About the Recipe
Chocolate lovers, look no further! This recipe is for you! This rich and decadent flourless chocolate cake is perfect for any chocolate lover, and the addition of hazelnut meal adds a lovely nutty flavor that complements the chocolate perfectly (think Nutella without the Nutella). Plus, because it's made without flour, it's a great option for those following a gluten-free diet.
But we're not stopping there – to really take this cake to the next level, we're going to top it off with a luscious chocolate buttercream frosting. The creamy frosting is the perfect complement to the dense, fudgy cake, and adds an extra layer of chocolatey goodness. Trust me, once you try this flourless chocolate cake you won't want to go back to traditional chocolate cakes again!
Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter
6 Eggs (separated)
1 1/2 cups Hazelnut Flour (meal)
1/4 teaspoon Salt
5 oz Dark Chocolate (roughly chopped)
2 cups Heavy Cream
Frosting:
3 cups Icing Sugar
3/4 cup Butter (softened at room temperature)
4 oz Dark Chocolate Melted
2-3 tablespoons Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
1-2 tablespoons Dark Cocoa Powder (optional)
Preparation
What could be better than a dense chocolate cake? How about the fact that this cake does not require a lot of ingredients and is simple and straight forward to make? Win win!
Start off by mixing the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Use a hand mixer and mix until you have a smooth texture. Next add in the 6 egg yolks.
Keep mixing for about 10 minutes until the mixture has frothed and you achieve a light yellow creamy texture.
Next, roughly chop your chocolate and place into a microwaveable bowl. Microwave at 15 second intervals making sure to stir after each round. Continue until your chocolate has melted.
To your butter mixture add in the heavy cream, hazelnut meal and melted chocolate. Mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. With a rubber spatula, carefully fold the egg whites and salt into the chocolate-hazelnut mixture. Keep folding them in until everything is well incorporated.
Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare your cake mold.
I prefer using a spring form for this cake, as I find it easier to remove.
Lightly grease your mold with a bit of butter and sprinkle in a very light dusting of flour to make it non-stick.
Pour your cake batter into the mold.
When the oven is ready, place the cake onto the center rack and bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean).
Let the cake cool completely before frosting it. This cake is also wonderful with a bit of whipped cream and berries. But if you like it extra chocolaty this chocolate buttercream frosting is the way to go!
While the cake cools, you can prepare the frosting.
Make sure your butter is soft (not melted). Use a hand mixer to beat the butter until it is soft and creamy. Add in the melted chocolate, vanilla, whipping cream and salt. Mix until well incorporated. Next add in the icing sugar 1 cup at a time until you achieve a smooth texture. If you think it is too thick, add a little bit more cream (1/2 tablespoon at a time) until you get the consistency that feels right. It should be thick and smooth, perfect for spreading.
If you want to have different shades of chocolate, prepare the frosting without the chocolate. Once you have a creamy texture, split the frosting into separate bowls and add differing amounts of the chocolate to each bowl. You can also add in some a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder if you want to add more chocolate.
Use various piping tips to decorate the top.