Easy Avocado Cake (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
A simple avocado cake that has a moist crumb, delicious flavor and vibrant color. Totally gluten-free and vegan too, but no one would care!
Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Jump to:
Cake for Breakfast or A Sweet Snack
This avocado cake is sort of like a healthier dessert, which means you can eat it literally anytime of the day – whether at breakfast, for a sweet snack or as a dessert!
Made with fresh avocadoes, this delicious cake is moist and tender and drizzled in a refreshing lemon glaze that complements it perfectly! A slice of cake goes great with a cup of tea, or serve with ice cream for something more decadent!
Why This Recipe Works:
- Simple Ingredients: The ingredients required for making this avocado cake recipe are easily accessible at the local grocery store (nothing fancy required!).
- Easy to Make: Preparing the cake is just a matter of mixing the wet and dry ingredients together then baking it before drizzling it in a simple glaze. You’ll have cake in no time!
- Totally Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free & Vegan: The best part is that this simple avocado cake recipe is 100% gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan, which means that even those with Celiac disease or gluten or lactose intolerances, or those on a vegan diet can enjoy it without issues!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients required for this easy avocado cake recipe.
(For exact measurements, please scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
Recipe Notes + Substitutions:
- Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (a gluten-free 1:1 substitute for regular all-purpose flour) that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch) for a lighter final texture. I do NOT recommend using gluten-free flour blends that are made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.
- Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not include xanthan gum, make sure to include it.
- Sugar: I used white sugar, but cane sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, or coconut sugar will work just as well (just note that the darker the color of the sugar, the darker will be the batter and the final color of the cake). If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
- Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent used to help the batter rise, so make sure to include it in. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.
- Avocado: Avocado is the main ingredient here, and for best results, I recommend using ripe soft avocados. You should get about 1 cup mashed avocado flesh.
- Almond Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk. However, you can also use other non-dairy milk (such as cashew milk, rice milk, oat milk, or coconut milk). Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use regular milk instead.
- Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. You can use another vegetable oil (such as canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil etc) or unsalted dairy-free butter. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use regular melted butter instead.
- Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
- Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar (also known as confectioner’s sugar), is sugar that has been processed until super fine and can easily be dissolved to get a smooth glaze. You can either buy store-bought powdered sugar, or process regular white sugar until you get a super fine texture. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using powdered monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 powdered sugar substitute that is zero-glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
- Butter: I used unsalted dairy-free butter to keep this recipe dairy-free. You can also use coconut oil if you prefer. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use regular unsalted butter instead.
How to Make Avocado Cake (Step by Step):
1. Preheat and Grease
Preheat the oven to 350F and spray an 9″ x 5” loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. Blend Wet Ingredients
Place the avocado, almond milk, sunflower oil and 1/4 cup of lemon juice in the bowl of a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend to combine until you get a creamy texture.
3. Whisk Dry Ingredients
In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder.
4. Add Avocado Mixture
Add the blended avocado mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix well with a wire whisk until you get a homogeneous mixture.
5. Transfer to Loaf Pan
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake Until Ready
Bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
7. Let Cool
Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
8. Prepare Glaze
While the cake cools, prepare the lemon glaze. Mix the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, melted butter and powdered sugar together until you get a smooth glaze.
9. Drizzle Glaze Over Cake
Drizzle the lemon glaze over the completely cooled avocado cake.
10. Serve and Enjoy
Serve the cake and enjoy!
Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
- Swap out Lemon for Other Citrus: If you don’t want a lemon glaze, go ahead and swap out the lemon juice for other types of citrus such as lime juice, orange juice, grapefruit juice, or blood orange juice.
- Make it a Chocolate Avocado Cake: Feel free to add some unsweetened cocoa powder if you want it to be chocolate cake.
- Make a Round Cake: If you prefer to make a round cake, simply pour the batter into an 8″ springform pan or round cake pan and bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Make a Bundt Cake: If you prefer to make a bundt cake, simply pour batter into a bundt pan and bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Make Muffins: If you prefer to make muffins, simply divide the batter between the cavities of a muffin tin and bake at 350F for 30 to 35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Swap out Glaze for Chocolate: Alternatively, you can drizzle this avocado cake with melted chocolate if you prefer!
Recipe FAQs:
To store, place the gluten-free avocado cake in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Yes, you can! To freeze, wrap the avocado cake in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the frozen cake thaw completely overnight before eating.
Gluten-Free Cake Recipes You’ll Love:
Gluten-Free Desserts to Indulge In:
P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!
Easy Avocado Cake (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A simple avocado cake that has a moist crumb, delicious flavor and vibrant color. Totally gluten-free and vegan too, but no one would care!
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour blend already has it)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 small avocados or 1 large avocado, skin and seed removed (approximately 1 cup)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup sunflower oil
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons lemon juice, separated
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsalted dairy-free butter, melted
Instructions
- Preheat and Grease: Preheat the oven to 350F and spray an 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with nonstick baking spray.
- Blend Wet Ingredients: Place the avocado, almond milk, sunflower oil and 1/4 cup of lemon juice in the bowl of a high-speed blender. Blend to combine.
- Whisk Dry Ingredients: In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk the gluten-free measure-for-measure flour, xanthan gum, salt and baking powder.
- Add Avocado Mixture: Add the blended avocado mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix well until you get a homogeneous mixture.
- Bake Until Ready: Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and bake in the oven for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Let Cool: Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Prepare Glaze: Mix the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, melted butter and powdered sugar together until you get a smooth glaze.
- Drizzle Over Cake: Drizzle the lemon glaze over the completely cooled avocado cake.
- Serve and Enjoy: Serve the cake and enjoy!
Notes
Gluten-Free Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (a gluten-free 1:1 substitute for regular all-purpose flour) that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, corn starch) for a lighter final texture. I do NOT recommend using gluten-free flour blends that are made up of heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour) as that will result in a denser final texture.
Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is the replacement for gluten in gluten-free flours and helps to better bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not include xanthan gum, make sure to include it.
Sugar: I used white sugar, but cane sugar, light brown sugar, dark brown sugar, or coconut sugar will work just as well (just note that the darker the color of the sugar, the darker will be the batter and the final color of the cake). If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using granulated monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 sugar substitute that is zero glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
Baking Powder: Baking powder is the only leavening agent used to help the batter rise, so make sure to include it in. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.
Avocado: For best results, use ripe avocados.
Almond Milk: I like using an unsweetened version of my homemade almond milk. However, you can also use other non-dairy milk (such as cashew milk, rice milk, oat milk, or coconut milk). Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use regular milk instead.
Sunflower Oil: I like using sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. You can use other vegetable oils (such as canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil etc) or unsalted dairy-free butter. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, go ahead and use regular melted butter instead.
Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.
Powdered Sugar: Powdered sugar (also known as confectioner’s sugar), is sugar that has been processed until super fine and can easily be dissolved to get a smooth glaze. You can either buy store-bought powdered sugar, or process regular white sugar until you get a super fine texture. If you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using powdered monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 powdered sugar substitute that is zero-glycemic index and will not raise your blood sugar).
Butter: I used unsalted dairy-free butter to keep this recipe dairy-free. However, if you are not lactose-intolerant, feel free to use regular unsalted butter instead.
Storing: To store, place the gluten-free avocado cake in an airtight container or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the avocado cake in plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let the frozen cake thaw completely overnight before eating.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cooling Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 60 mins
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Western
