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!
GREETINGS FROM CANADA! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 Land of maple syrup and ice hockey – and a few other things I’m told. 😉 I’m here visiting my friend Jo from Jo Cooks in Calgary. At the time this post goes live, I will have just landed so I will have nothing to report other than being bleary eyed and jet lagged after 18 hours of travel. But stay tuned for updates – especially reports from the Calgary event of the year – CALGARY STAMPEDE!!!!
Getting back to regular foodie chat – this Flourless Chocolate Cake. Usually, it’s made by beating egg whites then folding it through the batter to make it rise. Mine is a “dump and mix” version made using baking powder.
I absolutely swear to you, the way I make this isn’t even about taking the easy way out i.e. avoiding pulling out my stand mixer to beat the egg whites.
This recipe came about because I just didn’t like the way flourless cakes made using egg whites 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 (not by choice). The crater surface annoyed me.
So I fixed it. 🙂 And as it so happens, my fixed version is literally a dump-and-mix job (see video below!).
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 Remind me to share my Flourless Orange Cake one of these days! 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…???
Typically, flourless chocolate cakes require egg whites beaten until stiff. Such cakes rise more when baking, but then it sinks more once cooled, creating a “crater” on the surface and a slightly denser cake. This recipe made using a touch of baking powder yields are slightly fluffier cake – plus it’s far easier and quicker, and the cake has a level surface. The surface has a thin crackly layer like brownies and the inside is lovely and moist. This cake is also quite forgiving - no need for measuring ingredients to the exact gram. Video below.
- 200 g / 1 ½ cups dark chocolate (Note 1)
- 120 g / 1 stick melted butter
- ¾ cup / 165g white sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature (60g/2oz each+) (Note 2)
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ cup / 17g cocoa powder (preferably Dutch processed i.e. the more expensive stuff)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 cups / 190g almond meal / almond flour (or hazelnut flour)
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Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan forced / convection).
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Butter and line a 20cm / 8" spring form pan.
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Melt chocolate and butter in microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between until smooth.
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Whisk in sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, whisking well until combined,
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Switch to wooden spoon. Add cocoa powder, baking powder and almond meal, fold through until just combined.
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Pour batter into pan, bake 45 min until top has thin crust and skewer comes out clean, not smeared with batter.
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Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove sides. Cool completely on rack before carefully removing base.
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Dust with cocoa powder then serve. I served mine with strawberries and dollop cream, but it doesn't need it!
1. If you use small chocolate bits, it's fine to use a cup to measure. If using a block of chocolate or large chocolate button / melts, weight them. Eating chocolate is not suitable for this recipe - it doesn't melt smoothly enough. So ensure you use the chocolate sold in the baking aisle.
2. If you use fridge cold eggs, you will notice the batter is thicker. It will still work just fine, but room temperature eggs is better – it makes the batter pourable into the pan. Cake may also need an extra 5 minutes in the oven.
3. This cake is sturdy enough to be used for a layer cake. Double the recipe and cook in separate pans.
4. STORAGE: Keeps for 4 - 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature. If it's very hot where you are, fridge would be best, but always serve at room temperature!
5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 12 servings. This is quite rich. 🙂
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. 🙂
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).
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This is the best! Will make again and again!
Glad you enjoyed this Lucy!!! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback! N x
Just made this tonight for my own birthday cake (that sounds sad but it isn’t – the kids like me to have a cake and I wanted one I really wanted to eat!) and it was awesome!!
The only thing I did differently was to add a little pinch of salt and a little more vanilla (I used a tsp and a half but it may just be that my vanilla isn’t very strong.)
That’s great to hear Ellie!! Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it! N x
Can I use egg replacer instead of eggs to make this recipe vegan? They should work to stick things together.
I’m not familiar with egg replacers Maria, sorry! 🙂 N x
I made this yesterday using egg replacer instead of eggs, and coconut oil instead of butter to make it vegan and it worked wonderfully. I got approval from my very fussy about chocolate cake husband so thanks so much for the recipe, Nagi! I’ll definitely be making this again for vegan and gluten intolerant friends.
I made it today it looks amazing just as you described mine looks exactly the same
Awesome
🙌🏻 So great to hear!! N x
Can it be frozen
Hmm for this one I don’t recommend it, sorry!
Ok thanks, I’m making it for a bake sale, will it be ok to make the day before then and leave at room temperature overnight?
Yes definitely!
Hi Nagi,
I’m planning to make this delicious looking cake for my husband’s birthday and he’s a big fan of those chocolate oranges you get this time of year. Do you think I’d get enough orange flavor just adding zest to the recipe , or would it need an extract as well? In addition or instead of the vanilla?
Thanks!
I love getting your recipe emails every week. So many ideas, so little time!
Hmm, I think I would add 1 1/2 – 2 tsp of orange zest then also orange extract, and judge it by taste (ie tasting the batter) I hope that helps! And I’m so glad you’re enjoying my recipes!! N xx
Thanks for your reply! I made this with the zest of two oranges and did half vanilla half orange extract and it came out just right flavor-wise. Used primarily bittersweet chocolate and weighed everything except the eggs (which I regretted because my eggs seemed smaller than usual). Next time will weigh those too, and check my oven 10 minutes earlier (apparently my oven runs too hot so it got a little drier than I think it was supposed to be. I’m my own worst critic! Husband thought it came out amazing as it was and is already requesting I make it again. Thanks!! Have a happy new year!
That’s so great to hear Megan! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
Love your recipes!!! Always turn about amazing!! Just wondering if this cake would be stack-able into a layer cake that I could decorate? Or is it too soft? Any recommendations on how I could adapt it to make it stack-able?
Hi Lucy! Too scared to stack this one, it’s more fragile than the usual cake. Sorry, can’t think of a way around this! 🙁 N x
Hey Nagi,
Thanks for your reply, unfortunately I didn’t see it in time and actually stacked it in the end. I don’t know if it’s because I used ganache between the layers but managed to work perfectly as a tripple stacked cake!
Hi Nagi
Could you make this into cupcakes and what time/temperature would you recommend it be cooked for.
Husband’s birthday in a restaurant and cupcakes would be easier to handle.
Yes! Same temp 20 minutes. 🙂 Check with skewer!
Thanks so much.
Is a spring form pan necessary? I don’t have one. Can i use a bundt pan or round cake pan
Round cake pan is fine Branyandi!
I’m baking it now. And now I’m asking questions 🙂
Question 1 – how do you get the wax paper to stick around the pan ? I butter the sides of the pan and the paper still didn’t stick as well as was shown in your video.
Question 2 – do you butter the pan and the paper ? I did both
Question 3 – by white sugar, do you mean castor sugar or granulated sugar ? I used granulated sugar.
Hi Oy! 1) Use more butter 🙂 It works, really does 2) Nope, I just butter the pan 3) Granulated is fine! 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, it’s Oy Len. Thank you so much for your super prompt response to my questions.
Am so happy to report it turned out really well. Not as pretty as yours, it didn’t have that thin crackly top like brownies, but the texture was great. And yes, it didn’t sink in the centre. Love it. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe 🙂
Thanks for the great review Oy! I’m SO pleased to hear you enjoyed it! N xx
Cake looks yummy and the recipe sounds so simple.
Your video is a great help, I think I can bake it !
YES you can! It’s simple 🙂 N xx
Hi Ms. Nagi! Can I make this as base for fondant? Thanks in advance.
Hi Ana! I would worry this is too delicate for a heavy fondant, sorry! N xx
Hi! I have a question about the dark chocolate. All I have on hand is unsweetened baking chocolate. Do you think I could get away with that and up the sugar to a full cup or cup and a quarter or so? If you think it’d botch the recipe then feel free to tell me so! Thanks for any insight!
Yes it will be great! I don’t think you’ll need to up the sugar 🙂 Also it will affect the cake if you change the sugar, I think you’re better off sticking with sugar per recipe and if you really do think it needs more sugar (honestly don’t think you will though), be generous dusting with the powdered sugar or serve with ice cream or with cream with sugar in it 🙂 N x
Thank you for the feedback! Your site is becoming a go-to as I host pretty often and enjoy the search for new “foodie” type recipes but practical and doable enough to implement for a decent home cook. Thank you for sharing the good eats!! Your pork carnitas is a staple around here!