps!
Nico says
Hi, this recipe looks amazing! I am diabetic and would like to sub the honey and sugar with erythritol and stevia. Any tips?
Kelly Morshead says
ooops. Another question. How do you make applesauce?? Ive found recipes but want to make sure its what you use so we win this comp ;)
Hi Kelly! If you’re up for making homemade applesauce, follow the directions below!
3 lbs. apples (I prefer using a mix of Golden Delicious, Fuji, McIntosh, or Gala)
½ c. water
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
– Prepare the apples by slicing and coring them– no need to peel, unless you want to.
– Place the sliced apples, water and cinnamon in a large pot or saucepan set over medium heat. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender.
– Use an potato masher, immersion blender, blender or food processor to “puree” the apples, keeping it slightly chunky. Let the applesauce cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Good luck!
Kelly Morshead says
Sorry. I have another question. Instead of granulated sugar, would coconut sugar work??
Hi! That should work! Use coconut sugar on a 1:1 basis in recipes when substituting for white or brown sugar! Good luck!
Kelly Morshead says
Being totally dim. 1:1 ?? So just the same amount??
hahaha
You got it Kelly! Good luck!
Kelly Morshead says
This may seem like a dumb question, but I assume I can just get raw hazelnuts and roast them ? if so, in the oven or hob and for how long ??
We have a bake off at work soon and we will be the only vegan / gluten free cake. Cant wait!
Hi! If you’re up for it, you sure can! See below!
1. Preheat the oven. Heat the to medium heat, such as 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Arrange the hazelnuts. Spread the hazelnuts out in an even layer onto a baking sheet.
3. Roast the nuts. Place the baking sheet into the oven, and roast for between 10 and 15 minutes. …
4. Remove the shells.
Good luck!
Kelly Morshead says
Perfect. Thank you!
B says
Can I replace the almond milk with hazelnut milk? And the oat flour with just as much gluten free flour? Thanks in advance!
Hi! I have not tried it, but that should work! If you try it, report back with the results! :D
Wanda says
This recipe is amazing! I was motivated to try it because I have a vegan daughter who loves baking, and I’ve been informing myself about the effect of gluten on our bodies. Loving chocolate cake, I could not imagine that a vegan/gluten-free chocolate cake could possibly taste as good as I know the original to be, but wow, did this change my outlook on that thought! I used the DIY flour mix you recommend, but due to the fact that I live in Germany and cannot access some ingredients, I used the white rice flour, replaced the brown rice flour with buckwheat flour, and instead of the potato starch I use tapioca starch. The rest of the ingredients were left intact. The results were utterly spectacular! The consistency of the cake was fluffy but not too much, it had just enough moisture, the chocolate filling/frosting was every chocolate-lover’s dream!!! To make sure “it wasn’t only me” I shared it with others, and they could not believe that it was not done with normal flour and eggs! This is my first recipe with you, and it will certainly not be my last! Thank you very much for sharing with us!
Angela says
I made this cake for my daughters 20th birthday dinner. Seven people came, some were vegan and one was gluten free. The recipe worked beautifully, everyone said it was the best vegan cake they had ever had. There was also let over cake for the next day.
Baker says
The cake is delicious! When you make cupcakes they are fluffy and moist, simply perfect! But to make a cake – not sure what super sized pan you used, but I needed half the batter and twice the frosting for one normal sized cake. I followed the recipe up to the gram. Once I put half of the batter according to the recipe – it raised to fill the whole form (22 cm in diameter) and I had to cut it in half as otherwise it would have been too thick. Once cut the inside was not fluffy at all – was more like a squeezed sponge (but the toothpick came out clean so it was baked + I baked it for an hour). If you have an idea how to make cake layers as fluffy as cupcakes – I’d me more than happy to know. This cake is a winner anyway, and you may try replacing hazelnuts with cherries – works very well too!
Hope Fretz says
Ok so I made this and it flopped. I am not sure exactly where I went wrong. I actually weighed the ground flax seed and at 18 grams it was only 3 TBSP’s so I went with the 4 TBSP measurement instead of the weight. Did I weigh it wrong? I also had 3 kids helping me so that right there could have done it but it rose so nicely in the oven I figured it was done! At 35 min I tested it with a toothpick and “popped” it. After that it turned out like a solid brick of raw dough. Is that even possible?!?!?! I would like to make it again but I would like to fix what I did wrong. Help!!
Christine says
I made this and it was fantastic. Even better the next day: moister. I had a bit of trouble figuring out if the cakes were done… but it all worked out. Thank you!
Sam says
Hello,I am planning to make this cake soon and I was just wondering about the 4flax egg part. Do I add the flax seed,water and 4 eggs or is the flax seed + water mixture a substitute for 4 eggs?
hope says
The flax seed and water is a substitute for the eggs. Unless you are not vegan then you can go ahead and skip the flax seed and just use eggs.
The flax + water is a SUB for the eggs.
Hope says
Due to recently discovered dairy allergies, my family is now (mostly) plant-based. I made this for my husband’s birthday and it was his first birthday ever being vegan. He was not looking forward to eating “plant food” all day. He couldn’t even tell there were no eggs or dairy! It was delicious. We paired it with a coconut milk ice cream off your site.
*I also made your biscuits and gravy for his birthday breakfast. He never thought he’d be able to eat them again so he was thrilled! He said he couldn’t even tell it was plant based. I love your site. You’ve made becoming animal-free so much easier.
Melia says
I made this on a test run, I am making my uncles wedding cake and the bride is vegan gluten free! So amazing! I did use a bigger pan for one tier which I regret because it made it a little dry but the 8 pan is perfect! I want to do more of a fancy decoration or maybe a frosting I could shape better, any recipe suggestions?
Melia
Sylvie says
This is THE BEST VEGAN CAKE IN THE WORLD. I just made this recipe and it’s been a huge success : everyone loved it including non-vegans and non-cake-fans.
I’ve used cashew milk cause that’s all i had and it worked fine;
Thank you very much for this recipe, i can’t wait to make it again
Justine Atze says
Hi! So my mum has had to recently go gluten free and grain free… makes it super tricky to find a decent recipe for a nice cake. It is her 50th birthday and I would love to know what I could substitute the oats and gluten free flour with. Do I use more Almond meal or use coconut flour? I have no idea what I could use and how much. I know that the texture may be totally different but I am at a loss on what I could do haha. I have a vegan sister and we loved this cake but now we have to make it grain free as well which means no rice, corn etc. Talk about hard! Look forward to hearing from you :)
Thanks,
Justine.
Joseane says
This cake is awesome! My kids and my spouse (who normally don’t like gluten free dessert) and my coworkers loved it!
Heddy says
Just made this cake and it seems to have risen a little. Is it supposed to be light and fluffy! I have followed the recipe to the letter and wonder whether it is supposed to be as dense and moist as it is. I baked it for 50 minutes but the toothpick still came out sticky. So, not wanting a dry cake, I took it out of of the oven. Hopefully the taste will be better than the texture when the frosting and nuts are added.
Renée says
Hello. I’m a big fan of your site however I was a bit disappointed with the outcome of this cake. It was extremely dense and also completely lacking in sweetness even though I added a bit of extra sugar in an attempt to compensate for using beets instead of apple sauce. I did substitute almond milk with peanut milk and the gluten free flour blend for regular wheat flour but I don’t think any of these substitutions would have made much of a difference.
Belle says
Hi Renee,
Wheat flour actually takes away from the sweetness of the cake and makes the cake more dense. That’s most likely why the cake didn’t turn out as well as you may have hoped. Whenever substitutions are made, the chef or the recipe creator cannot be blamed for an unpleasant outcome as many ingredients do not substitute well. Next time, try making the recipe as instructed and then determine whether it is good or not.
Mary says
I absolutely love hazelnut and choco combo! One question though: do i have to use almond blend? I dont have almonds and i was wondering if i can substitute it. Im going to make it tomorrow
Larissa says
This cake recipe is great, so moist and yummy. Everyone we gave it to was so surprised it was vegan! We multiplied the ingredients by 1.5 and put it in one 12″ deep cake tin. Thank you!
Kristy says
I just made this cake as well as the vegan chocolate cake one as a trial for my soon to the 3 year olds birthday cake. My husband who never eats cake tried them both and loved them both (that’s a huge compliment to your recipe!). This hazelnut cake we found a lot sweeter than the vegan chocolate cake and as we are trying to be sugar free I used Stevia as a substitute for the sugar however I did add the maple syrup and the applesauce. When I make it again I won’t add the maple syrup and I think I’ll make my own apple sauce (puree apples should work) as the store bought does have added sugar. The applesauce gives a lovely texture. However I was wondering if sour cream or yoghurt instead of apple sauce would work?? We aren’t strictly vegan but definitely looking for healthy alternatives.
Dana do you have a vanilla cake recipe you could share??
Thanks so much I’ve really enjoyed making your recipes.
Pritha says
This is by far the BEST GF cake I have ever eaten, vegan or not. So amazing – only lasted 1 day in my house! I can’t have oats so subbed oat flour for more of the GF flour blend and it turned out great :)
Rebecca says
Made this cake for my dad’s birthday and he loved it! It was moist, dense and rich, and the cake aspect was not too sweet. I think next time though I will omit the sugar from the frosting, as I found adding sugar thinned the mixture a lot and made it hard to work with – and adding more sugar to thicken it up didn’t seem to help. Might use sweetened almond milk instead perhaps next time. What a fantastic recipe though. Super pleased!
Dani says
Hello! What can i substitute for almond flour? I have coconut flour at home, or would regular flour work?
Help please
Laura says
Is there anything that would work instead of fruit puree and ground almonds? I am currently on the low FODMAP diet and can’t have either (or beetroot ). Dying to make this if I can though!
Heather says
I’m not sure what’s happening, but it’s almost like the cake is not cooking all the way through. It’s very mushy and the toothpick is still coming out sticky with batter on it, even after being in the oven for at least an hour. The same thing is happening with the coconut berry muffins, which is also on your website. They turn out perfect when I use wheat flour, but as soon as I switch to gluten free flour, this is what happens. And, I used the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten free flour blend like you recommended.
Vera says
Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! My partner has been on a gluten, dairy and egg free diet for more than a year now and I haven’t even manage to put together a decent dessert for him, let alone a cake! But now it was his 40th birthday… I couldn’t possibly come up with a raw cake – though that was pretty much all I could think of. And then I found this. A real magic!! I substituted the oats with coconut flour and used walnuts instead of the hazelnuts as he used to love walnut cake. I’ve put an extra layer of walnut cream in the middle and oh wow. I couldn’t believe that it didn’t have any of the classic cake ingredients and yet it was beautiful and tall, not to mention the taste. I didn’t last long let me tell you. It was a huge success!! :)
Dani Halliday says
Looks like a wonderful cake, do you think it would freeze?
Frustrated Foodie says
I am a self-avowed good cook and DISASTROUS baker. I was also quite the foodie until I found out I was intolerant to dairy, gluten and eggs. I had all but given up on allergen free baking, or on ever having a satisfying dessert again until trying this cake.
Your instructions are wonderful, so helpful and reassuring for the remedial baker. And the results were breathtaking and delicious. I rimmed the top of the cake with whole toasted hazelnuts as you did, then filled the center top with chopped nuts as there are S ome in my family who I thought might want to take them off. The result was beautiful and DELICIOUS!! Thank you for sharing your talent with us, and for giving me hope that I can bake successfully!! Next stop…gardening! ?
Ashley says
This is AMAZING! I do cupcake and cake catering for weddings and have been getting more requests for vegan, gf etc. What do you think of using regular eggs for a non vegan version, can I replace the flax eggs with them? THANKS!
Hannah says
We’re making this for my son’s school project. He had to make me a cake! We’ll see how it turns out ?
Diane says
We loved it. made it for my son’s 10th birthday – his choice. I did use WW flour instead of GF, but it was all wonderful. Also a mix of apple and beet sauce, and blended coconut flour instead of white powdered sugar. Thanks for posting. It was a fantastic dessert!
Sylvie says
Could you use hazelnut meal as a sub for almond?
That should work!
Kay says
Hi there!
This cook looks amazing and I am really excited to try it.
A quick question – if I don’t have GF oat flour can I just add in more of bob’s 1-1 to replace it?
Thanks!
I would think so, but I haven’t tried it that way. Let me know if you give it a try!
Holley says
Is there any way I could use real eggs instead?
Yanic says
This was a HUGE hit tonight… I didn’t have everything I needed for the ganache so I doubled your date caramel recipe and used that as icing. Just delicious. Even my son (that doesn’t like sugary things) ate a portion. I will be making this often!
Brittany says
Hi! I am excited to make this cake! I am making it vegan, but do not need it to be GF. Would regular flour replace the gluten free flour and the oat flour?
Kengo says
Hi, I’m wondering should i double the amount of everything because I’d like to make a 24cm large cake :) Thank you
Beth says
I just made this for my brother’s birthday, and oh my word, it is probably the best cake I’ve ever tasted!! I’m not even fully vegan OR gluten free, and neither is my family, but I wanted an adventure, and this proved to be so totally worth it. I discovered your blog through Google and I’m excited to try more of your recipes. :)
Jessie says
I made this cake for my birthday and it was THE BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever had! Incredible!
Laura says
I am not vegan and I bake a lot of layer cakes, cupcakes etc. This was my first attempt at vegan baking and I carefully followed the recipe… It turned out so rich and chocolate-y… I absolutely loved this cake. HOWEVER, I still could not trick my husband into believing that it was a “regular” cake. The first thing he asked was “is this a low fat recipe?”… He had a piece, but did not love it. I wish he did because I do.
Liz Morris says
Made this for my sons birthday (non-Vegan) – “…best vegan cake you have made. It’s a keeper”. High praise from him believe me.
Catherine says
This is a fantastic recipe and a delicious cake! I made this the other day for Easter and it turned out really well, I followed the recipe almost exactly, but I did however use normal flour instead of gluten free and I chopped the hazelnuts instead of leaving them whole. It was great! Thank you so much.
alyssa says
I just made this for my boyfriend’s birthday! He is the very opposite of vegan or gluten free, and it was my very first time baking a cake from scratch. This recipe was pretty easy to follow! He was hesitant when he saw me pureeing the beets;)
We couldn’t find any cocoa powder that wasn’t outrageously over priced, so I tried to substitute with carob powder. I was a little anxious after tasting the cake alone, but using chocolate chips in the frosting helped to balance it out and it still ended up having a nice chocolate flavor. The cake was not very sweet at all, maybe because I used beet puree instead of applesauce? And I had to use almost 2 cups of powdered sugar to get my frosting to the right consistency — I may try a date frosting recipe I have next time. But the cake being not so sweet and the frosting being very sweet equaled out to the perfect amount of sweetness!:)
I was pleased with this recipe and found it very delicious! So did my non-vegan, gluten, anti-veggie-in-dessert family. Even if they were just agreeing for my sake;)
Sal says
I made this cake today for my study group tomorrow, and I made one cupcake size to try myself. Yum! I’ve made flour-less cakes before but not vegan. I didn’t have oat flour so substituted with hazelnut meal. This cake seems to have worked out really well and the almond milk/coconut oil gnache is delsih! So much so I used what was left over to make a few choc protein balls. Glad to have come across this recipe today. Thank you.
Azure says
This looks fantastic! I’m vegan and am planning on making this for my GF friend’s birthday. I do have one question though. I see that the instructions say to put the baking powder in with the “buttermilk” but in most baking recipes I see to put it with the flour so the acid and baking powder react during baking. Is there a particular reason you add it to the milk? Thanks in advance!
Eléonore says
Hello. I’d like to do this cake for my birthday! I have never used flax eggs.. I am a bit reticent to use that. Do you know if I can substitute them by chia seeds?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried chia eggs in this recipe, but I’m 90% sure it would work! Give it a test run before the big day to make sure! Happy birthday!
Ashley says
I made this last night – it’s absolutely wonderful! Rich, moist and decadent!! The hazelnuts definitely make the cake! I will make this again – probably cook my cake a bit longer; had 9″ cake pans and cooked for about 31 min. I will also make my frosting a bit more stiff. This cake is an A+!!!
Tia says
Hi, I’m hoping to make this for my friend who is GF but not vegan and I am wondering could I use brown eggs instead creating my own?
This looks absolutely amazing and i am looking forward to giving it a try.
Jo says
Hi Dana
What a spectacular cake!! Thank you for sharing your recipe. I plan to make this cake for mum’s birthday. Can I just use all purpose flour be it white or wholemeal ?
Would both flours be the same quantity ? Would it affect the texture of the cake?
Which type of cocoa do you use – Dutch process?
Thanks for your help
Jasmine says
I love hazelnuts :)
Thanks for this, I make it in future :)
Kate says
I made this cake for my birthday and was happy with the taste. I followed the instructions, iced, and put in the fridge overnight. The next day when we took it to the party and cut it up, it wasn’t cake-y anymore but super dense almost like fudge. What happened? was it because I refrigerated it? The taste was still very good though.
Hmm, I’m not sure! It could’ve potentially been because you refrigerated it. I haven’t heard this from anyone else!
Steph says
I’m allergic to oats. Any suggestions on something I can sub for pay flour? :)
Lola says
This looks SO good! Is there a way I can skip the powdered sugar for the frosting? I know that’s a little harder to substitute than flax eggs or almond milk, but I’m trying to live entirely sugarfree.
Thanks in advance!
I think you can skip it! It will be more like a straight up ganache though, so beware that it will be pretty rich!
Effie says
Lovely cake. Thank you.