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).
Is there a way to reduce the sugar without negatively impacting the texture of the cake? 23g per serving seems quite high.
Hi Lori! You reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup 🙂 I don’t find this overly sweet. Definitely cake sweet but not too sweet! N x
Nagi, i like this flourless chocolate cake. I would try it out for my kids. Thanks for sharing.
I hope they (and you!) love it! N xx
This cake looks delicious and sounds easy (and I say that as someone who can successfully make only one cake, Nigella’s clementine cake = which is gorgeous every time and better with dark chocolate melted over the top) so I’m going to try it. I’m looking forward to reading about the mysterious orange cake that needs no oven……
Ba ha ha! I didn’t realise this mystery orange cake would pique such interest! 😉 N xx PS I’ve made that cake! It’s terrific!
Well, aren’t you the tease! Flourless Orange Cake? Yes please. Without an oven? Seriously? In the mean time, I’ll “console” myself with this chocolate version. 🙂
It’s STEAMED! It works so crazy well because it makes it unbelievably moist. I just elevated it using rocks when camping / ramekin at home. 😉 N xx
Delicious! Hope you have Safe trip both ways. Do Not forget to have SOME FUN, AND MORE FUN! Enjoy weather.
It has been FUN FUN AND MORE FUN! Thoughts for your sister. N x
OMG
This truly looks like a winner. Can’t wait to try it!!!
(Did Dozer get some kind of treat?)
Of COURSE I gave him a treat. After torturing him with the cake he never got to taste?? I had to! 😉 N xx
This is what I have been waiting for! I really love flourless cakes but never made one, so I guess I was just waiting for Nagi’s recipe. I am ashamed to admit that I do not own a springform pan (I never make cheesecake for that reason) and I do not even know how one goes about using it (looking embarrassed). Can this be made in any other type of pan? I was hoping you weren’t going to show Dozer chowing down on chocolate cake, but I knew you know better! That boy is a LOVE no matter which of his 5 “modes” he chooses at the moment! Now, please tell all of us – how do you make a cake without an oven? (Unless you are in Southern California now where it is blazing hot and everything will cook without an oven because it is HOTTER than an oven here!) Thank you, Nagi, and Dozer!
Chocolate is one thing that Dozer has never ever tasted! Yes you can make this in any pan, just line it with paper and when you turn it out, be gentle, just like any other cake. 🙂 As for a cake without an oven – it’s amazing! You STEAM it. It can be done with so many cakes but works best with moist cakes like flourless ones. Just put water in a large pot and a ramekin or similar (when I was camping, I used rocks) to elevate the cake pan above the water. Then steam until cooked. It makes the cake incredibly moist and it still rises. It’s amazing!!!
Hey I live close to Calgary! (ish) Welcome to Canada! If you happen to be going an hour into the mountains, check out a restaurant in Canmore called La Belle Patate. It’s the most authentic thing you will get to a Quebec poutine in western Canada 😀
Oooh thanks for the tip Sam! Enjoying the weather here, that’s for sure. Amazing! N xx
Hi Nagi
This looks amazing and I cannot wait to try it. However here in the UK we tend not to use cup measurements and although you give metric equivalents for most ingredients you do not for the almond meal/flour. I am assuming that this is the same as ground almonds which we get here; I have a conversion chart for cups to metric and for ordinary flour it states 1 cup is 150g, so that would be 300g – do you think this is the right conversion? I hope you are enjoying your Canada trip.
Hi Jane! Sorry about that, just updated 🙂 Almond flour is just under 100g per cup, so 190g for 2 cups. N xx
Hi Nagi, thanks for another winner. This was moist and flavourful and devoured by my family. Yum.
Doing the happy dance!! So pleased you enjoyed this Jen, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Forgot to say that I’m also waiting for the Orange Cake and to think that it’s not out of ones oven.
I’ll share both the ordinary oven version AND the non oven version that I used while camping!!!!
Hi Nagi,
Dozer is so asking for that rope to be thrown. You’re going to love Calgary it’s a pity you can’t do ALL the Rockies while you’re there as they’re so beautiful.
Love this cake as I’ve also a friend that is GF not by choice, this now gives me no reason to bake a cake for when she visits. And to make it so easy without the whites beating is Heaven sent too. Will definitely be giving this a whirl or two.
The weather is just incredible! AMAZING!!!! N xx
Hello!
Want to make sure I don’t blow it 🙂
After baking for 45 minutes, check and give it another 10?
Many thanks!
YIKES! it’s means to say COOL in pan! 🙃 Just fixed it!
Nagi, you got me hooked!
I just tried your no-knead soft roll AND cinnamon rolls- back to back. I’ll post under those articles. I was supposed to be on a diet reducing my carb, sigh ….
Now comes this flourless choc cake with almond meal, I’m definitely trying this. Hey, you see, the carb is almost out. Would you know if I can sub out the sugar and use stevia or the likes? To achieve a lowest carb possible 😊
Eyes peeled out for the orange cake, when you get round to it, ….next post? 😉
Enjoy Calgary and if you can, a visit to Banff and Lake Louise is not to be missed.
Love, Remi
PS Thank you for the Calgary tips! I will ask my friend if they are on the list! N xx
Hi Remi! I’m sorry I don’t know how to eliminate the sugar in this recipe 🙂 I do like the thought of creating a (tasty) ultra healthy cake though! I must try it! N x
Welcome to Canada! I follow both you and and joCooks! Hope you’ll enjoy your stay!
THANK YOU TRISH!!!! N xx
This looks delish! For those of us who have nut allergies, what flour would you suggest as a substitute for almond flour? Eh? (you will hear that quite frequently in Canada!)
Ha ha! I’ve already noticed that! 😉 Hazelnut flour is a perfect substitute, but for anything else I’m afraid I’d need to do some testing and it will change the cake quite a lot. Thanks for the question though, I will update the recipe with that tip! N xx
Cake looks so good. Might just have to make it to go with my sexy lentils this weekend!😉
Welcome to Canada! Glad you are here in summer and that you are getting to experience the stampede. Can’t wait to here about your Canadian travels. ☺
Ba ha ha! Flourless chocolate cake and sexy lentils? 10/10! 😜 The weather here is stunning! My friend keeps saying it’s so hot but to me, it’s 100% perfect – hot but not humid, clear blue skies. I love it!!
Thanks for sharing your recipes and experiences, Nagi. I always enjoy getting new posts in my inbox. The cake Peter Clough had was probably a dacquoise. It’s a meringue-like cake layered with buttercream. The thin, nutty meringue layers are chewy & fudgy with the buttercream filling. Try this: http://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/hazelnut-dacquoise
I simply love your recipes…they continually amaze me.
Just a query about the almond meal…do you have a cup weight in grams? I rarely use cups…always weight as less wash-up and more accurate.
Also have a wonderful time in Canada…my No.1 next hoped-for travel destination.
Regards,
Angela
Hi Angela! I try to remember to do both, I’ll update it now! N x
Thank you so much. Greatly appreciated.
Now I can’t wait to try another of your wonderful recipes.
Regards,
Angela
No, way you are here in Calgary, I was just looking up another recipe of yours.
You will love the Stampede,
Welcome to Calgary.
Rhonda
From Calgary
Thanks Rhonda! Having a blast! I’m such a food nerd, spent the whole first day in supermarkets, checking out local prices, cuts, products you have that we don’t, chillies you have etc 🙂 It’s been interesting!