Flourless Chocolate Almond cake - This moist chocolate cake recipe will definitely satisfy any chocolate lover in your life! Prepare to get lots of compliments. It's fudgy, and melts in your mouth with a tender texture from roasted almond meal and a deep chocolate flavor. No chocoholic can resist this gluten free delight.
One cannot help but marvel at how such minimalistic ingredients can yield such extraordinary results. It's like magic unfolding before your eyes (and taste buds). Whether enjoyed alone or paired with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of freshly whipped cream and fresh raspberries for added finesse, this flourless chocolate almond cake promises to be an unforgettable experience for all dessert enthusiasts.
This recipe is one of our many sweet treats, including raspberry buckle, and croissant bread pudding and it pairs perfectly with our dark chocolate ganache recipe.
When I've featured this one on restaurant menus, the whole staff would clamber over each other, munching on the scraps after making petite portions for the guests. My personal favorite and the best part of this flourless chocolate almond cake is the outer crust. It forms a paper-thin layer on the exterior due to the egg whites in the recipe that is somewhat unique. From the appearance, it looks as though to be cracker crisp, but beyond the slight resistance in the bite is an instantaneous melting sensation.
That crust will crack and form fissures along the top of the cake. Don't fret about this appearance, it is all part of the luxurious mouthfeel.
I included crunchy roasted almond pieces as opposed to the traditional almond flour for a textural mix-up, but you can use your favorite ground nuts or leave them out entirely if you or your loved ones have an allergy or just don't care for them.
If you find yourself yearning for a dessert that will transport you to chocolate heaven while accommodating gluten-free lifestyles, the flourless chocolate almond cake is your answer. With its delightful combination of deep chocolate flavor and nutty textures, it's sure to become a staple in your repertoire of indulgent treats for special occasions, including Valentine's Day or any day of the week!
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What You're Going to Need!
- Dark Chocolate Chunks - we like to use 62% cocoa pieces, dark and bitter, for the lush flavor. However bittersweet chocolate will work if you prefer.
- Butter - we unsalted butter for this recipe, so as not to lose precision in seasoning.
- Sugar - white and granulated. brown sugar would have too much moisture.
- Vanilla Extract - Madagascar beans, processed in the bourbon style.
- Almonds - whole almonds toasted for crunch and flavor and then ground.
- Eggs - we prefer to use free range and vegetarian feed, it's just more natural.
See Recipe Card for Quantities
Recipe
6-Ingredient Chocolate Almond Flourless Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Grease the sides of the springform pan with softened butter or coat with pan release spray
- Fold your parchment paper in half, and in half again, then fold on an angle creating a triangle
- Place the tip of the triangle in the center of the pan, using scissors cut off the excess hanging off the edge of the pan. creating a circle that fits in the bottom of the pan
- Preheat your oven to 350℉
- Place water in your medium saucepan filling it halfway up, bring water to a simmer
- Place the chocolate and the butter into a heat safe large bowl, on top of a double boiler
- Place the whole almonds into a blender or food processor to grind, chop until small pieces, be careful to not create paste (use the pulse option to help with this)
- Remove the chocolate and butter mixture from the heat, and mix together with a rubber spatula
- When the mixture is smooth, add the ground almonds and vanilla extract, stir to combine evenly
- Using the bowl of your stand mixer and another mixing bowl ( two mixing bowls if you are using a hand held mixer) separate the eggs placing the whites into the bowl for your stand mixer or the bowl you will use with your hand held mixer. place the egg yolks into a separate mixing bowl
- Add half of the sugar to the egg yolks and using the wire whip vigorously whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until smooth and pale (be very careful to not let the sugar sit on the egg yolks at all! The sugar will begin to cure the egg yolks creating hard lumps that will not combine with the mixture)
- Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg yolks and sugar mixture, and set aside
- Fitted with the whip attachment use your mixer to whip the egg whites until foamy. The with the mixer going add the remaining sugar in a steady stream. Continue whipping the egg white sugar mixture until soft peaks form
- Fold the whipped egg white mixture into the egg yolk melted chocolate mixture, being careful not to over mix and deflate the egg white mixture
- Place the mixture into the prepared cake pan (don't be discouraged it doesn't look beautiful at this state) place the pan in the center rack of your preheated oven, and bake for 35 minutes
- Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack, don't be nervous if the top cracks its part of the delicious texture of this dessert
- Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes and then place in the refrigerator for about an hour, chilling it makes it easier to cut into portions. For best results when cutting use a warm knife wiping with a wet cloth in between cuts so you can have nice pretty pieces to enjoy! (use the same cutting technique you would use to cut cheesecake)
Nutrition
Notes
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How to Make a Flourless Chocolate Almond Torte!
- Prepare the springform pan by buttering the interior and cutting out a round piece of parchment to fit in the bottom of the pan.
2. Here is what the finished pan should look like. Notice the folds on the paper round, that is how the circle is formed, using the center of the pan as a fulcrum, and folding around as a triangle, like shown in the last picture.
3. In a heat safe bowl combine the chocolate and butter and place it on top of a double boiler.
4. Stir to combine as shown, adding the almonds and vanilla extract.
5. Separate the eggs, placing the whites into the bowl being used by the stand mixer.
6. Whip together half of the sugar and the egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Do not let the egg yolks and sugar sit together at all without commencing to whip, as it will dehydrate the egg yolks, causing them to form a tough skin.
7. Whip together the other half of the sugar and the egg whites, starting with the whites alone. When they start to maintain a frothy appearance, add the sugar gradually while the mixer is running. Stop when a soft peaks consistency is achieved.
8. Add the whites to the chocolate and carefully fold together with a rubber spatula until just mixed. Do not over mix or agitate the mixture, as the whites are the only leavening agent to make for the right finished texture.
Origin of an Italian Classic
As the legend goes, a baker on the island of Capri in Italy either didn't have any flour, or forgot to add it, (depending on who you ask), and the Torta Caprese recipe was the result. This classic Italian flourless chocolate almond cake became gluten free before gluten was even understood!
Chef Tip
Cutting this torte into slices can be a bit daunting. It's so fudgy and moist that it will stick to the knife. In order to avoid this being an issue, run hot water over your knife to warm it up. Use a dry towel to dry it and cut the torte, repeating this process each time. This way you can get clean cuts without them tearing apart from sticking too much.
Variations
There are a number of different ways to make this torte:
- In place of vanilla, you can sub flavored liqueur or even dark rum
- As mentioned earlier, use your favorite nut/s or omit them
Storage & Helpful Hints
You can make this dessert as much as a full day ahead and store it covered at room temperature.
Any leftovers should be placed in an airtight container and stored in the fridge. This will keep the flourless chocolate almond cake fresh for about 4 to 5 days. Remember that the egg whites are what lightens the texture of this sinfully rich flouless chocolate almond cake. Take care when folding them into the batter to no over mix them. It's vital that the air bubbles from whipping stay as intact as possible.
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Yes, you can simply omit the nuts, the cake will be fudgier and will have a slightly different texture. It will be just as delicious!
Jason says
classic