For some of us, it’s hard to imagine life without cake ever again. And for a while, this really deterred me from going 100% Paleo (what would I do without red velvet cake!). However, I shouldn’t have worried because there are a ton of amazing Paleo cake recipes out there to make instead (they’re healthier and just as delicious!).
In fact, there are so many amazing Paleo cake recipes (as you can tell by this long post), and many of them are remarkably easy and fast to make. There are even some delicious microwave mug cakes!
To help you find the right Paleo (or Primal) cake for you, I’ve categorized the Paleo cake recipes into various lists. First, there’s my all-time top 2 Paleo Cake Recipes. Then, there’s my top 6 Paleo Chocolate Cake Recipes, my top 9 Primal Cake Recipes (many are primal because the frosting ingredients include dairy), my top 3 Fast Cake Recipes (all are gluten free and grain free), my top 1 Paleo Bundt Cake Recipes, my top 3 Paleo Holiday Cake Recipes, and my Other Favorite Paleo and Primal Cake Recipes.
I hope this helps you to find the right cake recipe for your occasion (whether it be dinner tonight, a quick snack, or a birthday celebration).
The TOP 2 Paleo Cake Recipes
There were so many cakes to choose from (just take a look at how many cake recipes there are included in this post), but I finally managed to narrow it down to just 2 cake recipes.
1. Salted Caramel Drenched Coffee-Double Chocolate Cake
Out of all the Paleo cake recipes, this is definitely the most amazing one I have ever seen!! The recipe was created by Joshua Weissman from Slim Palate to celebrate the release of his first cookbook (at the age of 18!). The book is called the Slim Palate Paleo Cookbook, and you can get a copy of it on Amazon. This cake has 2 layers of chocolate cake as well as chocolate ganache, chocolate frosting and a drenching of salted caramel poured over it. It’s really hard to imagine anything more delicious – just take a look at the photo below (photo courtesy of Slim Palate)!
2. Pineapple Upside Down Cake
I’m a huge chocolate fan, so I always end up picking the chocolate cake (or red velvet cake) option over anything else. However, this cake by Jan from Jan’s Sushi Bar looks absolutely stunning. The pineapple slices with the cherries in between them makes for a deliciously moist cake and a wonderful photo. The other unique aspect of this recipe is that it’s made in 10″ cast iron skillet in the oven)!
My Paleo Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe
It was Jeremy’s birthday not that long ago, and I tried my hand at making him a birthday cake (it was a double layer chocolate cake filled with chocolate coconut ganache, smothered with chocolate frosting, and topped with slices of strawberries). Everyone loved it, and you can find the recipe for it here.
Paleo 5-Minute Microwave Chocolate Cake
I tested a bunch of different variations for microwave chocolate cake, and this recipe was the best!
Top 6 Paleo Chocolate Cake Recipes
I’ve already featured 2 paleo chocolate cake recipes above (the Salted Caramel Drenched Coffee-Double Chocolate Cake and my Chocolate Birthday Cake), but there are a ton more fantastic Paleo chocolate cake recipes. Here are the top 6:
1. Paleo Zucchini Chocolate Cake
The photos of this recipe will leave you drooling (and there’s a lot of them accompanying the recipe)! The thick layer of frosting on top (which uses date paste as an ingredient) looks amazing and the cake itself is moist and decadent. And the added zucchini and walnuts just make this cake even more special.
2. Flourless Chocolate Cake
With just 5 ingredients and 25 minutes baking time, this cake is a must-make for any Paleo party!
3. Devil’s Food Chocolate Cake
It’s like chocolate with more chocolate!
4. Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Chocolate molten lava cakes have always been hard for me to resist, and this one looks divine with chocolate oozing out from the center.
5. Chocolate Cake
This cake is simply beautiful with chocolate frosting and ganache, and the recipe is similar to the one I used for my Chocolate Coconut Cake. So it’s clearly a winner!
6. No Joke Dark Chocolate Cake
You’ll see why this cake is no joke once you take a look at the photos!
Top 3 Fast Cake Recipes
There will be times when you want a really delicious cake fast (maybe as a quick dessert or snack). That’s why I love these 3 super fast and easy paleo cake recipes.
1. Paleo Chocolate Mug Cake
Mug cakes are the best because they’re super fast to make (as long as you use microwaves, and this article explains why you should use them). In fact this recipe takes 4 minutes from start to finish!
2. Strawberry Mug Cake
I love strawberry cakes, and these mini cakes (similar to cupcakes) are just the cutest ever with pureed strawberries in both the cake mixture and whipped cream. Note: ingredients include heavy whipping cream and butter.
3. No-Bake and Nut-Free Black Forest Cake
This recipe involves combining ingredients like cherries and chocolate to make a fast Paleo dessert.
Top 7 Primal Cake Recipes (with dairy)
1. Chocolate Blueberry Cake with Mango Cinnamon Frosting
This recipe makes mini cakes with dried blueberries folded into the cake batter and freeze-dried mangos made into a powder mixed into the frosting. Fruity and delicious!
2. Brownie Cake with Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting and Cacao Nibs
“Everything is made better when you serve your mother chocolate cake for breakfast.” Yes, I totally agree. And especially when the cake is this one – it’s heavenly. Note: the only ingredient in this cake recipe that’s not Paleo is the grass-fed butter, which you might be able to substitute with ghee instead (there’s also an option to use heavy cream in the frosting instead of almond milk). Photo below is courtesy of Slim Palate.
3. Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
This cake is amazing and it’s only got a few ingredients! Note: ingredients include butter and raw sugar. Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
4. Chocolate Decadence Cake
I especially love the addition of some strongly brewed coffee to this cake batter and the optional topping of gooseberries and cherries is beautiful.
5. Zebra Cake with Caramel Frosting
I had never heard of zebra cakes before seeing this, but having seen the photos, I definitely want to eat it!
6. Molten Chocolate Almond Cakes
This recipe makes individual chocolate cakes that are simply delightful. Note: ingredients include sugar, butter, and heavy cream.
7. Rich Chocolate Chia Cake
I’ve never had a chia cake before, so this looks really interesting to me. Let me know if you try it!
Top 1 Paleo Bundt Cake Recipes
1. Apple Bundt Cake
Top 3 Paleo Holiday Cake Recipes
1. Boozy Christmas Cake
Just the name alone says it all! With ingredients like cardamom, ghee, orange zest, and rum, this cake is sure to be amazing for any Christmas dinner.
2. Spice Cake with Maple Cream Frosting
With spices like nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cinnamon, you know this cake is going to be delicious!
3. Orange Walnut Cake with Cardamom Cream
The cardamom cream with freshly ground cardamom seeds and orange zest looks amazing in this recipe!
Other Favorite Paleo Cake Recipes
Paleo Meat Cake
Wow! This cake looks amazing with a sweet potato/tomato paste frosting and 3 layers of meat cake!
Chocolate Chip Mug Cake
If you like cakes with chocolate chips and made in less than 5 minutes total, then this is definitely the cake for you! Note: cake is sweetened with chocolate chips and maple syrup.
Coconut Flour Hummingbird Cake
There’s a tropical leaning to this cake with ingredients like pineapple, bananas, and dates! Yum!
Raw Cashew Persian Dreamcake
The photos for this cake are amazing – and the cake is topped with rose petals, pistachios, and saffron. If you’re looking of a unique cake with lots of character, then pick this one!
Pecan Cinnamon Coffee Cake
The “swirly topping” for this coffee cake is fantastic (featuring cinnamon pecan pieces).
Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Cake
I’ve never made cake especially for breakfast, but this one looks amazing.
Cavewoman Coconut Cake
There’s a lot of coconut in this cake, so if you’re a coconut fan, then this is it!
Chocolate Raspberry Birthday Cake
The addition of beets and the use of homemade raspberry jam for writing a message on the cake are both fantastic ideas.
Fig Newton Mini Cakes
These are so different from most cakes I’ve seen, so I wanted to include the recipe for any fig fans out there!
Happy Carrot Cake
This is a really easy raw (no-bake) carrot cake recipe – you can shape the cake however you want.
Flourless Molten Chocolate Cake
The addition of sweet potatoes to this chocolate cake recipe is really unique. The recipe makes 4 individual ramekins.
Beetroot Chocolate Cake
Another interesting Paleo chocolate cake recipe, this time with beetroot added in!