Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake

5 from 1 vote

Part brownie, and naturally gluten free, this Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake is the rustic chocolate cake recipe you've been dreaming of. Decadent and fudgy, the amaretto almond taste is distinctive yet light.

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Bake Time55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: small slices

Calories: 353kcal

Author: Rachel

Equipment

9 inch Springform pan or 9 inch cake round
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Cake

10 ounces 65-80% Dark Chocolate coarsely chopped, 283 grams
¼ cup Sliced Almonds or ¼ cup almond flour
5 tablespoon Powdered Sugar also known as Confectioner's Sugar
¼ cup cocoa powder
12 tablespoon unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar divided, ¾ cup +¼ cup
⅓ cup Almond Paste
6 lg Eggs yolks and whites separated into 2 bowls
2 teaspoon Espresso optional *see note below
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Topping Ideas (all are optional)

2 cups Whipped Cream
3 cups Fruit Cherries, raspberries, blackberries are good
½ cup Powdered Sugar
⅓ cup Toasted Almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325℉ (163℃). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan or a deep square cake pan. Cut a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom. Separate6 lg Eggsyolks from the whites from 6 lg Eggs. Prepare the 2 teaspoon Espresso and allow it to cool. If using, toast ¼ cup Sliced Almonds for 4-5 minutes in the oven at 425.
In a food processor, pulse 5 tablespoon Powdered Sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, and almonds into a coarse powder.
In a large mixing bowl, use a mixer to beat together 12 tablespoon unsalted butter and ¾ cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Parcel ⅓ cup Almond Paste into pieces and beat into the mixture until incorporated.
In a small saucepan or double boiler, melt 10 ounces 65-80% Dark Chocolate over low heat. Stir frequently to avoid scorching. Remove from heat but keep from cooling too completely and resolidifying.
To the large mixing bowl, beat in the egg yolks, espresso, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract, and melted chocolate. Check that the melted chocolate isn't too hot before adding. Then, with a rubber spatula, fold in the almond mixture until smooth.
In a separate mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to pat the egg whites until foamy. Slowly add ¼ cup granulated sugar and beat until soft peaks form, about 1-2 minutes. Soft peaks means that when you pull the beaters out, little peaks that fold over or point downward form and retain their shape without disappearing into the mixture - (see blog post photo for reference).
Use a rubber spatula to gently fold ⅓ of the egg white mixture into the chocolate cake batter. Then add the remaining ⅔ and fold gently.
Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake until a fork or toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry, about 50-55 minutes. The cake will dome in the oven and flatten out as it cools. Allow to cool for 1 hour before removing from the pan, using a knife to separate the sides. Allow the cake to cool completely before topping and slicing.

Notes

The espresso is very subtle and adds depth of flavor, but it isn't a required ingredient. You could omit it and probably won't notice too much flavor variation.

Nutrition