Paleo Chocolate & Vanilla Cake – GAPS Approved Recipe
Indulge guilt-free with this healthy homemade Paleo chocolate vanilla cake—a moist, delicious, and nutrient-rich treat that’s GAPS Diet approved! Perfect for birthdays or everyday cravings, this grain-free, refined sugar-free dessert is made with real, wholesome ingredients the whole family will love.
Equipment
- Mix Master or immersion blender (for frosting - you can also mix by hand, but the frosting will not be as smooth)
- Pyrex bowls (for tiered cake) or glass 9x13 pans (these brands are both oven safe and have lids for easy fridge stacking)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Ninja or blender (to puree zucchini)
- Large mixing bowl (this one is my FAVORITE for batching large recipes and because it has a non-stick bottom)
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 3 cups coconut flour (see recipe notes for gaps)
- 24 eggs
- 2 cups honey
- 1 cup melted coconut oil (or butter, ghee, or lard)
- 3 tspn baking powder
- 2 tbsp vanilla
- 6 cups pureed zucchini
- 1 cup cacao powder (for chocolate cake)
Frosting Ingredients:
- 3 blocks cream cheese (or 4 cans coconut cream or 2 cups lard or 2 cups palm shortening)
- 2 sticks butter (or 1 extra cup of above fat)
- 1 cup honey
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Instructions
Instructions for Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease 2 glass 9x13 pans or oven safe pyrex bowls (for a tiered cake).
- In a mix master or large mixing bowl, combine eggs, honey, coconut oil, and vanilla and mix well (softening/melting the fat ahead is helpful). Puree zucchini and add to mixture.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix.
- Pour batter into greased containers 1/2 - 3/4 full, depending on desired size and shape of cake.
- Add to your preheated oven and let bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.
- Once baked, allow cakes to cool before removing from greased pans.
- Add the frosting between cake layers and on the outside. Don't feel badly if your cake has character like ours!
Instructions for Frosting:
- Add softened butter, cream cheese, or desired fat (see recipe notes above) to mix master.
- Whip until smooth and fluffy. An immersion blender will also work, though it is more time consuming.
- Slowly pour in honey and continue mixing until well-incorporated.
Notes
We have made this recipe with cream, cream cheese, butter, and coconut cream (straining the liquid and using just the more dense cream) as various fat options, added the honey and whipped. The frosting texture seems to be the most thick and creamy with the cream cheese and this has become our new favorite! However, when we were on strict GAPS and mostly dairy-free, we enjoyed the other variations, too! While a little more of a thin texture, they still work for frosting and the kids have a lot of fun decorating their desserts. We even love this recipe with zero frosting!
(Note, for strict gaps, coconut flour must be homemade. Our family was able to eat commercially prepared coconut flour from the beginning, but this is not the case for everyone.)
Note: Omit cacao for strict gaps diet or intro. We have made this recipe dozens of times without the cacao and it has a creamy vanilla honey flavor and texture- I highly recommend it!
Note: Omit cacao for strict gaps diet or intro. We have made this recipe dozens of times without the cacao and it has a creamy vanilla honey flavor and texture- I highly recommend it!
- Once the cake been baked and cooled, you can store it in your fridge for up to 5 days. After that, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to two months (unless you eat it before then 😉).
- For a dairy-free option, simply choose a dairy-free fat frosting option (lard, coconut cream, or palm shortening).
- I do not recommend substituting flax, banana, or applesauce in this recipe given how many eggs it contains.
- Both the chocolate and vanilla form of this recipe taste GREAT the next day, especially after being in the cold refrigerator overnight. Make sure the cake is at least room temperature or cold from the fridge before frosting.