Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
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This Flourless Chocolate Cake is a gluten-free and dairy-free cake with the most tender and fluffiest texture that melts on your tongue.
Everyone needs a good flourless chocolate cake recipe and this is my version. Not only is the cake ideal for those with a gluten-free diet, but it is also perfect for lactose tolerance since it contains neither flour nor butter.
It has an intense chocolate flavor with a fluffy and moist texture inside without feeling too heavy or too rich. It is every chocolate lover’s dream come true. Plus, it is super easy and quick to make as well!
Use High-Quality Chocolate
It is no secret that flourless chocolate cake has a lot of chocolate in it, which means the quality will directly affect your finished product. For this cake, I personally love using bittersweet chocolate with 60 to 70% range as it provides some of the astringency of dark without being too bitter.
Why Do You Need to Coat the Pan With Sugar?
Because it is a flourless cake, the cake does not have much structure. Air is what inflates the dish. The motion of beating egg whites traps air into the mix. The egg white protein seals around pockets of air, creating bubbles. Egg yolks are separated out because their fat prevents those bubbles from forming.
Those air bubbles expand in the oven, and the sugar coating helps the cake to climb up the sides of the pan during the baking and then fall down as it cools. It also gives the bottom and the sides a crisper crust.
Don’t Overmix the Batter
You will want to mix the batter until absolutely no streaks of unmixed egg whites remain, but hold yourself back from mixing more than that. Over mixing can cause the whipped egg whites to deflate which will compromise the texture of the cake.
Why the Cake Falls as It Cools Down
As the cake bakes, the air will expand and cause the cake to rise in the oven. However, as the cake does not contain any gluten, there is no structure to keep the cake risen once it comes out of the oven. So as the cake cools, and the air bubbles contract, you should find that it will sink back. The top may crack slightly but this is normal.
More Chocolate Recipes
Are you chocolate a lover? If you do, check out also these recipes while you are here!
- Moist Steamed Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
- Double Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Sour Cream Double Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Espresso Granola
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (130 gr) chopped bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup (30 gr) almond flour
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 tbsp (75 gr) castor sugar, more for coating the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180°C. Lightly grease the bottom of a 6-inch/15 cm springform pan with margarine or vegetable oil. Line the bottom with parchment paper. brush the bottom and the sides of the pan with upward motions. Lightly coat the inside of the pan with sugar, rotating the pan to coat the entire surface, then tap out the excess. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add melted chocolate, vegetable oil, almond flour, and egg yolks. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl if using a hand mixer, beat egg whites and salt on low speed until foamy. Gradually add castor sugar little by little and increase the speed to medium-high speed. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer one-third of the egg white mixture to the chocolate mixture. Fold with a spatula until well combined. Add the remaining egg white mixture in 2 additions, gently folding it into the chocolate mixture each time.
- Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don't overbake or you will end up with dry cake. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan. It will gradually fall and slump in places, which is fine.
- Remove the cake from the pan and serve.
