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This easy Chocolate Torte is a rich and decadent flourless chocolate cake recipe with the most melt-in-your-mouth texture! My gluten-free chocolate cake is the ultimate dessert for chocolate lovers, lightly sweet and fudgy and dusted with powdered sugar.
Moist and Decadent Flourless Chocolate Torte
Drumroll, please! Today we’re making the most unbelievably moist and soft, fudgy flourless chocolate cake. This chocolate torte is a tried-and-true, gluten-free dessert of the highest order in our household. And in a family that’s no stranger to Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake, that’s high praise!
The flavor of this torte is lightly sweet with a rich chocolate flavor, and the top of the cake is finished with a spray of powdered sugar. It’s an ultra-easy recipe that anyone can make in under an hour.
The fact that this cake is made without flour makes it a wonderful dessert for those with gluten sensitivities. But it’s honestly one of the best chocolate desserts you’ll ever make, period.
What Makes a Cake a Torte?
Most traditional chocolate cakes are made with flour, eggs, sugar, butter, and sometimes leavening. The main difference is that a chocolate torte doesn’t contain any flour, for a denser, heavier-textured dessert.
So, is flourless the same as gluten-free? Not quite. Many people with gluten intolerances will eat gluten-free flour, just not wheat flour. As a result, a cake can still be gluten-free without being flourless.
A flourless chocolate cake, or in this case a torte, is made without flours of any kind (gluten-free or otherwise).
What You’ll Need
You can count the ingredients you’ll need on less than two hands! Below is an overview of what you’ll need to make this chocolate torte. Remember to visit the recipe card for the full quantities and recipe details:
- Dark Chocolate: Bars of dark chocolate are best, for a rich, cocoa flavor. Alternatively, you can use milk chocolate bars or another chocolate of your choice instead.
- Butter and Sugar: You’ll need room-temperature unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Using two types of sugar yields an extra moist cake.
- Eggs: This recipe calls for 6 whole eggs. The added eggs give the flourless cake structure and bind the ingredients.
- Cocoa Powder: You’ll want to use unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Vanilla and Salt: Pure vanilla extract adds flavor, while salt balances out the sweetness of the torte.
How to Make a Flourless Chocolate Cake
I make this chocolate torte in an 8” springform round pan, with parchment paper lining the bottom. The cake comes out with just the right thickness and pops out easily once it’s cooled. You can use a 9” cake pan as well, though the torte will turn out a bit thinner.
While the oven preheats to 375ºF, the flourless cake comes together in a few easy steps:
- Melt Chocolate: Melt together the chocolate and butter, stirring frequently until smooth and melted. Afterward, take the chocolate off the heat and stir in both the white and brown sugar. Since you’ll be adding the eggs next, at this point give the chocolate a few minutes to cool off so that the eggs don’t scramble.
- Add Eggs and Combine: Once the chocolate mixture has cooled a bit, whisk in the eggs one at a time. You should end up with a thick, glossy batter. Next, stir in the cocoa powder, followed by the vanilla and salt.
- Bake: Transfer the mixed batter to your prepared pan. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, until the edges of the cake are set. You want the center to still have a slight wiggle since it will set up further as the cake cools.
- Cool: Allow the torte to cool inside the pan for 10 minutes or so before releasing it. I like to give the plain chocolate cake a light dusting with powdered sugar for effect. Then, slice and serve!
Tips for Success
Keep these helpful hints and tips in mind when making your flourless chocolate cake:
- If you don’t have a springform pan, use a regular 8” cake pan lined completely with parchment paper instead. You can use the parchment paper to lift the cake from the pan after it’s baked.
- Let the chocolate cool slightly before adding the eggs. As mentioned, this part is important as adding the eggs too soon (or all at once) runs the risk of the eggs cooking and curdling in the hot mixture. Leave the melted chocolate to cool for about 5 minutes beforehand.
- Serve this cake warm, at room temperature, or chilled. You can’t go wrong! Serving this chocolate torte chilled from the fridge gives it a denser texture.
Serving Suggestions
If you’re a chocolate lover, this simple chocolate torte has your name all over it. Serve your homemade gluten-free chocolate cake for a special occasion, or enjoy a slice as an afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of coffee or tea.
As an indulgent dessert, we’ll top our chocolate torte with whipped cream or ice cream (or both, let’s be honest). The rich chocolate cake makes a perfect base to pair with all our favorite ice cream flavors, from Reese’s Ice Cream to Mint Chocolate Chip, to Cookies and Cream.
How to Store a Chocolate Torte
Store any leftover chocolate torte airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store it in the fridge if you’d prefer, and either enjoy leftover slices chilled or let them come to room temperature before serving.
If you’d like to warm up your flourless chocolate cake the next day, pop it into the microwave. A few seconds should do it – be careful to not overheat the torte as it can become rubbery.
Can I Freeze Flourless Chocolate Cake?
Certainly. Once the chocolate cake is completely cooled and set, I recommend leaving off the powdered sugar and pre-freezing the whole cake until solid. Afterward, wrap it or store the torte airtight, and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Thaw the cake either in the fridge or at room temperature. Once the chocolate cake is defrosted, dust it with powdered sugar, and serve!
Things You’ll Need
- SPRINGFORM PAN: As mentioned, you’ll get the perfect thickness with a pan with an 8-inch diameter.
- PARCHMENT PAPER: Even with the springform pan, you’ll want parchment to slide it out easily. These parchment sheets are more convenient than rolls because they stay nice and flat.
- WHISK: The only thing you’ll need for mixing the cake.
- DUSTING WAND: This little tool gives you that perfectly light dusting of powdered sugar.
Homemade Chocolate Torte
Ingredients
- two 3.5 oz dark chocolate bars, chopped
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 8” springform pan with parchment paper.
- Combine chocolate and butter in a medium sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often until melted. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Once melted, remove from the heat and whisk in sugar and brown sugar. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes.
- Once the butter mixture has cooled down, add in 1 egg at a time, whisking in each before adding the next. The mixture should be thick and glossy. Add in cocoa, vanilla and salt and mix until well combined.
- Transfer the batter into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and place into the preheated oven. Bake for 25 minutes, until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place onto a wire cooling rack. Let the torte cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then unmold the cake. Dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder and serve immediately.
Notes
Did you make this?
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