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Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

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Made with ground almonds and topped with chocolate ganache, this flourless chocolate almond cake is rich and elegant.

Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake

I’m in charge of dessert for Passover every year so I’ve made my fair share of flourless chocolate cakes. This one, adapted from Maida Heatter’s Cakes, is one of my all-time favorites. Originally called the Queen Mother’s Cake (it’s a long story), the cake is Heatter’s most popular recipe ever. Made with ground almonds instead of flour and topped with a decadent chocolate ganache, it’s rich and elegant. Though the ingredients are simple, there are several steps, but I think it’s totally worth it!

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Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake
By Jennifer Segal
Adapted, just a bit, from Maida Heatter's Cakes by Maida Heatter

Made with ground almonds and topped with chocolate ganache, this flourless chocolate almond cake is rich and elegant.

Servings: Makes one 9-inch cake, serving 10 to 12
Prep Time: 50 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Total Time: 2 Hours

Ingredients
Metric Cup Measures

For the Cake

  • 1½ cups slivered almonds
  • Handful fine dry breadcrumbs, matzo meal or gluten-free substitute (for dusting the pan)
  • 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
  • ¾ cup sugar, divided
  • 1½ sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 6 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

For the Ganache Frosting

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons instant coffee or espresso powder
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Spread the almonds in a single layer on the prepared pan and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the almonds are lightly colored and fragrant. Set aside to cool. Leave the oven on.
  3. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x3-inch springform pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper cut to fit. Butter the paper. Dust the pan all over with the fine bread crumbs (or matzo meal); rotate the pan several times to spread evenly, then invert over the sink and tap lightly to shake out any excess crumbs. Set the prepared pan aside.
  4. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until about 75% melted. Stir and let the residual heat melt the chocolate until completely smooth. Set aside until tepid.
  5. Place the almonds and ¼ cup of the sugar (reserve remaining ½ cup sugar) in a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade. (Reserve the parchment paper from the nuts for icing the cake.) Process until the nuts are finely ground, stopping the machine once or twice to scrape down the sides. You should process for about one minute total. The mixture will be a little pasty but should not be the consistency of a nut butter. Set aside the ground nuts.
  6. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add ¼ cup of the sugar (reserve the remaining ¼ cup sugar) and beat to mix. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating and scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary until smooth. On low speed, add the chocolate and beat until mixed. Then add the processed almonds and beat, scraping the bowl, until incorporated.
  7. Now, the whites should be beaten in the large bowl of the mixer. If you don't have an additional large bowl for the mixer, transfer the chocolate mixture to any other large bowl. Wash the bowl and beaters.
  8. In the clean bowl of the mixer, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the salt and lemon juice, starting on low speed and increasing it gradually. When the whites barely hold a soft shape, gradually add the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Continue to beat until the whites hold stiff peaks when the beaters are raised. Do not overbeat.
  9. Stir a large spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it a bit. Then, in three additions, fold in the remaining whites. Do not fold thoroughly until the last addition and do not handle more than necessary. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.
  10. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°F, then reduce the temperature to 325°F and continue to bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes. The top might crack a bit; that's okay.
  11. Remove the cake pan from the oven and place it on a rack. Let stand until tepid, 50 to 60 minutes.
  12. Release and remove the sides of the pan (do not cut around the sides with a knife—it will make the rim of the cake messy). Now, let the cake stand until it is completely cool.
  13. The cake will sink a little in the middle as it cools. Use a long, thin, sharp knife (I prefer serrated) and level the top. It will seem like you're cutting off a lot; don't worry about it. The finished cake should be about 1½ inches high. Brush away any loose crumbs. Place a rack or a small board over the cake and carefully invert. Remove the bottom of the pan and the paper lining.
  14. The cake is now upside down; this is the way it will be iced. Place 4 strips of the reserved parchment paper (each about 3x12 inches) around the edges of a cake plate. With a large, wide spatula, carefully transfer the cake to the plate; check to be sure that the cake is touching the paper all around (in order to keep the icing off the plate when you ice the cake).
  15. To make the ganache frosting, heat the cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it boils. Add the espresso or coffee powder and whisk to dissolve. Add the chocolate and remove from the heat. Stir until all the chocolate is all melted and the mixture is smooth. Let the ganache stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, or until it begins to thicken.
  16. Pour the ganache slowly over the top of the cake. Using a long, narrow metal spatula, smooth the top and spread the icing so that a little runs down the sides of the cake (not too much—the icing on the sides should be a much thinner layer than on the top). Smooth the sides with the spatula, then remove the parchment liners.

Nutrition Information

Powered by Edamam

  • Per serving (12 servings)
  • Calories: 464
  • Fat: 34 g
  • Saturated fat: 17 g
  • Carbohydrates: 38 g
  • Sugar: 32 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 8 g
  • Sodium: 81 mg
  • Cholesterol: 137 mg
Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Gluten-Free Adaptable Note

To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.

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Comments

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  • This cake looks delicious for Father’s Day! My family loves almond flavor, so I’m wondering if there’s enough almond flavor from the ground almonds or whether almond extract can be added? Thanks for your perfect recipes!

    • Hi Andy, I think you’ll be happy with degree of almond flavor with the recipe as is. I don’t think it’s necessary to add almond extract.

      • Thank you, Jenn! Just one more question — do you think almond meal can be used to coat the cake pan instead of matzo/breadcrumbs?

        • Yes, I think that should work Andy!

  • how many days in advance can you make this cake and how do you store it? Thank you

    • Hi Harriet, you could make it up to about 2 days in advance and you can just store it covered on your kitchen counter. Enjoy!

  • We have a tree nut alergy in our family. I was wondering if this delicious cake can be made with Hazelnuts instead of almonds. If so, would the quantity remain 11/2 cups?

    • Tzipi, I think the same quantity of hazelnuts would work well, just be sure to rub off the skins (they are bitter). Here’s how. Hope everyone enjoys, and please let me know how it turns out.

      • Can you leave the almonds out, for those with nut allergy?

        • Hi Melissa, I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe. If you’d like a flourless chocolate cake that will work with a nut allergy, give this one a try. Hope that helps!

  • How far ahead can you bake this cake and can you freeze it?

    • — Rose Lynn Scott
    • Reply

    • I haven’t actually tried freezing this cake but it should work (it will keep well wrapped for a few months) — but I definitely wouldn’t frost it until you are ready to serve.

  • A fantastic cake…served it at a Labour Day family dinner and it was a hit. Even non-cake / dessert eaters were going back for a second piece! The cake does take a long time to make, but it completely worth the effort.

  • The cake was amazing! But I suspect there is more we need to know about the ganache, especially how to stop it splitting. Thanks, love your site.

    • Hi Diana, Sounds like your ganache may have gotten too hot. Did you remove it from the heat right after you added the chocolate?

  • Hi Jen
    Looks like a fabulous recipe. What changes and cooking times would I ues to make cupcakes instead of cake. Thank you for any help you can give! Anne

    • Hi Anne, That’s a tough one — I’ve never made this cake as cupcakes but I would guess the cook time would be about 25 minutes.

  • I will be making the cake and frosting the day before it is served. Does it need to be refrigerated?

    • Hi Judy, No, it’s fine to leave it out at room temp.

  • Hi,
    Is it possible to make the ganache without coffee grinds as we don’t like coffee or coffee flavored desserts?

    Thanks,
    Michaela

    • Hi Michaela, Yes, It’s fine to just leave it out 🙂

  • Love this! It’s a Passover must and a favorite of my sister with Celiac disease.

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