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    Recipes » Recipes

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    Last updated - July 14, 2021; Published - December 29, 2017 By Rhian Williams 8 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    I hope you'll love this Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake! It's:

    • moist and fluffy
    • refined sugar free
    • covered in the most indulgent frosting!

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    After drooling over several mouthwatering German Chocolate Cake recipes on Pinterest, I was keen to make a gluten-free, vegan and refined sugar free version...

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    Having cracked a delicious Chocolate Sponge Layer Cake recipe, I knew I could use that sponge as a base for a Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake. It's easy to make, requires familiar ingredients, and comes together in one bowl, and is also super versatile, as you can use any type of oil, liquid sweetener and milk you like. What's more, it's seriously moist and fluffy and undetectably vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar free.

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    I was a little stuck when it came to the frosting, however, as I was conscious that sugar, eggs and evaporated milk are pretty crucial for a traditional German Chocolate Cake recipe...

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    Then I remembered the cashew-based buttercream recipe I previously made, and thought it would work as a good substitute - it's rich and creamy, luxuriously smooth and melts in your mouth.

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    I then added pecan nuts (walnuts also work) and desiccated coconut - the result is a deliciously sweet, coconutty, indulgent frosting that perfectly suits the chocolatey sponge.

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    For more chocolate cakes, check out my:

    • Tahini Frosted Chocolate Cake
    • Black Forest Cake
    • Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle Cake
    • Brooklyn Blackout Chocolate Cake
    • Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
    • Chocolate Orange Cake
    • Chocolate Cupcakes
    • Chocolate Mousse Cake
    • or browse the whole collection of chocolate cake recipes!

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    If you try out this recipe or anything else from my blog, I’d really love to hear any feedback! Please give it a rating, leave a comment, or tag a photo #rhiansrecipes on Instagram! Thank you.

    Helpful tools to make this Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake:

    For the cake:

    glass mixing bowl

    measuring jug

    18 cm / 7 inch sandwich baking tin

    baking paper

    cooling rack

    For the frosting:

    food processor

    blender

    hand-held stick blender

    palette knife for frosting

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

    This Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake is moist and fluffy, easy to make and covered in the most indulgent frosting!
    4.56 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: gluten-free german chocolate cake, vegan german chocolate cake, vegan gluten-free chocolate cake
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 486kcal
    Author: Rhian Williams

    Ingredients

    For the cake:

    • 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
    • 250 ml (1 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
    • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • 12 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch salt
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
    • 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
    • 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
    • ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
    • 50 g (½ cup) cocoa powder

    For the frosting:

    • 100 g (⅔ cup) cashew nuts soaked in cold water overnight or in hot water for 15 minutes
    • 3 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Pinch salt
    • 50 g (½ cup) pecan nuts , finely chopped (or sub walnuts)
    • 6 tablespoons desiccated coconut

    Instructions

    For the cake:

    • Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
    • Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
    • Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the vinegar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and ground almonds
    • Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder
    • Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it’s looking too dry
    • Divide mixture between two greased baking tins lined with baking paper (I used two 7inch/18cm baking tins)
    • Bake in oven for around 15 minutes until risen slightly and an inserted skewer comes out clean
    • Once out the oven, transfer cakes from baking tins onto a wired rack to leave them to cool completely before applying the frosting

    For the frosting:

    • Drain soaked cashews and add to a food processor or blender (or hand-held blender) with the maple syrup, vanilla and salt, and around 7 tablespoons of water
    • Whizz until completely smooth, adding more water if necessary
    • Add the pecan nuts and coconut and mix well

    To frost and decorate the cake:

    • Place one half of the cake onto a plate or cake stand and spread half of the frosting onto it
    • Place the other half of the cake on top of that and spread the rest of the frosting on top of the cake
    • Tastes best when fresh but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

    Notes

    *You can alternatively use almond flour
     
    Nutrition Facts
    Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 486 Calories from Fat 279
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 31g48%
    Saturated Fat 11g55%
    Sodium 83mg3%
    Potassium 333mg10%
    Carbohydrates 51g17%
    Fiber 7g28%
    Sugar 25g28%
    Protein 10g20%
    Calcium 157mg16%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Made the recipe?Tag @rhiansrecipes on instagram and use the hashtag #rhiansrecipes!

    Disclosure: This posts contains affiliate links to Amazon. If you purchase any of these products, a small percentage will come to me with no extra cost to you! This income will go towards the running of this blog – thank you.

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    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Sara

      May 02, 2018 at 3:53 pm

      5 stars
      Made this into cupcakes and it worked fab! The frosting is amazing, great idea to use cashews!

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        May 02, 2018 at 4:00 pm

        Thank you!

    2. Julie

      February 02, 2019 at 6:52 pm

      Is the conversion (metric to US) is missing?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        February 02, 2019 at 8:27 pm

        Yep, but the US measurements are listed in brackets after the gram measurements!

    3. Julie

      February 02, 2019 at 9:38 pm

      Is the conversion missing on this recipe?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        February 02, 2019 at 11:08 pm

        The US measurements are listed in brackets after the gram measurements!

    4. Gwen

      June 04, 2020 at 3:17 am

      In allergic to almonds. Would another GF flour work in place of the almond flour?

      Reply
      • Rhian Williams

        June 04, 2020 at 11:17 am

        You can replace the almonds with ground walnuts or ground sunflower seeds!

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    Photo of Rhian Williams from Rhian's Recipes

    Hi, I'm Rhian! I make easy, undetectably vegan + gluten-free recipes, including healthy comfort food and naturally sweetened desserts using plant-based ingredients.

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