Fudgey and decadent, this is my (extremely) easy flourless chocolate cake made using almond flour. No beating egg whites – I find it works better to use a touch of baking powder instead. The surface of the cake stays level rather than rising then collapsing into a crater, and the inside has a tender crumb instead of being dense. And the added bonus is that it’s ridiculously fast to make!
Flourless Chocolate Cake
This recipe is how I make flourless chocolate cake which is not the usual way but I think it yields better results with the bonus that it’s easier to make. That’s a double win in my books!
Usually, flourless chocolate cake is made by beating egg whites then folding it through the batter to make it rise. However, I almost always found that the cake would rise while baking, but then collapse into a crater while cooling. Or, if it didn’t collapse while cooling, I would tip toe around it with fear that the slightest floor vibration would make it collapse, and scold Dozer if he dared to trot through the house with his heavy footed paws.
Even if it held up while cooling, with the first cut, it would definitely collapse. And forget decorations! OR – use the decorations to hide the crater.
You get my drift. I like flourless chocolate cake – and one of my best friends’ is gluten free. The crater surface annoyed me.
So I fixed it. 🙂 A simple “dump and mix” version made with the aid of a bit of baking powder which makes the same fudge flourless chocolate cake that is much more stable.
It took a few goes to get it right. I was interested to find that almond flour / almond meal is highly sensitive to baking powder. Normally, the flour to baking powder ratio is 1 cup : 2 teaspoons, so I tried this with almond flour. The lift this gave the cake while baking was astonishing – it almost overflowed.
Then when I took it out of the oven, it collapsed.
Again – a crater. Humph!
So I tried again, drastically cutting down the baking powder to 1/4 tsp to 1 cup of almond flour. And was amazed that it worked – perfectly. Enough lift to give this cake a crumb like a cake, rather than being brownie-fudgey, but not so much that the surface rises then collapses into a carter surface.
No more craters! No more craters!
It is really hard to capture the texture of this cake in photos. It’s fudgey, but not dense fudgey like brownies. It’s got more of a cake-like texture, but it is much fudgier than normal cakes. Fudgier than my Chocolate Fudge Cake.
It looks like it’s going to crumble but it doesn’t because it’s so moist. It’s intensely chocolatey with beautiful almond undertones, and the surface has a fine crackly layer – like brownies.
It’s really, really good. I’ve made it multiple times since I created it and have no intentions of ever reverting back to the “normal” way of making flourless chocolate cakes i.e. beating egg whites. It’s not just easier. I truly think this is better.
And…you know…..NO CRATER SURFACE!!!! 😉 – Nagi xx
PS. I’ve also finally shared my Whole Orange Cake, which is also flourless and child’s play to make! It’s the cake I made at a wedding I’ve spoken about previously which was held on a remote river. I made a tiered wedding cake from scratch without an oven. Curious…???
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe video! Best way to see the texture of the cake i.e. moist, tender crumb but fudgey, not dense and mud cake like. It was difficult to capture in photos. 🙂
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Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips (Note 1)
- 120g / 1 stick unsalted butter , melted
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature (60g/2oz each+) (Note 2)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder , sfited (preferably Dutch processed i.e. the more expensive stuff)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 2 cups almond meal / almond flour (or hazelnut flour)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (160°C fan).
- Butter and line a 20cm / 8" spring form pan.
- Melt chocolate and butter in microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between until smooth.
- Whisk in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, whisking well until combined,
- Switch to wooden spoon. Add cocoa powder, baking powder and almond meal, fold through until just combined.
- Pour batter into pan, bake 45 min until top has thin crust and skewer comes out clean, not smeared with batter.
- Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove sides. Cool completely on rack before carefully removing base.
- Dust with cocoa powder then serve. I served mine with strawberries and dollop cream, but it doesn’t need it!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Dozer only has 5 modes: #1 Sleeping #2 Eating #3 Hoping to eat #4 Playing #5 Hoping to play.
This is #5. (And you’ll see #3 in the video).
Made this with my son for father’s Day and eventhough my husband isn’t too much of a fan of chocolate cake he couldn’t stop raving about this cake. It was exactly how described in the recipe and will be be my now go to chocolate cake. Note: I did substitute the vanilla essence for tiramisu essence instead, added 2 heaped table spoons of decisicated coconut and only used 1/4 cup sugar as we don’t like overly sweet cakes. Delicious!
Wow this cake is amazing. I’m not gluten free but my sister is and I’d choose this any day it’s the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I also did it with the fresh strawberries and cream. I also had some strawberries that I didn’t think would last much longer so I found your recipe for strawberry cheesecake and made the strawberry sauce to have with this cake and wow it was the most decadent dessert just so delicious!!!
I had a craving for chocolate cake at 10pm on a Saturday night and this cake did not disappoint. The ingredients are very similar to what is in an Italian torta caprese. I’m OBSESSED. Can’t wait to make it for my nonna.
Crackly on the outside and very moist in the inside. My new go-to chocolate cake. Thank you for the wonderful recipe. It’s so easy to put it together
Hi Nagi, but confused.😁
If you use slab chocolate you say to weigh it but I can’t see how much? I know I’ve already said that but the answer I got from Linda was to click the conversion button at the top of the recipe- well I can’t find any conversion button either🥴
Hi Nagi, but confused.😁
If you use slab chocolate you say to weigh it but I can’t see how much?
At top of Ingredients List, you need to click for ‘metric’ instead of ‘cups.’
Almost teared up once I had a bite, exactly what I was looking for in a chocolate cake! The almond flour gives it the dense nutty texture I love while it being not too sweet. I added silvered almonds on top before baking for an added crunch.
Thank you Nagi!
Made this for a “do” with a few needing Gluten Free options. I had to cut some slices and hide them for those that had no other choices. This was because everyone just loved it. A friend is a caterer and was raving about it and she’s normally cynical about others baking. It was absolutely delicious whether you’re GF or not.
Made this recipe but poured the batter into cupcake cups instead and they came out great!
Hi I love your flourless chocolate cake recipe. Can I substitute oil for the butter to make it dairy free?
Help I wanted to make your flourless Chocolate cake and use slab chocolate. Your recipe doesn’t have the weight required though you say to weigh in the note
Just hit the metric conversion at the top of the recipe for weights
If you click the metric tab at the top of the recipe, it tells you 200g for the chocolate
Hi Jane, I switched to the metric measurement from cups, which is just below the ‘ingredients’ heading and it states 200g
Hi Jane,
There is a toggle which you can use to change cup to metric measurements, just above the list of ingredients.
Can I still use plain flour?
Perfect chocolate cake! Everyone I have made it for has asked for the recipe. My cake tin got damaged and I made them as mini loaves with walnuts on top and added a shot of instant coffee. So good! Thanks!
Hi Nagi… thank so much for the lovely recipe… ❤❤❤
Hi should the almond flour be tight packed please? I assume white sugar is white sugar not caster sugar? Thanks!
Hi Nagi, this flourless chocolate cake is divine and so easy to make. I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon as I love the combination of this warm, fragrant spice with cocoa powder. Happy Easter xo
Hi Nagi,
Does it take less time for a cake for six serves. Do I use the same size cake tin? I am making as a birthday cake for my daughter Wii’s gluten free. Thanks
This was delicious. I pulled it out at 40 minutes and it was perfect.
Made this with my 10 year old for a gluten free friend for our housewarming party, but everyone raved about it.
Used salted butter, some instant coffee and all the prescribed sugar but light brown. Didn’t get to dust the top with cocoa powder but it was easy, didn’t sink and was a big hit of chocolate.
Tin, your recipes are keepers. Thank you for making us look good.
can some coffee powder be added to enhance the chocolate flavour?