Chocolate Avocado Oil Cake with Raspberry Chia Filling is a decadent chocolate cake made with almond flour, avocado oil, coconut sugar, raspberries, and chia seeds. To say that this cake is moist is a gross understatement. Each melt-in-your-mouth bite is like a heavenly little pillow of intense chocolate deliciousness, so it’s hard to believe that this cake is gluten-free, dairy-free, grain-free, paleo friendly, and contains no refined sugar.
If you haven’t jumped on the avocado oil bandwagon yet, now’s the time. Avocado oil is awesome! It’s one of the few cooking oils (along with olive oil and coconut oil) this is extracted directly from the fruit, rather than chemically extracted from seeds. It has grown in popularity over the past several years and is now widely available at mainstream grocery stores. You can substitute it for vegetable oil in almost any recipe. It has a higher smoke point (the temperature at which an oil can be safely heated to) than olive oil so it can be used in a wider variety of dishes. Like olive oil, avocado oil is loaded with healthy fats that, when consumed in moderation, can help reduce bad cholesterol in your blood. It has a rich, buttery taste and is fantastic in baked goods such as this cake.
The filling for this Chocolate Avocado Oil Cake is a simple and delicious raspberry chia jam that I’ve been a little obsessed with lately. I used it in Berry Patriotic Yogurt Parfaits and Raspberry Chia Black Bean Brownie Cups, and included it in the photos for Pepitas Quinoa Chia Bread. However, you could fill this cake with whatever you’d like. Some other great options are: fresh whipped cream, ice cream, strawberries or strawberry jam, bananas, or even peanut butter.
Chocolate Avocado Oil Cake with Raspberry Chia Filling is a unique cake made with healthy ingredients and the perfect clean-eating dessert!
- RASPBERRY CHIA FILLING
- 5½ ounces frozen* raspberries (no sugar added), about 1½ cups
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- CHOCOLATE AVOCADO OIL CAKE
- 1 cup coconut sugar, about 6 ounces
- 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ cups almond flour, about 6 ounces
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup avocado oil
- 3 eggs
- Olive oil cooking spray
- Fresh raspberries and mint for garnish (optional)
- Place the raspberries in a small glass bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute.
- Using the tines of a fork, mash up the raspberries until all the berries are broken apart into very small pieces and the mixture is quite liquid-y. Add the maple syrup, and chia seeds and stir well.
- Put the jam in the refrigerator for at least several hours, but preferably overnight, to thicken.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line the bottom of two 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper (cut parchment paper into 8 inch circles) and spray liberally with olive oil cooking spray.
- Process the coconut sugar in a blender or food processor until it has a powder like consistency similar to superfine sugar.
- Put the cocoa powder into a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and set aside to cool.
- Put the almond flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the avocado oil, eggs, and cocoa mixture, then increase the speed to medium for about 1 minute or until everything is well combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean and the cake has pulled away from the sides of the pan.
- Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for at least an hour before removing them from the pans and peeling off the parchment paper.
- Spread the raspberry chia jam on top of one of the cakes, spreading it evenly out to the edge. Top with the other cake (bottom side down) and garnish with fresh raspberries and mint if desired.
If using fresh raspberries reduce initial microwave cooking time to 30 seconds.
Inspired by Chocolate Olive Oil Cake by Nigella Lawson
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This cake looks incredible amazing! I bet know one can tell its made with healthy ingredients!
Hi Donna – I think Chocolate Avocado Oil Cake would be fantastic as cupcakes. Not sure exactly how many this recipe would make but I would guess at least 12, maybe more. This cake is very moist so I would still spray the cupcake liners with olive oil spray and if they stick at all, put them in the refrigerator to firm up a bit and then peel off the liners. And I’d put the raspberry chia jam on top right before serving. Hope that helps! Please let me know how they turn out.
This looks good. Think I could make it as 12 cupcakes instead of 2 cake layers?
With the raspberry chia jam on top as a frosting?
thanks.
Thanks! I will try the cupcakes this weekend.
When I saw this cake I was literally screaming “NOOOO why did my avocado oil run out BEFORE I found this recipe!” I love avocado oil but you can hardly find it here, and if you do it’s usually crazy expensive.
But I definitely wanna try this beautiful cake. I might sub it with coconut oil and make this for my husband without mentioning that it’s healthy. I seriously doubt he will be able to tell that it’s secretly healthy 🙂
Hi Natanja – Substituting coconut oil is a great idea! I think it will works just fine and if it tastes anything like the avocado oil version you husband will never in a million years guess that it’s healthy.
Can you substitute honey or maple syrup for the coconut sugar? Any idea how much you would use to substitute? Thanks!
Hi Rachel – Think it would be safer to substitute evaporated cane juice, brown sugar, or regular granulated sugar, otherwise the ratio of dry to wet ingredients will be different and I’m not sure if the cake will come out the same. If you want to take a chance, try replacing the coconut sugar with 2/3 cup maple syrup and eliminate the boiling water. In that case you’d skip steps #5 and #6 and simply include the maple, cocoa, and vanilla in step #7. Pretty sure that will work but no guarantees as I haven’t tested it. Let me know how it comes out. This is such an awesome cake!
This looks absolutely delicious! If I get my act together, I might just make it for Christmas!
It’s so delicious, nobody will ever know it’s a healthier dessert. Happy Holidays!