Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake: Naturally Sweetened & Delicious

The first time I made this cake for a friend’s birthday, it was an instant hit with everyone—kids and adults alike! Even my 7-year-old son insisted I make it for his birthday. If you’re a chocolate lover, this cake will blow you away. It’s irresistibly rich, decadent, and completely refined sugar-free. Packed with wholesome ingredients, it’s healthier and more nutritious than your average cake without sacrificing an ounce of flavour. And let’s not forget the star of the show—the unbelievably good chocolate-orange frosting. If you’re searching for a naturally sweetened, gluten-free masterpiece, this is the recipe you’ve been waiting for!

Why You’re Going to Love this Recipe

Decadent Chocolate Cake

Can a chocolate cake truly be healthy AND delicious? Absolutely! This cake tastes just as indulgent as those tempting treats but keeps all your promises intact: refined sugar-free, gluten-free, plant-based, and supremely nutritious.

I have to confess—the frosting is my favourite part of the cake! Made from dates, it might sound too wholesome to be indulgent but trust me, it’s decadence in every bite. The natural sweetness of the dates creates a luscious, swoon-worthy flavour that perfectly complements the rich chocolate-orange notes. It’s so good, you’ll want to spread it on cupcakes, slather it on cookie sandwiches, or even sneak a spoonful straight from the bowl!

Quick and Easy Cake Recipe

One of the things I dislike about making cakes is their tendency to be finicky and time-consuming, but this cake is so simple and comes together in an hour. No tricky frosting that separates, no cutting it into layers, no complicated filling to whip up. This recipe is as stress-free as they come.

Healthy Cake

As mentioned, this recipe is quite a bit healthier than your average cake for a few reasons, and suitable for a variety of dietary preferences:

Plant-based

It’s true that plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, but it does mean cholesterol-free and typically lower in saturated fats.

The frosting is made from whole foods like dates and cashew butter, which are full of nutrients, and are heart-healthier than icing sugar and butter.

Dates are rich in fibre and high in nutrients such as vitamin B6, potassium, iron, and magnesium. They are also packed with antioxidants which help protect against free radical damage and inflammation. And if you’re expecting, you might want to think about adding dates to your meals. Studies have also shown a link between eating dates and labour duration. One study found that women who ate dates in their final month of pregnancy had easier and shorter labour.¹

Cashews are also an excellent source of nutrients and a good source of heart-healthy fats. Rich in minerals such as magnesium, zinc, iron, and copper, they support immune function, skin health, and red blood cell production. Monounsaturated fats, which cashews are high in, lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and raise HDL (good cholesterol), contributing to better cardiovascular health.

Refined Sugar-Free

Refined sugar wreaks havoc on our health, disrupting our gut microbiome and contributing to chronic inflammation, which is a precursor for many diseases including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and diabetes.² It also spikes blood sugar levels which can result in brain fog, energy crashes, and in the long term, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, and cardiovascular disease.

This recipe uses unprocessed and minimally processed sweeteners like dates and maple syrup. These are better alternatives for our health because they have either minimal impact on gut health, or in the case of dates, have a positive impact. Dates are considered a prebiotic because they contain fibre which feeds the beneficial bacteria in our guts, encouraging a balanced microbiome. The fibre in dates also slows the release of its natural sugars, preventing blood sugar spikes.

Gluten-Free

While gluten isn’t inherently harmful, it can cause significant issues for those with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Symptoms can range from abdominal pain and nausea to headaches, fatigue, and even skin conditions like dermatitis. For individuals with celiac, gluten can damage the villi in the small intestine, leading to nutritional deficiencies.

That’s why this cake is such a win—it’s a rich, fudgy, gluten-free delight that’s packed with irresistible chocolate-orange flavour. Whether you’re gluten-sensitive or just love good cake, this recipe delivers. In fact, I’ve never heard anyone complain that it’s gluten-free—it’s that good!

Tools Needed

• 2 x 9-inch cake pans
• Mixing bowls
• Electric hand mixer
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Liquid measuring cup

Ingredients

Chocolate Orange Cake

• Coconut milk
• Lemon juice
• Gluten-free flour – I use Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour
• Cocoa Powder
• Roasted carob powder – enhances the chocolate flavour
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Maple syrup – honey or agave nectar can be used instead
• Coconut oil, melted – use refined if you want to avoid the coconut flavour
• Egg replacer
• Water
• Pure vanilla extract
• Orange extract
• Salt
• Unsweetened chocolate chips – unsweetened carob chips can be substituted

Chocolate Orange Frosting

• Medjool dates
• Cashew butter
• Cocoa powder
• Carob powder
• Pure vanilla extract
• Orange extract
• Salt
• Almond milk, unsweetened – other non-dairy milk can be substituted

How to Make Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Orange Cake

chocolate orange cake

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment (I use pre-cut rounds) and spray with olive oil.

Whisk the lemon juice and coconut milk in a small mixing bowl and set aside.

Mix chocolate chips with a little GF flour and set aside.

Prepare the egg replacer in a small bowl according to package instructions and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the GF flour, cocoa powder, carob powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Using an electric hand mixer, beat together the melted coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, egg replacer, vanilla extract, and orange extract.

Transfer the wet ingredients to the large bowl with the dry ingredients and beat until well combined.

Add in the chocolate chips.

Pour batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake for 35-45 minutes. Use a toothpick to check if the batter is fully cooked.

Allow to cook completely before removing from pans and frosting.

chocolate orange frosting

In a food processor, combine all ingredients except the almond milk. The mixture should be well combined and sticky.

Add in the milk and process until smooth.

Frost the cake once it is completely cooled. Decorate with a twisted orange slice.

Notes

• This recipe can be made with all-purpose flour if gluten is not a concern.
• The roasted carob powder enhances the chocolate flavour and reduces the caffeine content of this cake. If you’re sensitive to caffeine or planning to serve this cake to children, substitute the cocoa powder with roasted carob powder, and the chocolate chips with unsweetened carob chips.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 – 2 days, in the fridge for 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Store leftover cake slices with parchment or wax paper between layers to prevent sticking.

1. Kordi M, Meybodi FA, Tara F, Fakari FR, Nemati M, Shakeri M. Effect of Dates in Late Pregnancy on the Duration of Labor in Nulliparous Women. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2017 Sep-Oct;22(5):383-387. doi: 10.4103/ijnmr.IJNMR_213_15. PMID: 29033994; PMCID: PMC5637148. ↩︎
2. Furman, D., Campisi, J., Verdin, E. et al. Chronic inflammation in the etiology of disease across the life span. Nat Med 25, 1822–1832 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-019-0675-0 ↩︎