My Recipe Box- Moist Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake with Ganache

March 2026 - Toronto ON

We loved this cake and it is a bonus, that it is gluten free.

I've included/added my changes. 

This recipe particularly annoyed me, as I had to keep flipping up and down the screen for the measurements, so I have added them in the instructions.

I also didn't really care if it was vegan, so made those changes as well.

I have included metric measurements as well, as I prefer metric.

I included the recipe for the chocolate ganache as well, up front, as you should make that first so it has time to cool and thicken.

GANACHE

Servings: 1.5 cups (enough for a single layer 8 or 9-inch cake)

Personally, I think this is too much ganache for one cake! I would divide it in half.

Ingredients

5 ounces (140 g; about 1 cup) coarsely chopped 65-75% bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips

¾ cup (170 g) full-fat unsweetened canned coconut milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Make the Ganache

NOTE - don't do what I did the first time, don't add the chocolate into the coconut milk at the same time! This could cause it to split. When I realized my mistake, I just cooked it on a very, very low heat until the chocolate melted.

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl.

Combine the coconut milk, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and set over a medium flame. Heat, swirling occasionally, until the coconut milk is hot and steamy, just below a simmer, 2-3 minutes.

Pour the hot coconut milk mixture over the chopped chocolate. Let sit 1 minute, then whisk gently until the ganache is silky-smooth. Whisk gently so as not to incorporate too many air bubbles into the ganache; they don’t look as pretty as smooth ganache!

Rest the Ganache

Cover the bowl tightly (or pour the ganache into a jar with a lid) and let cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. If you’re in a hurry, pop the ganache in the fridge for 5 minutes, stir, then repeat once or twice until the ganache is firm enough to hold a soft shape when dropped from a spoon.

To Pour or Swirl

Depending on how firm the ganache is, you can either pour it over your cake if it’s more loose. Or if the ganache is more thick and firm, you can swirl it over your cake.

For Piping

For piping ganache, let it set for several hours and up to 24 hours. Scrape it into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and squeeze out any air pockets. Pipe it onto your baked goods. If the ganache is cold and hard to squeeze, gently massage the bag in your hands to warm and soften it up.

To add shine

If the ganache looks dull or matte, hold a creme brulee torch 8 or so inches away and wave it over the ganache to make it shiny. Take care not to burn the delicate chocolate.

Storage

Ganache will keep at cool room temperature for an additional day; after that, store it in the fridge to be on the safe side.

CAKE

 Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

2 large eggs (about 100 grams out of the shells)

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (78 g) neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, avocado, or mild olive oil)

¾ cup (240 g) maple syrup (preferably dark colored)

½ cup (115 g) well-combined full-fat canned coconut milk (see note)

2 tablespoons (30 g) water

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

½ cup (50 g) cocoa powder 

¼ cup + 3 tablespoons (46 g) coconut flour

¼ cup (30 g) tapioca flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Prepare Things

Make the ganache and let it sit at room temperature to thicken while you make the cake, at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours in advance.

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF.

Rub the sides and bottom of an 8-inch round springform pan or cake pan with oil. I used the spray canola oil.

(Note that because the top of the baked cake is a little sticky, it’s easier to remove the cake from a springform pan so that it doesn’t have to be inverted.) Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper cut to fit. 

If you don't have an 8-inch round pan, I didn't, you can easily use an 8-inch square pan.

Make the Batter

In a large bowl, combine the eggs and oil (¼ cup + 2 tablespoons (78 g)). 

Whisk until smooth and emulsified. Whisk in the maple syrup (¾ cup (240 g)), then the coconut milk (½ cup (115 g)), water (2 tablespoons (30 g)), and vanilla (2 teaspoons).

Place a medium mesh strainer over the bowl (or over a separate bowl if it's easier) and sift in the cocoa powder (½ cup (50 g)), coconut flour (¼ cup + 3 tablespoons (46 g)), and tapioca flour (¼ cup (30 g)) with the baking powder (1 ½ teaspoons), baking soda (¼ teaspoon), and salt.

I just mixed in the dry ingredients, without a mesh strainer.

 Whisk the flours into the wet ingredients until very smooth. If there are some lumps in the batter, let it sit for a minute or two, then whisk again. The batter will start out very thin, but it will thicken up as the flours begin to absorb moisture.

As with all gluten free flours, you need to let it sit for quite some time.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top.

Bake

Bake the cake until the top is puffed with some cracks, the edges pull away from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs, 25-35 minutes.

Place the cake on a wire rack and let cool completely.

In the case of my oven, I baked it for an extra 10 minutes.

Finish

Once the cake has cooled, loosen the edges of the cake from the pan using a small, offset spatula. If you used a springform pan, release the sides of the pan. Use a small offset spatula to pry the cake away from the parchment paper and slide the cake onto a serving plate. If you used a solid cake pan, turn the cake out onto a plate and peel away the parchment, then place the cake right side-up on a large plate or serving board. The top will get funky but we’re going to cover it in ganache so no worries!

Make sure the ganache is cool enough to hold a shape; it should mound softly when dropped from a spoon. Swirl or spread the ganache over the cooled cake. If the ganache is softer, it will pour down the sides of the cake. If it’s more thick, it will hold a soft shape when swirled over the top of the cake. Whatever happens is good!

Serve right away, or chill for 20 minutes or so until ready to serve (it’s easier to cut when the ganache has chilled). For the cleanest slices, cut the cake into wedges using a large, sharp chef's knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between cuts. The cake is best served at room temperature to soften the ganache.