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).
Sandra says
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!
Nagi says
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
Sandra says
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!
Jane says
Hi Nagi!
Tried this out over the weekend and love love love it! Thanks for another fantastic recipe!
Nagi says
Oh wow! I’m so happy to hear that Jane, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
Ree says
In the oven now and did I have fun licking the spoon , ha ha ha cant wait to try it , thankyou for your wonderful recipes and I also made the beef mushroom pie mmm mmm that was a real success , love your recipe’s thanks again cheers Ree xxx 🙂
p.s ( hope your having fun on ya holiday looks like you are …)
Nagi says
Oooh I hope you love it Ree! Having a BLAST! N xx
Debbi D says
Can you substitute stevia for the sugar? And if so, how much? I try to avoid sugar as much as possible with the exception of good dark chocolate! That’s why I eat very little dessert, so this recipe sounds wonderful!
Nagi says
Hi Debbi! Unfortunately I do not have enough experience baking with Stevia so I am not sure if it is possible. Sorry to say! 🙂 N xx
Jocylin says
Hi Nagi
Yes to one bowl flourless chocolate cake. Will definitely give it a try soon.
If it can be eggless as well, so much the better but I know it can be challenging.
Waiting for the flourless chocolate orange mystery cake.
I am not only enjoying your recipes but also a dose of Dozer each time!
Nagi says
Hi Jocylin! I’m afraid the egg is needed in this recipe to bind it 🙂 Glad you are enjoying the Dozer pics! N xx
Susan says
love the flourless chocolate cake– but as I made it to be shared with children I didn’t know too well , I was afraid to use the almond flour in case they were allergic to nuts. I used instead Freefrom flour — which is a gluton free flour, and nut free too.
The cake was nice , served with strawberries and cream like you suggest–, but on the second day it was gorgeously yummy !!
I too needed to know what a cup was in grams. Please could you always put grams in brackets–and could you suggest an alternative to the almond flour.
Thankyou for sharing your recipes.
Nagi says
WOW! This worked with GF flour??? That’s so terrific to know, thank you! PS I put the almond flour in grams as well and suggest hazelnut flour as a sub! N x
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
Oh my goodness, you KNOW I’m swooning over this cake. Carluccio’s in the UK does an amazing chocolate almond cake that I’ve been meaning to try and replicate for a few years now (yup, YEARS). This sounds a little bit similar!
I love that it’s so so so so easy. MY kind of recipe!!!
You tip-toeing around reminds me of the way I now tip-toe around when Benjamin is asleep!! #mynewlife
Have a wonderful time in Canada!!!!
Nagi says
It always reminds me of your 6 ingredient swedish cake! N x
Aleka says
Hi Naigi
Do you have have a specific pan size?
Kind regards,
Aleka
Nagi says
Hi Aleka! I use an 8″ / 20 cm springform pan – step 2 🙂 N x
Cathy says
I’m so happy to see this recipe. I have had to go gluten free and it can be frustrating to find good easy recipes. I will definitely be making this soon! I also have to watch sugar lately, so will experiment with swerve/erithritol and coconut sugar and or stevia. New things to learn😋
Nagi says
I hope you enjoy it Cathy! N x
Lori says
Is there a way to reduce the sugar without negatively impacting the texture of the cake? 23g per serving seems quite high.
Nagi says
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
Lara says
Nagi, i like this flourless chocolate cake. I would try it out for my kids. Thanks for sharing.
Nagi says
I hope they (and you!) love it! N xx
Debbie says
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……
Nagi says
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!
Tara says
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. 🙂
Nagi says
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
Vera G says
Delicious! Hope you have Safe trip both ways. Do Not forget to have SOME FUN, AND MORE FUN! Enjoy weather.
Nagi says
It has been FUN FUN AND MORE FUN! Thoughts for your sister. N x
Hazel says
OMG
This truly looks like a winner. Can’t wait to try it!!!
(Did Dozer get some kind of treat?)
Nagi says
Of COURSE I gave him a treat. After torturing him with the cake he never got to taste?? I had to! 😉 N xx
Joan Landa says
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!
Nagi says
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!!!
Sam says
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 😀
Nagi says
Oooh thanks for the tip Sam! Enjoying the weather here, that’s for sure. Amazing! N xx
Jane Clare says
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.
Nagi says
Hi Jane! Sorry about that, just updated 🙂 Almond flour is just under 100g per cup, so 190g for 2 cups. N xx
Jen says
Hi Nagi, thanks for another winner. This was moist and flavourful and devoured by my family. Yum.
Nagi says
Doing the happy dance!! So pleased you enjoyed this Jen, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Josephine B says
Forgot to say that I’m also waiting for the Orange Cake and to think that it’s not out of ones oven.
Nagi says
I’ll share both the ordinary oven version AND the non oven version that I used while camping!!!!