Would you like a moist, flourless chocolate cake that’s intensely chocolatey, tender and indulgent enough to serve as a dessert? A cake with an almost liquid core that melts on the tongue and can be prepared quickly? Then this recipe is for you.
This flourless, nut-forward chocolate cake uses ground almonds as the primary dry ingredient alongside two sweeteners to create a wonderfully soft texture. You may be familiar with my simple boxed-pan chocolate cake, which includes flour and is easier to slice. The recipe here is better suited to a small springform pan and is best served with a plate and fork or spoon—your guests will be thrilled.
The idea for this cake comes from a French gâteau au chocolat recipe I found through Melissa of Gourmandises végétariennes, passed down from a Parisian family. I reduced and changed the sugars, added some baking cocoa and a touch more salt, which I found improved the flavor while keeping the cake rich and balanced.
A gluten-free, flourless chocolate cake reminiscent of brownies
This cake often reminds me of brownies—not crunchy or fudgy, but incredibly moist and soft throughout. If you shorten the baking time slightly, you’ll get a version with a nearly liquid center. Because it contains no flour, this cake is suitable for guests with gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
It also requires no milk: replace butter with a little less coconut oil or ghee for those with cow’s milk allergies. Using a sugar substitute such as xylitol or erythritol and sugar-free dark chocolate can turn it into a low-carb, flourless chocolate cake while remaining moist and flavorful. Enjoy baking it!
I’m looking forward to your feedback.
Recipe Card
Flourless Chocolate cake
10
35
1 small springform
291kcal
Ingredients
- 200 grams butter
- 200 grams dark chocolate, chopped
- 4 eggs
- 80 grams sugar
- 80 grams whole cane sugar or brown sugar
- 2 pinches salt
- 1 pinch ground vanilla
- 200 grams ground almonds
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon baking cocoa
Instructions
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Melt the butter and chopped dark chocolate together in a heatproof bowl over a hot water bath or gently in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth.
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Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat). Grease a small springform pan and dust lightly with cocoa powder.
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Beat the eggs with both sugars, vanilla and salt until slightly frothy. Fold in the ground almonds combined with the baking powder and cocoa, alternating with the warm butter-chocolate mixture until evenly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
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Bake for about 30–35 minutes. Turn the oven off and let the cake rest inside for 5 minutes, then cool in the tin for at least 15 minutes before slicing. For a firmer texture you can refrigerate overnight; for a gooey center reduce the baking time slightly.