This Flourless Belgian Chocolate Cake is a chocolate lover’s dream, and everybody needs a great gluten free chocolate dessert in their recipe repertoire. This easy one bowl chocolate cake makes an elegant base for any fancy toppings you might want to add, too, from fresh berries to spiked whipped cream.
This easy chocolate cake is one of the first desserts I learned to make
I’ve made it more times than I can count, and it’s remained a family favorite over the years. That’s partly because it’s so darned simple to make (just a bowl and a whisk!) but also partly due to the intense chocolate flavor and silky mouthfeel when you bite into it. Flourless chocolate cake is just one of those epic taste experiences…everyone goes crazy for it!
This flourless chocolate cake is rich but not overpowering
There are all kinds of flourless chocolate cakes, and some of them are so decadent you can only have one bite before feeling a little ‘sick‘. You know what I mean. This isn’t that. This cake is rich and fudgy, but has a lighter, almost mousse -like texture. You can actually enjoy an entire (small!) slice without feeling overwhelmed.
The cake puffs up in the oven, and then sinks down as it cools, and the surface will have large cracks ~ don’t worry ~ embrace those cracks, they’re part of the aesthetic.
I just garnish it with a dusting of confectioners sugar. But this cake can be a blank slate to show off your creativity. I think it would be super pretty with a dramatic lace pattern like I did on my Flourless Tangerine Cake. You could top it with fresh fruit, or raspberry puree. Or how about giving it a drizzle of white chocolate for good measure? And don’t forget about all the different kinds of flavored whipped creams that would be perfect with this cake. ( I vote for bourbon or whiskey!)
TIP: It goes without saying that the toothpick test will not work with this cake
The interior is meant to be somewhat gooey. Instead look for a cracked surface that has has lost it’s shiny ‘uncooked’ look, and signs of slight pulling away along the edges. You can’t really go wrong since this is supposed to be a super moist cake.
For years I made this in cupcake form, but a spring-form or tart pan makes it a little more elegant, and this way none of the precious cake gets stuck on the cupcake wrappers!
more decadent chocolate desserts
- Dark Chocolate Mendiants
- Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake Recipe
- Perfect Chocolate Pudding
- Double Dark Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies
- Dark Chocolate Truffle Tart
- Jewel Box Truffles
Belgian Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)
Equipment
- 10 inch spring form pan or tart pan with removable bottom
Ingredients
- 9 ounces dark or semi sweet chocolate, Either good quality chocolate chips, or bar chocolate cut in small chunks
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut in pieces for easier melting
- 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons fine almond flour (you can also use all purpose flour)
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- powdered sugar for sifting on top
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 325F. Lightly butter a 10 inch spring-form or tart pan with removable bottom.
- Put the butter and then the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 1 minute, then stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds, and stir again. If it's not completely melted, put it back in for another 15 seconds, and stir until the chocolate completely melts. Note: Allow the heat of the bowl to assist in melting everything together, do not over microwave this mixture or it can seize up.
- Add the sugar, extract, and flour to the chocolate, then the eggs, and whisk really well to completely break up the eggs. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. The mixture will thicken as it sits.
- Pour into the buttered pan and smooth out the batter evenly. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until firm on top and cracks form across the surface. Cool on a rack, then remove the outer ring.
- Sift powdered sugar over the top. Serve as is, or with whipped cream and/or fresh berries.
Notes
- Use vanilla in place of the almond extract for a different flavor profile.
- Spice things up with a 1/4 ~ 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper!
- Nut allergies? Use all-purpose flour in place of the almond flour.
Nutrition
Could this be made in heart shaped Cakelit pan by Williams sonoma…it is small heart shaped cups with scalloped design on edges? Would they come out of pan? How long would you bake since more like cupcake pan?
I don’t think a flourless cake like this is a good candidate for molds because it is so delicate, it would probably break apart when you go to unmold the hearts. If you had mini tart tins you could use those, as long as they had removeable bottoms.
This is the best low-carb cake I’ve made yet! I subbed Swerve 1:1 for the sugar and topped it with ganache made with an orange and cranberry infused dark chocolate bar for my sister’s birthday yesterday. It’s excellent with either plain whipped cream or vanilla bean ice cream. Thank you! 😀
Sounds delish ~ I bet that ganache tasted great!
HI Sue, this is 1 & 1/3 cup of sugar, correct
Yes, I just put an ‘and’ in there to clarify! Hope you like the cake Sharon 🙂
Hi Sue, just wondering if corn starch could be substituted for the almond flour. Thank you. When I first signed up for your blog I thought you were from Great Island in Rhode Island. We vacation there and LOVE that Great Island. It doesn’t matter that you’re on the West coast and not East, your recipes are great. Thanks again
I don’t think I’d use cornstarch Pam, but you can use regular flour, oat flour, or a gluten free baking mix.
How long in advance can this be made without altering the texture?
Thanks
Un gâteau bien gourmand.
J’aime beaucoup.
See soon
Hi Sue- could I substitute liquid Stevia for the sugar or do i need to use a granulated sub only?
Granulated would be the way to go.
Hi Sue! I wanted to thank you for a wonderful recipe. I have a gluten-free sister-in-law, I made this along with scratch pies and cookies for Thanksgiving yesterday and the only dessert that was completely gone by the end of the night was your tart! I used pure vanilla, 60% chocolate, and I added dried espresso, but other than that I followed your recipe. It was surprisingly light but so flavorful. My only comment to anyone out there, if you make this in advance, don’t wrap it…it will lose that beautiful crunchy exterior, just loosely cover it would be my suggestion. Thank you again Sue, it was a beautiful addition to our Thanksgiving meal.
Hi Sue! I had my 15 year old daughter make this for Thanksgiving yesterday…we have a gluten-free family member so while I have made Mousse and Puddings in the past, I wanted to do something different. Side note: with this we had cookies, apple pie, and pumpkin pie (all scratch – pumpkin from roasted sweet pie pumpkins), at the end of the night, the chocolate tart/cake was gone. I had leftovers of all the other desserts! My sister-in-law, the gluten-free one was amazed at how light it was but then how flavorful it was. I used pure vanilla extract instead of almond (personal preference), 60% chocolate, and I added dried espresso but other than that we kept to your recipe. It was an absolute hit. No one else cared that it was gluten free, it was just really good- and my brother, who lives in a gluten-free house is usually a fiend for gluten when he is out agreed that it was his preference. So I thank you for a lovely Thanksgiving treat.
Have you tried to make substitutions for the eggs and butter too? My husband is gluten, egg and dairy sensitive. I would love to try this. Thanks.
I haven’t, but I’d love to hear if you have any luck with that. The butter could be swapped for something like coconut oil, I would imagine, but the eggs are such a big part of this recipe that they would be a challenge to replace.