Gluten-Free Almond Chocolate Cake
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Dense almond chocolate cake, gluten-free and nutty with liqueur notes. Uses bittersweet chocolate, browned butter, eggs whipped till airy, almond meal swapped with hazelnut meal, and Frangelico instead of amaretto. Baked till just set with fudgy cracks inside. Cool fully before unmolding, sprinkle with powdered sugar or cinnamon. Keeps 3-5 days at room temp. Rustic texture, rich with a hint of toasted nuts, bittersweet cocoa on top optional. Simple, no flour, no gluten, vegetarian, but contains nuts (hazelnuts).
Prep:
30 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Servings:
8 servings
#gluten-free
#chocolate cake
#hazelnut
#Italian-inspired
#browned butter
#vegetarian
#no flour
Dark chocolate and nuts. No gluten. Almonds swapped for hazelnuts this time. Adds toasted flavor and crunch. Slightly more eggs, whipped strong, eggs sugar fluff. Butter browned, nutty flavor, melts shiny with the chocolate. Frangelico over amaretto, deeper, hazelnut layer. Bake til cracks show but not dry. Cool slow. Dust cinnamon, or leave naked, dusty cracked top. Simple ingredients. No flour. No fuss. Dense moist crumb. Not chewy but tender with bit of crunch from hazelnuts. Fudgy inside, yet light enough to slice. Room temp savoring only, fridge ruins texture. Store airtight. Rustic, homey, comforting. Chocolate, nuts, little booze, no gluten.
Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 160 ml browned unsalted butter, cubes
- 4 eggs
- 150 ml sugar
- 350 ml hazelnut meal
- 15 ml Frangelico (hazelnut liqueur)
- 5 ml ground cinnamon for serving (optional)
About the ingredients
Brown the butter for nuttiness. Watch it; just golden, not burnt. Using hazelnut meal instead of almond meal changes texture, gives crunch, toasted hints. Frangelico is a hazelnut liqueur that replaces amaretto. If unavailable, try another nut liqueur or omit entirely. Sugar measurement increased slightly; gives thicker whip in eggs, firmer structure. More eggs for better lift, volume. Chocolate: use good quality dark, 60-70% cocoa minimum. Parchment lining prevents sticking and helps unmold easily. Cinnamon dust optional but adds warm spice and visual contrast. Store in cool dry place. Avoid fridge; cake stiffens and dryness sets.
Method
- Set oven rack middle. Preheat oven to 175°C (347°F). Butter and line 20cm springform pan with parchment. Set aside.
- In microwave-safe bowl or double boiler, melt chocolate with browned butter. Let cool slightly.
- In large bowl, whip eggs and sugar with electric mixer till triple volume and ribbons form.
- Fold melted chocolate mixture into whipped eggs gently. Alternate folding in hazelnut meal and Frangelico. Careful not to deflate airiness.
- Pour batter evenly in pan. Bake 45-50 minutes till toothpick inserted has moist crumbs, not clean.
- Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Remove sides. Dust top with cinnamon if desired.
- Store at room temperature in airtight container for up to 5 days.
Cooking tips
Whip eggs and sugar until triple volume, ribbon stage—critical for light crumb. Fold in melted chocolate-butter mix gently; keep air inside. Alternate dry nuts and liqueur to spread moisture evenly, prevent clumping. Don’t overmix. Bake time varies 45-50 mins; toothpick test crucial. Should come out with moist crumbs, not clean, to keep fudgy center. Cooling fully in pan maintains shape. Removing too soon risks breaking apart. Dust surface after unmolding, not before. Slice with serrated knife for clean cuts. Can be served slightly warmed or room temp. Leftovers wrapped airtight on counter. No refrigeration to keep texture intact. Expect a rustic, cracked top and moist dense inside.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Whip eggs and sugar until triple volume. Ribbon stage critical. you want airy batter to lighten dense nuts + chocolate. Use electric mixer, speed matters. Stop once ribbons hold. Overwhip? Tough texture, underwhip? Dense.
- 💡 Fold gently. Melted chocolate-browned butter mix must cool before folding. Too hot kills air in eggs. Alternate folding hazelnut meal + Frangelico in slow gentle folds. Avoid deflating. Mixed batter keeps lightness but nutty density.
- 💡 Brown butter carefully. Watch closely. Just golden, small browned specks, nutty aroma. Burnt butter ruins flavor bitter. Let cool before mixing or melts egg air. Use measure to keep right milk fat, 160 ml cubed is target.
- 💡 Baking time varies 45-50 mins, toothpick test crucial. Moist crumbs cling - cake fudgy inside with cracks on top. Not clean or dry. Opening oven early loses humidity, cracks deepen but dry out. Cooling in pan maintains shape + moisture.
- 💡 Remove sides after fully cooled. Cake fragile when warm. Dust cinnamon after unmolding, adds warm spice contrast. Slice with serrated knife for clean cuts without tearing crumb. Store airtight room temp only, fridge stiffens and dries cake.
Common questions
Why whip eggs so long?
Volume triples, key for light crumb. Air trapped lifts dense nuts. Skip or shorten whipping, dense texture, flat cake. Beat eggs at high speed. Eggs + sugar peak ribbon = batter ready.
Can I swap hazelnut meal?
Almond meal possible but changes crunch + flavor. Hazelnut adds toasted taste. If no Frangelico, other nut liqueurs work or skip. Liqueur adds moisture + layer, omit with slight texture change.
Cake cracks too much?
Likely oven temp or too long bake. Keep at 175°C. Check 45 mins toothpick test keeps moist crumbs not clean. Cracks come from fudgy interior shrinking slowly. Overbake = dry + large cracks.
How to store cake best?
Airtight container room temp only. Dry cool place. Fridge ruins texture, stiff and dry. Wrap airtight to avoid air exposure. Can last 3-5 days. Avoid plastic wrap directly on cake surface.
