One of my favorite annual recipes to make and share (besides epic Thanksgiving side dishes) is my Valentine’s Day cake creations. I’ve had so much fun experimenting with incredible new cake flavors over the years, and this year I had to share one of my all time go-to cake recipes for celebrating.
This is my insanely delicious grain free chocolate chip cookie cake topped with a luscious vanilla buttercream frosting and an epic chocolate drizzle. Isn’t she beautiful?
BOTTOM LINE: IT BASICALLY TASTES LIKE A CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE ICE CREAM SANDWICH and it just so happens to be gluten-free, grain-free, easily dairy-free, and SO FREAKING GOOD I COULD DIE.
Sorry for all the caps, but it’s necessary when I really need to get my point across. I hope you’ll forgive me.
Now I don’t want to brag, but I’m pretty proud of myself due to the fact that I nailed this gluten free cookie cake the very first time I made it. Of course, that doesn’t mean I didn’t bake it FIVE more times just to be sure. After all, you know when I deliver a recipe I always want to make sure it turns out incredible.
What makes this cake so special?
Just imagine biting into a cake that tastes like a chocolate chip cookie filled with notes of caramel flavor, vanilla, and brown sugar. Then topped with a smooth, fluffy vanilla buttercream (that’s easily made dairy free or vegan).
OH and that cake just so happens to be grain free, gluten free, and easily dairy free. It’s almost too good to be true (except that it’s real!)
Ingredients in this grain free cookie cake
This incredible gluten-free cookie cake is perfectly moist and dense to really give it that true cookie texture in cake form. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Flours: we’re using both super fine blanched almond flour and coconut flour in this cake to help create the most perfect texture and flavor.
- Tahini: have I mentioned how obsessed I am with tahini and how you should be too? It creates the BEST flavor in this cake and when paired with the almond flour and coconut sugar, it is amazingly delicious. Tahini is just ground up sesame seeds aka sesame seed butter! Please do not substitute tahini, it has a unique texture and flavor compared to other nut/seed butters.
- Eggs: you’ll need four eggs in this recipe to get the perfect balance of fluff and a little density that resembles chocolate chip cookie texture.
- Coconut sugar: we’re naturally sweetening the cake with unrefined coconut sugar.
- Coconut oil & milk: you’ll also need a little melted and cooled coconut oil, plus milk (dairy free if you’d like) to give the cake the right amount of moisture.
- Chocolate chips: I used mini chocolate chips in this recipe to ensure you get a bite of chocolate in every single bite you take. You’ll also need them for the chocolate drip glaze.
- Baking staples: don’t forget the vanilla extract, almond extract (for that true cookie flavor), baking soda and salt.
- Vanilla buttercream: this is one of my favorite buttercreams to make simply because it’s so fluffy, perfectly sweet and reminds me of vanilla ice cream. It’s made with just butter, vanilla and powdered sugar. If you really want to amp up the vanilla flavor, you could add in vanilla beans but I think it’s lovely as is.
Let’s talk substitutions
Please note that I have only tested the cake as is, so please know that if you make substitutions you are doing so at your own risk. However, I have made a few suggestions that I think may work well below:
- For the almond flour: hazelnut flour or cashew flour would be great substitutions, but please know the flavor will change.
- For the coconut flour: if you are looking for a substitution I think that a gluten free oat flour might work well. Learn how to make your own oat flour here!
Can I make it vegan?
I have not tried using flax eggs in this grain free cookie cake but I think they would work well. Learn how to make flax eggs here, and make sure you let them sit in the fridge to really gel up for at least 10 minutes before using them in this recipe.
Then be sure to use a vegan buttery stick in the frosting, or opt for a dairy free frosting like this one.
My best cake-baking tips
- Use room temp ingredients. Remember to use eggs that are at room temperature and that your coconut oil has cooled after melting it. This will prevent the eggs from coagulating in the batter.
- Pack the almond flour. Pack your almond flour but DO NOT pack your coconut flour.
- Follow the recipe. All in all, be sure to follow the recipe as written for optimal results! Changing the ingredients or ingredient amounts will give you a different recipe.
Get perfect frosting every time
Use these couple of tips to get a beautifully frosted gluten free cookie cake:
- Cool before frosting. Make sure you wait until the cake layers are completely cool before frosting them. I recommend letting them cool in the pans first, then transferring them to the refrigerator for at least an hour to finish cooling before frosting.
- Do a crumb coat. Do a crumb coat for the frosting first by frosting the layers as you normally would and then coat the outside of the cake with a very thin layer of frosting then place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes before you finish frosting. This is so that the crumbs stick to this layer of frosting and not your main layer.
- Refrigerate before drizzling. After you’ve frosted your whole cake, be sure to place it in the refrigerator before adding the chocolate ganache drizzle so that the chocolate doesn’t seep right into the frosting.
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: feel free to store the healthy cookie cake on the counter at room temp for 1-2 days, then I recommend transferring it to the refrigerator.
- To freeze: feel free to freeze this cake either frosted or unfrosted for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it unfrosted in individual layers for the best results. First, wrap each individual layer in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and then place the cakes in a zip-top freezer bag or airtight container. When you’re ready to serve it, simply thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
See how to make the chocolate chip tahini cake
Our fav cake-baking tools
- 6 inch cake pans
- Parchment paper
- Nonstick cooking spray
- Stand mixer or hand mixer for making frosting
- An offset spatula for frosting the cake
- A good set of mixing bowls
- A nice cake stand
Check out all of our kitchen essentials here!
More cake recipes you’ll love
- Healthy Birthday Cake
- Lemon Pistachio Cake with Lovely Lemon Frosting
- Damn Good Peanut Butter Banana Cake (gluten free, grain free)
- Orange Zucchini Cake with Orange Frosting
- Inside Out Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake
Get all of my cake recipes here!
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rate the recipe below. This helps us tremendously! You can also tag #ambitiouskitchen on Instagram so I can see your creations. Xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Grain Free Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Ingredients
- Wet ingredients:
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cup (231g) coconut sugar
- ¾ cup (173g) natural, drippy tahini
- ½ cup (122g) melted and cooled coconut oil (or sub ghee or melted butter)
- ¼ cup (60g) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- Dry Ingredients:
- 2 cups (224g) packed super fine blanched almond flour (i use bob’s red mill)
- ½ cup (56g) coconut flour (do not pack)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips
- For the frosting:
- 1 cup (226g) salted butter (or vegan buttery stick), at room temperature
- 3 ½ cups (396g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- For the chocolate ganache:
- ¾ cup (135g) mini chocolate chips
- 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of three 6-inch round cake pans or two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper rounds. Spray parchment paper and sides of pan with nonstick cooking spray. YOU SHOULD USE PARCHMENT PAPER or the cake is likely to stick. Please do not forget.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar and tahini until smooth. Slowly whisk in the melted and cooled coconut oil until it’s well incorporated. Then stir in the almond milk, vanilla and almond extract. The mixture should be smooth and well combined. Note: It is important that your eggs are at room temperature otherwise the coconut oil with coagulate. The coconut oil should be melted but not HOT, but rather closer to room temp.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, salt and chocolate chips together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula until smooth.
- Divide batter evenly between pans and spread out with a spatula to smooth the tops. Bake for 18-28 minutes in the two 8-inch pans and 25-35 minutes for three 6-inch pans. Cakes are done when a tester comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting or removing from the pans. The cake should be room temperature when you frost it. This is very important. Cakes can be made a day ahead if you’d like.
- Make your frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the softened butter and whip on high until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes more. You may need to add in a teaspoon or two of milk to thin the frosting out, but it depends on how you like it.
- Now it’s time to frost the cake: place about 1 tablespoon down onto onto the cake stand and spread out. Invert cake onto the cake stand, add about ½ heaping cup frosting between each layer, repeat with each cake, then frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. If the cake is slightly ‘naked’ on the outside, that’s okay, it’s going to be delicious! Once you are done frosting, place the cake to the fridge.
- To make the chocolate ganache drizzle: add chocolate chips and coconut oil to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until chocolate is smooth and completely melted. Remove cake from fridge and pour over the top of the cake. It should naturally start to drip down the sides, but if it doesn’t, use a spoon to spread the chocolate a little towards the sides to create a drip look on the sides. Enjoy! Cake will stay good at room temp for a day or so, then should be placed in the fridge. Cake will stay good for 5-7 days in the fridge, and should be covered to ensure freshness.
Recipe Notes
Recipe by Monique // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by Yoga of Cooking
This post was originally published on February 10th, 2019, republished on February 7th, 2023, and republished on January 30th, 2025.
Been waiting for this!!!!
It’s here it’s here!!
I made this for my grandson’s 15th birthday. No one in family was told it was a grain free recipe. It is my secret!!!My husband is gulten and dairy free so I wanted him to enjoy the birthday. The whole family was WOWED!!!!!!!!!! great site.
Amazing!! So happy to hear that Karen 🙂
Your Cake Is A Thing Of Beauty, Everything You Touch Turns Out Beautiful. I Believe It Is What You Are What You Are Made Of And It Overflows In Everything You Do.
Intense. I dig it.
Wow! Thank you!
The cake tastes amazing! Made this cake for my Dad’s birthday. I made it a day ahead, It turned out to be dense..cookie like..not cake like.
I found the amount of sugar in the frosting was too sweet. So I made it with half of the amount. I don’t recommend putting it in the fridge? the cake turned really hard because of the frosting. But overal a big hit because of the healthy ingredients.
The cake is a cookie cake so a combination of cake + cookie; that being said, it shouldn’t be overly dense. The cake should be kept covered in the fridge, but you are free to thaw it out at room temperature for 20-30 mins and the frosting will get nice and light. Also a note on the frosting: this is a typical buttercream ratio for sugar so I do recommend keeping as is, but everyone’s preference for sweetness is different 🙂
Monique, this looks INCREDIBLE! You are a genius. Can’t wait to make!
Thanks girl!! Hope you love it 🙂
Can you clarify if the vanilla in the wet ingredients is imitation vanilla extract and that differs from the pure vanilla extract that is called for in the frosting? Or am I mistaken? Also what other type/brand chocolate would you recommend to use as the drip on top if I don’t want to use the enjoy life chocolate chips?
What would you substitute almond flour for (allergies to almonds)!
You can sub hazelnut flour!
Is there any way I can use a 1 to 1 gluten free flour instead of the almond flour?
Oh my gosh! This is so perfect for my gluten free, dairy free boyfriend. Making this asap!
Absolutely! I hope you both love it 🙂
Made this last night and it was AMAZING!! I’ve never baked with coconut flour and almond flour before and was so pleased with the results. I will be making this cake again! Thanks, Monique!
So glad you loved it!! A fun way to use coconut + almond flour 🙂
Wow I can not wait for this!!!!! LOVED the best ev choc cake from last V-day.
Silly question, maybe? If i cut all the ingredients in half, that should work to make 1 9″ cake, right?
Also, I don’t mean this as a critique in any way, but have you considered listing the steps out in numerical form? I find with your recipes I get lost in the paragraphs over and over trying to find the next step. Thanks so much!!
New website coming soon with numbers in the instructions 🙂
And yes this should work well with 1 9″ cake!
Ah I wish the cake itself is vegan because this looks freaking TO DIE FOR! At least the frosting is easily vegan-friendly. Maybe the recipe can work with an egg replacer? I’d have to test that out someday!
Feel free to use flax eggs!
This cake was so easy to make and SUPER delicious! Huge hit at my house!
So happy to hear that!!
Unfortunately I wouldn’t recommend it in this recipe! The consistency will be very different as well as the liquid ratios.
This came out sooo yummy!! My family loved it!! Thank you !
So happy to hear that!!
Is there something I can use as a sub for coconut sugar that is better for diabetics (both type 1 and 2)?
Unfortunately I’ve only made it this way! You could probably try a stevia 1:1 substitute.
We loved this cake! I would like to make it a bit healthier next time as there was so much fat but it was delicious-obviously! XO
Glad you enjoyed! And it is meant to be a treat 🙂 but with all real food ingredients!
This was amazing! Made it with the vanilla simple mills frosting to save time but will definitely try with homemade next time to compare. It was easy to make and kiddo approved!
Perfect! LOVE that frosting. Glad everyone loved it!
I made this cake tonight for my son’s birthday and it was amazing.
I made the recipe exactly as written and everyone raved about it.
This is a perfect celebration cake!
Amazing!! I’m so glad.
I dont know how to break it to you, but what do you think tahini is made of?
Sesame seeds 🙂
AH this looks incredible!! Do you think this could be made into cupcakes? If so, would you recommend changing the proportions at all? Thanks 🙂
Yes these can definitely be made into cupcakes. I think it would make 12-18 cupcakes as is. You’ll need to adjust baking time, but I would start with 16-22 minutes. Let us know how they turn out!!
Amazing – thank you! Will do!
I made this cake for a casual get together last night. It was fantastic! I used 8 inch pans, greased with coconut oil and lined with parchment. I used butter in the cake, and Aroy D coconut milk from a can instead of almond milk (I was cooking Thai food, so there was lots of coconut milk around). For the frosting I followed the recipe, but used coconut milk instead and then added half cup of Kirkland natural peanut butter.
This was such a great cake! Thanks Monique. I’ve been loving the tahini recipes.
I made this cake for my bestie’s Birthday. Everyone LOVED it. It is so good! You’re my go-to for almost every recipe! Thank you.
Amazing! Thanks so much, Mandy 🙂
Oh my gosh this looks SO yummy!! I’m going to make it for my daughters dedication luncheon! What do you think about silicone cake pans? I’m wanting to try them for the first time, but since I’ve never tried made recipe I don’t want to mess it up!
I wouldn’t recommend it for this cake simply because it’s soft!
I’ve been drooling and dreaming over this cake. It’s waiting for the ganache now. I am so excited to surprise my husband with this sweet treat. ❤️
Hope you both loved it! 🙂
Perfect!! Hope everyone loved it 🙂 and stay tuned for plenty more tahini recipes.
Wow. Wow. WOW! This cake is INCREDIBLE! I made it for my daughter’s dedication luncheon and everyone was so impressed and couldn’t believe it was made with Tahini. I’m making it again today for a friend’s birthday.
I want to make it again for my baby’s 1st birthday, but would like to find a sugar free frosting. Any suggestions of one?!
Thank you for such a delicious recipe!
Amazing!! I’m so glad everyone loved it. I use this frosting on my paleo chocolate cake, which would be delicious on this one too 🙂
I can’t say enough good about this cake. Perfectly paired with either a mug of coffee or a glass of cold milk. I made it twice in a three week period.
So happy you love it! A slice with a cup of coffee sounds like heaven 🙂
Amazing. My husband was skeptical. “It sounds too healthy. Tahini in cake?!” It’s now his favorite cake and he’s requesting it for his birthday. He does NOT take cake (or any sweets) lightly. His family loved it. Our one year old loved it. SO GOOD! And it was easy. Can I give it more than five stars?!
SO happy to hear that Suzie! Thank you for your note 🙂 glad everyone loved this!
Hi there, firstly I LOVE your site! I have made so many of your recipes and they are amazing! I have not actually attempted any of your cakes before but want to try this one or your paleo chocolate cake out for Easter! I have two 9 inch cake tins and wonder how I change this recipe to suit. Is this recipe enough to spread between for two 9 inch tins? if so what would be the baking time? or do you recommend the whole mix be baked in one 9 inch tin?
Hi Jessica! So glad you’re loving the recipes here 🙂 The recipe will be enough to spread between two 9 inch tins – they’ll be a little thinner, so just shorten the bake time a bit. Enjoy!
Just made this last night! So good! Best cake I’ve ever had!
Amazing!! I’m glad you loved it!
Do you use refined or unrefined coconut oil? Thank you!!! I love all of your recipes <3
I use an unrefined coconut oil. Thanks Brittany! Hope you love this one 🙂
I’m sure you’re going to hate me for this, but do you happen to know the weight measurement for the almond flour? I’m such a precise baker and always prefer my recipes to be measured in weight instead of cups, because there can be so much fluctuation in measuring when using cups. Don’t hate me! Haha!!
I typically only use cups to measure – sorry about that! This should turn out just fine with cups 🙂
Seriously this cake is out of this world delicious! It has become my favourite cake of all time. Thank you so much for your wholesome and incredible recipes. Honestly – you are the one blogger that has consistently AMAZING recipes… Every time!
So happy to hear that! One of my favorite cakes ever. Glad you’re finding tons of delicious recipes here 🙂 More to come!
There are no words for how amazing this cake is!! I made it in March for my sister’s birthday and everyone who tried it still talks about it as the best cake they’ve ever had. My boyfriend even requested it for his birthday AND as our future wedding cake. I recently made it again as cupcakes for our dating anniversary because I was short on time. I halved the recipe, which made 9 cupcakes, and they were done baking in a little under 15 minutes. The cupcakes are incredible with or without the frosting, but in layer cake form the frosting and ganache is a must.
So happy to hear that, Molly! This would be an amazing future wedding cake 😉 Glad that the cupcakes turned out well, too – I’ll have to try that next!
This cake is so delicious, my husband has requested it for all birthday celebrations at our house. Thank you for yet another great recipe!
Amazing!! So happy to hear that.
HI Monique,
I just discovered your website and want to make almost every recipe of your 25 best recipes in 2019. Question about almond and coconut flours, I have started weighing my flours. It is so much easier and more accurate. Are you able to tell me what the grams in a cup of each of these flours are, in the way you measure?
Thanks!
Alonna
Hi Alonna! I don’t typically weigh the flours so I’m not 100% sure what the grams are, but a quick online calculator should be able to tell you 🙂
OMG!! This cake is incredible!! I added a few instant coffee grounds to the ganache, because I can never get enough of that coffee flavor, and it didn’t disappoint. Thank you for this delicious creation!!
Yummm love that! So happy you tried this one 🙂
I was so excited to make this cake after seeing it on Instagram and it was totally worth it! My two sons loved it as well. It was my first time using tahini in a dessert recipe and I really was surprised how much I liked it. I’m a big fan of enjoy life chocolate chips and cookies so this dessert hit the spot! Thank you! I will definitely be making it again.
Amazing! So happy to hear that, Eva 🙂 I’m glad everyone loved it!
This cake changed my life. I don’t like cake, I think it’s too sweet and boring. Not this one! I will be making it again for sure. My hubs said it’s the best thing I’ve ever baked and I bake a ton. 🥰
So happy to hear that! One of my favorite cakes, too 🙂 glad you both enjoyed!
Hi Monique,
So excited to make this. I wanted to try and make the cakes and frosting ahead of time so that on the day I serve it all I have to do is assemble everything. Do you think the cakes would be ok if made them 2 days ahead of time? If yes, how do you recommend storing them? I figured just in an air-tight container in the fridge. I assume the frosting would also keep for a day or two? Thanks!
Hi Emma! Yes making two days ahead is totally fine! An airtight container will work for storage. If you want you can assemble the entire cake up to 2 days ahead of time!
Can this be made without tahini?
I wouldn’t recommend it as the tahini helps give the cake moisture.
The best tahini cake I ever tasted and made! Thank you!!
So happy to hear that!
Wonderful, but would definitely leave out the buttercream. The cake is devine on its own and really does not need the additional sweetness. In the future I will only top with melted chocolate. Definitely on the “make again” list!
Feel free to top with whatever you’d like! melted chocolate sounds delicious 🙂 glad you enjoyed!
This is one of the best gluten free cakes that I’ve ever made. So rich and decadent and extremely easy to make. Using a mini cake pan I made several small cakes instead of one large cake. This recipe would also be great as cupcakes. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes. Thank you for this great recipe.
So happy to hear that! Love the idea of a few mini cakes – so delicious!
Hands down one of my favorites. I’ve tried some of the other cakes and this one, oh boy it was gone so fast.
I’m so glad you love this one!
I really love this recipe! It’s my go to cake recipe when I want to bake but don’t want to feel so guilty about eating a huge amount of cake! I always sub coconut sugar for stevia to make your recipes lower carb, (and then top with sugary frosting!) Texture is so moist, and it’s a really adaptable recipe for different flavored cakes/frostings.
I’m so glad you love this one! Such a great treat.
Hi! I know in the recipe you say not to substitute tahini in this recipe. However, I’m specially looking for a cake recipe that is somehow a combination of chocolate and almond butter. For that reason, do you think subbing in almond butter could work?
I mean, it could work but they have different textures and consistencies. It would likely be fine though. Let me know how it turns out!
So delish! My daughter and I made it using two 9 inch pans and that took 20 minutes in our oven. It smells so good and nutty when it comes out of the oven. Thanks again for all the delicious food!
PS Your son is too cute. And I love that you share the realities of motherhood, especially right after your baby comes home. It’s something we don’t foster in this country. I wish there was more support for new parents. Thanks for all you do!!
Perfect! Glad you loved it 🙂 and thank you so much!!
I made this last week as a Bundt cake and it was SO GOOD. Thank you!!!!
Perfect!! Love that!
Made this cake for my husband for his 30th because he loves chocolate chip cookies! This came out amazing! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Perfect! Glad you both enjoyed 🙂
After sending many recipes and dropping hints that I really wanted some sort of baked good, my boyfriend made me this cake over the weekend and HOLY CRAP IT’S AMAZING. My mom used to bake those big round cookie cakes when I was younger for all sorts of birthdays/holidays/events, and this tastes just like it! I love unfrosted cakes because the frosting just gets a little too sweet for me, so I think next time I’ll honestly just make the cakes without frosting. Will definitely be making this again! Thank you for a tried and true delicious GF/DF cake!
Amazing! So happy you loved this one 🙂
Hello. What can I substitute coconut flour with in this recipe? What would be the ratio of the substitute? I ran out of the coconut flour. Thank you!
You could try using oat flour or a whole wheat flour! I haven’t tested a sub, so can’t be certain but that would be my suggestion.
If not worried about keeping it grain-free and all I have is all-purpose flour, could I substitute for almond 1:1? Would that change the amount of eggs needed? Thanks!
I wouldn’t recommend all-purpose flour in here – sorry! I’ve only made this as-is so it would be a much different recipe.
I really want to try out this recipe, it looks delicious! Just one question, in the ingredients it says to use salted butter for the frosting, is that correct? Thanks!
Yes, that’s correct! Unsalted will work just as well though, too.
Made this for my significant other’s birthday and he absolutely loved it. We both found it to be too sweet for our liking though after a while, though it was still yummy. Is it possible to cut the sugar by half in the recipe? At least for the cake. Would it cause significant difference in the texture and how it bakes?
Sure you could try cutting it, I have only made as is but let me know how it goes please 🙂
This cake was rich and so creative! Love how you used tahini for this purpose. Oh, and in case anyone else out there is keto, I subbed Lankanto granulated monkfruit sugar rather than using the coconut sugar. Worked wonderfully! Thank you for making me look like a baking genius!
Absolutely! I’m glad that worked out well 🙂
I made this last weekend for hubby’s birthday. Wow, so delicious! I messed up the frosting though because I hardly every cook with butter, so I used Country Crock without realizing that it isn’t real butter haha. So the frosting was runny… but the sponge was amazing and worth! I will make sure to get real butter when I make your peanut butter banana cake.
Oh, and we sliced it into 12 pieces and wrapped each piece in plastic wrap and froze then (there’s only two of us, and we weren’t about to eat a whole cake lol). We let the pieces thaw at room temp and they were perfect!
I’m glad it was still delicious even with the runny frosting! Yes, definitely opt for real butter next time 🙂 hope you love the peanut butter banana cake, too (and glad the freezing worked out well!)
My family is generally open-minded, but I don’t think any of them were thrilled when they heard I had made a grain-free tahini cake for a birthday gathering. Once they tasted it though, the rave reviews didn’t stop! I made the cakes a day in advance and iced them the morning of. I think the cake was even better on day two after sitting in the fridge overnight…it got denser and fudgier. 🙂 Loved the mix of the buttercream with the ganache. Would definitely make it again!
Amazing! So happy everyone loved them. And yes the cakes are delicious the next day!
My sister made this for my birthday this weekend since I have blood sugar issues and we wanted a “healthier” cake. You would NEVER know this was a healthier cake. It tasted better than a famed bougie LA bakery cake we also bought for the rest of the family. It was so deliciously moist. We made it with the simple mills frosting and it was still delicious. Just unbelievable the whole family was devouring it for days. Ambitious Kitchen truly never disappoints. How do you do it??
So happy she found this one for you! Truly one of my favorites cakes (and love that Simple Mills frosting). Happy belated birthday!
Okay so I’ve made many of Monique’s cake recipes and seriously, how are they ALL so delicious?! This is one of my favorites, I’ve made it for friend’s birthdays and it’s now requested by a lot of my friends! So good, everything about this cake. It’s just perfect!
Amazing! So glad you’re loving the cakes 🙂 this one is so delicious!
I have made this cake 4 times in the last 4 months. It is the most incredible cake! The flavor of the tahini is so unique. I prepared a private dinner yesterday and I made this cake with your paleo chocolate frosting and then topped with ganache, sprinkles, and sea salt. It was divine!!! And no one knew it was GF and DF! I’ve also made this as a bundt cake, be warned, even lining the pan with flour + Oil it still sticks to the bundt, but smothering with ganache and sprinkles covers up the cracks. 🙂
WOW you’d never know there were better-for-you substitutions in this. So good and a total showstopper!
Absolutely! Glad you loved this one!
What can I substitute the tahini with
My grandson is allergic to that…
This looks amazing
Cashew butter should work!
This cake is AMAZING. The texture is almost like a soft cookie. The buttercream is amazing! I think is my favorite buttercream ever, the ratios and consistency are perfect!
So happy you loved it!!
EASILY the best cake I’ve ever had!!
You won’t miss regular flour in this cake. In fact, I think that one of the key players is the almond flour – it adds a rich, buttery note that I’ve never experienced with chocolate chip cakes. I also LOVED the use of almond extract – it complements the coconut flavor really well!
If you’re looking for the best chocolate chip cake, you’ve found it! Best birthday treat by far!!
Absolutely! So glad you found (and loved) this one!
I am allergic and cant use almond or cashew etc flour. Can i use rice flour?
Snd is coconut milk ok for almond milk exchange?
I wouldn’t recommend subbing out flours in this recipe. I’ve only tested this as is and nut flours vs grain flours behave very differently in baking — sorry!
A simple and delicious chocolate chip cookie recipe! Directions were easy to follow.
I made the vegan version with flax egg which worked great. I used Bob’s Redmill Chickpea Flour and Enjoy Life semi-sweet chocolate chips.
I baked the cookies for 11 minutes (after checking at 9 min), but definitely could have done closer to 9 1/2-10 minutes for a gooey center. I’ll be playing with bake time the next time around!
Overall, highly recommend this recipe for a quick, simple and healthier chocolate chip cookie!
Hi Jackie! I have made this cake several times with chia seed eggs. The cake is really delicious, but falls apart. Does it fall apart with a flax egg? Thanks 🙂
The best cake ever!
So I don’t own any round cake pans, do you think this would work as a sheet cake in a 9×13 pan? Any recommendations on baking time?
I do think it would work, but haven’t tested a baking time to be sure when it would be done. I’m guessing 20-30 minutes!
This was my birthday cake this year and it was so delicious!!! Highly recommend folks!! P.S it also freezes well and that way you get to have this tasty delight last longer! 🙂
Amazing! And yes, great tip on freezing it 🙂
I made this as written but used store bought frosting. I fed it to 4 non-gluten-free people (people with no allergies at all) and 2 weeks later they are all still raving about it!! My sister in law said it was one of the best cakes she’s ever had. It froze well too, I wrapped our leftover slices in Saran Wrap and then foil and they tasted great. I will DEFINITELY be making this one again!
Amazing! So happy to hear that!
With the craze of tahini chocolate chip cookies everywhere, I’ve been wanting to try a healthyish baked recipe using tahini for a while now and finally had an occasion to. This recipe fit the bill of what I was looking for and it certainly did not disappoint. I made it without the frosting as we wanted something for an afternoon tea type of “snack”. I also baked in one 9″ round pan and one 6″ round pan to freeze for later. I baked for 35 minutes because I filled the cake pans pretty full so wanted to make sure they cooked in the center. The result: still soft in the center and a little crunchy on the edges, but I think I could’ve shaved off 3 to 5 minutes to make it even fudgier because I think as it cooled in the pan, it cooked a bit more. It tasted great regardless.
I thought I’d also share that I didn’t have coconut sugar on hand (wish I did) but instead used light brown sugar, the same quantity as the recipe asked, but I did not pack the brown sugar, just loosely scooped it into my measuring cups. Probably made for a smidge sweeter cake, so next time I’ll try coconut sugar! The only chocolate chips I had were Ghiradelli 60% Bittersweet, but was tasty having the dark chocolate in contrast to the rich-coconutty-cookie-like cake.
Perfect! So glad you found and loved this one!
How do you get the buttercream icing so white?
Made this for myself (and the fam) for Mother’s Day, and it was divine!! I made the cakes a few days prior and froze, so just needed to whip up the frosting day-of. Easy! My frosting was not as white as the photo- any tips to get it extra white? Mine was still very pretty and more of a vanilla lace color.
Hi, Kristin! So sorry for the delay. Glad you loved it! The frosting color definitely depends on the butter you’re using. Non-organic butter will be more white.
OMG so good! Came here to try it after healthful radiance on insta used it for her birthday cake… so delicious!
Absolute delicious…. just like all the recipes I have tried from your site. You and your team are so creative and with a great attention to detail. Cake was a success and the frosting didn’t turned out but it was my fault for not beating the butter first. The ganache fixed the problem and the cake looked beautiful! Thanks Monique 🤩
Thanks for the Best cake recipe!! I made it for my sons 24th bday. Everyone said it was best cake they’ve ever had. I followed recipe exactly and used 2 9” pans, baked for 18min. It was perfect mix of cookie and cake. I made a yummy dinner and my husband said the cake was the star of the night.
Omg best EVER?! I’m so happy to hear that!! HBD to your son 🥳
The cake worked out great! Can’t wait to make it again!
My husband searched online and found this recipe to make for my birthday. He stumbled upon AK organically which is awesome because I have been following her for years! And little did he know I had been waiting for an excuse to make it!! He followed the recipe with zero modifications and it was absolutely the best cake ever. Your site will be our go-to for cakes (and more!)! Thank you!!
Aw that is amazing to hear!! I’m so happy he found this recipe and that you guys loved it 😍 Thanks so much for the review, Anu! Can’t wait for you to try more cakes.
Sorry posting this again as it mistakenly got put into a reply on another comment.
Can you clarify if the vanilla in the wet ingredients is imitation vanilla extract and that differs from the pure vanilla extract that is called for in the frosting? Or am I mistaken? Also what other type/brand chocolate would you recommend to use as the drip on top if I don’t want to use the enjoy life chocolate chips?
No problem! Oh, sorry if that was unclear! I use pure vanilla extract in both (we’ll update the post). Any semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips will work well 🙂
Thank you so much!!
Do you use roasted or raw tahini?
My favorite brand is Soom Foods, which is roasted! Trader Joe’s also makes a great one 🙂
Hi there! I am not a big frosting person; can this cake do without it? Thanks in advance!
Sure, if you want to!
Great Job!!!!!
Can you use almond butter instead of butter?Will it still taste sweet?
Thank you,
Nikki
Hi! Do you mean in the frosting? I wouldn’t suggest using almond butter because the texture and flavor will be much different.
Making this tonight for the fifth or so time since you posted it in 2019. I’m expecting my fourth right now and I’ve a craving for this cake (one of my absolute favorites). I originally planned to make the inside out chocolate covered strawberry cake (also an awesome cake), but I only had 2c of almond flour. Next time!
Although I don’t really like sweets, the cake looks delicious.
I never leave reviews but this cake is so worth it! I’m always skeptical of GF anything but I followed the recipe exactly (well I made another round of buttercream) and it was SO good! This is going to be my “go to” GF dessert from now on!
Ah yay! Happy to hear it came out great and that you are loving this recipe ❤️🙂
Found this grain free and df recipe when my son said he wanted a cookie cake for his upcoming birthday and so I decided to make a test batch.
Made this cake with a few modifications. Used brown sugar instead of coconut sugar bc I didn’t have any. Added 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum bc I was worried it would turn out too crumbly. Used two eggs and two Chia eggs. Also didn’t have mini chocolate chips so I used regular ones. It was eaten as is without frosting.
It was a little chewy and slightly dense like a cookie but still soft. I was worried about the bitterness of the tahini coming out too much but it has a nice flavor! I do recommend having mini chocolate chips or those chocolate flecks to distribute better throughout the cake.
I can’t rate the cake properly since I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, but my version turned out great and I will be using this as a base again in the future.
Perfect. Simply a perfect cake from top to bottom. I followed the recipe and instructions exactly and wowwwwww. The cake has a delicate crumb, and is perfectly moist. I took one bite and said oh my God so loud my husband asked me what was wrong from the next room. I take my birthday cake very seriously and spend the year trying out new recipes. This is it. She’s the one!!!
YAY! I am so glad you found this recipe and are loving it, Katie 🙂
Are there any other size pans you can suggest using for this recipe? I don’t have 2- 8 “” or 3- 6″pans would a 9×5″ 8×8″, muffin tin or bunt pan work can you give a baking time estimate?
Hi! I’d suggest using a muffin tin to make cupcakes instead and start for about 16-20 minutes.
I can’t wait to make this cake for my son’s 12 birthday! Last year I made the strawberry chocolate inside-out cake and it was such a hit! Just curious about the sugar content of the buttercream….can I make it with less sugar, or would that ruin the frosting? I was thinking of reducing the the sugar by at least one cup…..thoughts? Thank you Monique!
So fun! You could reduce the sugar but note that it will have much more of a “butter” taste.
Wohh precisely what I was looking for, thankyou for putting up
It is valuable post!!
This is absolutely amazing!
I love this cake. I keep going back for little pieces all day long 😀 I baked it in a 9×13 glass casserole dish for 35 minutes, used brown sugar instead of coconut sugar, and left off the chocolate ganache. SO good!!
Love it!! One of our favs 🙂
I am unsure how this recipe does not have ANY comments. I have made this cake many times! For myself, baby showers, and birthdays. It is WILDLY delicious and a must-bake.
So happy you love it!! If you click “show comments” you’ll see them all 🙂
This is very similar to the Tahini blondies and both are excellent. I sub buckwheat flour for the coconut flour and it works well.
Perfect!!
Can this be made as cupcakes?
Yes! I would check them around 15 minutes (keep the oven temp the same).
Delicious! I had to use mostly almond butter in place of tahini, brown sugar in place of coconut sugar, and a 9×13 glass pan instead of the 8 inch rounds and it STILL turned out perfectly. 10 out of 10
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
I want to make this for my birthday coming up. if I need it for wednesday night. can I make it tuesday night and just leave it on the counter until wednesday morning when I ice it?
Yes!
This cake looks DELICIOUS, as do all your recipes! My problem is that I like to bake my cakes in a 9×13 pan. Could you please add baking times for alternate pan sizes? Thanks, Monique!
Hi! I would check the cake around 22-25 minutes 🙂
Another amazing AK recipe!!! These turned out so good!!!!
I made them into cupcakes for a birthday party tomorrow (bonus that you get to sneak one to taste test 😋) and they’re divine even without the frosting on yet!!!
It made 20 full cupcakes for me! I baked for about 21-26 min!
They rose beautifully and have an amazing flavor. I like things less sweet (and knowing frosting would make it extra sweet) so actually cut back the coconut sugar by 1/4 cup and they’re just right for us!
Love that! So glad they turned out beautifully!