Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake

The Magical Mood Boosting Powers of Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake makes everything better. Fact. And what makes the most better-making chocolate cake even better? Making it paleo. And making it on a Monday.

I woke up with a serious case of the Monday Blues yesterday. I’ve been getting over a stubborn cold, haven’t been sleeping super well, and am basically just *so* over Winter. Then I saw the words ‘chocolate cake’ somewhere in the netherworld of social media. Bam. Problem(s) solved!

I went straight to the kitchen and pulled out the organic chocolate and pasture-raised eggs and the coconut cream, sugar, and oil, and in no time at all I whipped up this deliciously decadent flourless chocolate cake.

Happy Making Chocolate Cake

One bite of the melted chocolate ganache bliss and yes my problems did seem to melt away. And science tells us that chocolate can indeed help improve your mood: it stimulates the production of endorphins in the brain which create feelings of pleasure. Plus, it contains serotonin, an antidepressant that can also elevate mood. Full of health benefits and mood boosters… bring on the chocolate!

But I had also started to feel significantly better before a morsel of chocolate even passed my lips. I realized that simply giving myself a project doing something I enjoy – baking – was enough to boost my spirits and get me out of that Monday funk.

The reality is, food should not be our first go-to mood booster. While chocolate is a proven mood-booster with health benefits, quantity (and quality!) does matter. It should not be the fallback mood-booster. Emotional eating can be a crutch, an avoidance mechanism, and a mask for deeper underlying issues. Exercise, laugh, or do something you love first, then maybe reach for a small taste of chocolate. 🙂

The Positive Psychology of Baking

There is plenty of research from the field of positive psychology backing up the notion that there is a strong link between creativity and positive emotions. Creativity is also linked to a sense of accomplishment and achievement – going after something we want and subsequently achieving it has a tremendous impact on our sense of wellbeing. Creative projects give us a positive focus – an outlet that absorbs our attention in a constructive manner.

It’s what I’ve always loved about baking: the science behind the creation. Coming up with the exact right quantities and blend of flavors to come up with the most delicious treat for out taste buds. Over the years I became known as somewhat of a cupcake aficionado; I came up with creative cupcake flavors and got fancy with the frosting.

Years ago I also began tweaking recipes to make them vegan and/or refined sugar-free. I even wanted to start a blog about baking and yoga called Balancing Cupcakes. I technically did start it, but I never got around to doing anything with it. And here we are. Different blog. Same vibe. Because I’m still me. And cake is still cake!

I Only Came for the Cake

And I won’t lie, this chocolate cake will up your hostess game with minimal effort. It just requires one bowl, a simple list of ingredients, and minimal baking skills. The ganache is the simplest: just melt the two ingredients on the stove, pour it over the cake, and voilà you have a beautiful cake. I swirled a knife around the top to give it simple flair, and how pretty does it look?

So if you’re looking to impress with your baking skills, this paleo flourless chocolate cake is a must-try! Bonus, it caters to so many different diets yet no part of it tastes ‘healthy’ or like you’ve sacrificed flavor for healthified ingredients. It’s simply delicious.

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Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake

Your favorite, most decadently rich flourless chocolate cake made dairy-free, refined-sugar free, and as always, gluten-free. 

Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips choose vegan, dairy-free, soy-free brands to keep it paleo
• 1/2 cup refined organic coconut oil can use unrefined but refined eliminates the coconut flavor
• 1/2 cup maple syrup can replace with lakanto maple to decrease sugar
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 large eggs can sub 3 flax eggs to make it vegan
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder I use 100% organic cacao powder

Ganache

• 1 cup dark chocolate chips choose vegan, dairy-free, soy-free brands to keep it paleo
• 1/2 cup coconut cream may use full fat coconut milk if it's all natural and extra thick

Instructions

1. Preheat the over to 375F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan an lightly dust with cocoa powder. 

2. Place the chocolate chips and coconut oil in a medium sized glass bowl and set up a double boiler on the stove by placing it over a medium sized pot with an inch of water. Turn the heat on medium- high and stir until the chocolate and coconut oil are thoroughly melted and combined. *Option to melt the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave. 

3. Once the chocolate is melted, remove the glass bowl from the heat and stir in the maple syrup, coconut sugar, espresso, cinnamon, and sea salt. 

4. Add the eggs and beat lightly until the batter is smooth. Add the cacao powder and mix until combined. 

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake for 25 minutes. 

6. Remove from the over and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Loosen the edges with a table knife and flip it onto a serving plate. You can flip it back over onto a second plate if you like; it doesn't really matter which is the top. 

7. As the cake continues to cool, make the chocolate ganache. Use the same double boiler set up on the stove (or use a microwave safe bowl) to melt the chocolate with the coconut cream. Once the chocolate is just melted and thoroughly mixed with the cream, remove from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. 

8. While still warm, pour the ganache over the cake, allowing it to drip over the sides slightly. Allow the cake to cool for several hours to allow the ganache to harden. (You may place it in the refrigerator to set.)

9. Serves 8-12. *Serving tip: run a sharp knife with a smooth edge under hot water and dry immediately before slicing. Rinse and dry after each cut for clean-cut cake slices!