Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake

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!

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…

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.

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…

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.

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.

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!

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

This Gluten-Free Vegan German Chocolate Cake is moist and fluffy, easy to make and covered in the most indulgent frosting!

4.8 from 5 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 (1/4 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 1/4 cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 50 g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder

For the frosting:

• 100 g (2/3 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 (1/2 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!

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