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).
this looks delicious! I can’t wait to try it! I would love for you to post your flourless orange cake recipe too. thanks for all the great recipes.
I’ll put it on my list! I really like it – and I got real good at making it, lots of practice!!!!
My word, that looks absolutely delicious, I will have to try it, thanks for given it to us.
Thanks Chris! I do hope you try it one of these days! N x
Hi Nagi. This is my kind of cake,, nice and moist! Coincidentally I made a moist chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting yesterday. It won’t last long as often as G has a piece. Know you will have a blast in Canada and I’m looking forward to a chat once you arrive in the States!
I was considering slathering this with peanut butter frosting!!! That’s TOO FUNNY! I hope G is behaving himself. Does he have a bell? 😜
Nagi, NO he does not have a bell, but I have a baseball bat. 🙂
BA HA HA!!!! Literally burst out into laughter!
Mean! Mean! Mean!! That’s what you are! That cake looks absolutely decadent — I’m on a diet — and then you go and tease us about an orange cake you make without an oven. And then poor Dozer — licking his mouth and being denied. I know, puppies can’t have chocolate. I bet that smell drove him crazy. And then!! I’m still waiting to hear all about that year experiment you promised to tell us the total lowdown. *sigh* I guess I’m a lot like Dozer, not very patient. Have a great time in Canada and I’ll say a few lucky charm chants for your return — we know the run of bad luck you have when you come home.
It’s underway! I want to go out once when I’m happy with it, and not rush it 🙂 Keeping my fingers crossed for my return too…. *sigh*! have a great weekend Marisa! It is SO WARM over here, loving it! N xx
I also want to know if I can use coconut flour! 🙂
Hi Rochelle! I’m sorry I don’t know but it’s not a direct substitution because coconut flour is far more absorbent than almond flour. 🙂 N x
Love everything about this cake!! Have fun in Canada!
Thank you Carlos! It is crazy warm here – perfect summer conditions! N xx
Is there anything I can use instead of almond flour. I know that it might change the texture/taste but the other half is allergic and I don’t want to finish him off just yet! Love getting my weekly recipe suggestion so keep up the great work.
Hazelnut flour!!! I use the two of them interchangeably. Would love to know what you think if you try it! N xx
Hi Nagi,
I’m in Santa Fe, New Mexico at 7,000 feet altitude. Do you think I need to reduce the baking powder ? This cake sounds so delish I want to try it asap and not wait until I return to sea level!
Thanks so much!
Hi Deborah! I just did some research and I think that if you halve the baking powder, it will work great. So reduce to 1/4 tsp. I would love to know how you go with that! I like to try to add a high altitude baking tip into all my baking recipes. 🙂 N xx
oooo this looks great! I always used the egg white method but you’re right, it does collapse! Have fun in Canada, I absolutely love that part of Canada. If you can, make sure you try fit in a trip to Lake Louise, Emerald Lake Lodge and Banff! It is absolutely stunning!
Thanks for the tips Georgie! I will ask my friend about these! N xx
Hi Nagi, my one and only attempt at a cake was a chocolate cake for our daughters school fete around 1987. I have not made a cake since. It collapsed in the middle and l had to frantically ring my mother for advice. Ahhh she said, just fill it up with icing, no one will be the wiser until they get home. Job done, but, l think the experience scared me off cake making for life. I have since stuck to perfecting savoury. I am going to give this one a try, you have given me courage. Tonight l am trying your Sexy Lentil Salad. Enjoy you time in Canada. Thanks Mel
I agree with your mother’s advice! Works always!!! If you want a simple plain chocolate cake, try this https://salesdock.info/easy-chocolate-fudge-cake/%3C/a%3E It is super delicious and super easy! N x
Thanks Nagi, appreciated. Mel
A number of years ago, my mother-in-law introduced us to a cake from a small French bakery in Manhattan, NY, run by a then elderly Frenchwoman. She and her bakery are long since gone but the family craves the cake. It was made in a number of thin layers using only almond flour and coffee buttercream frosting. The cake part was more slightly moist almond cookie than cake crumb. Each layer was separated by the buttercream. The top was then decorated with marzipan, another nod to almonds. I have tried reproducing this and never gotten it quite right. Do you think baking powder rather than whipping the egg whites would help? And any hints on coffee buttercream? Mine has always been too runny. The original cake from the bakery, the buttercream was pretty firm even at room temperature.
Any hints or a recipe much appreciated.
BTW, love Dozer. We have two chocolate labs.
Hi Peter! Love hearing about your “cake memories”! It’s hard to tell if this cake has a similar texture to the cake you remember but if it was a very moist fudgey cake then this may be similar 🙂 The almond flour adds to the moisture and adds flavour as well. I use baking powder instead of whites because the cake is more stable and comes out (in my opinion) with a better “cake” texture. Plus it’s easier! For the buttercream frosting, use this recipe https://salesdock.info/chocolate-buttercream-frosting/%3C/a%3E but adjust as follows: omit cocoa powder, mix 2 tbsp coffee granules with 1 tbsp boiled water then cool. Follow recipe to beat butter and icing sugar, then add the coffee mixture. Only add milk if required to get the frosting consistency looser. This makes a buttercream that holds it’s shape at room temperature – per the photo – but it’s soft and fluffy when you bite into it. 🙂 N xx
So responsive and so helpful, thank you.
Hi Nagi, Can I substitute almond flour with coconut flour? Tx
Hi Molly! Not a direct substitution because coconut flour has a high absorbency than almond flour. I’m afraid it would require some testing to know how to adjust the recipe for coconut flour! N x