If you're craving a rich and showstopping dessert that's not hard to make, this chocolate torte with almonds will do the trick. It's flourless, cuts like a dream, and keeps well. Serve it on its own or with whipped cream and berries.
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Showstopper dessert
A chocolate torte is a flourless chocolate cake with nut flour and liqueur. This beauty is served with a mound of whipped cream and berries, and is a fantastic dessert.
This chocolate dessert can be used year-round but is especially great for the holidays.
What is a torte?
Torte means cake in German.
It differs from regular ones in that it has little or no flour, texture from the addition of nut flour or ground cookies, and, in many cases, contains a liqueur.
With this torte recipe, we tick all of those boxes and sometimes it reminds me of a giant chocolate financier.
Flourless chocolate tortes need to be made with attention and a gentle hand. Due to the lack of starch, a lot depends on the egg whites, the folding, and the baking.
- Texture: the lack of flour and the addition of ground nuts create a wonderful, fudgy texture that is soft and creamy. It's part of why we love this recipe.
- Flavor: deep but not too sweet, with a faint boozy taste that complements the chocolate wonderfully.
- Showstopper dessert: topped with whipped cream and fresh berries it becomes the centerpiece of a celebration.
- Easier to make than it looks: sometimes the idea of beating egg whites for structure and not using flour makes us nervous that the cake will fall or not have the right consistency. You'll be fine if you follow the instructions, read the recipe first, and organize the space and utensils.
Ingredient Notes
Quantities are listed in the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Chocolate: use your favorite dark semisweet chocolate for this recipe. For a more intense flavor, substitute half for bittersweet chocolate.
- Almond flour: you can make your own by finely grinding whole almonds or use store-bought.
- Coffee: the cake doesn't taste like coffee; it enhances the chocolate flavor without overpowering it. Use instant powder and dissolve it in the liqueur.
- Liqueur: it adds character to this cake. I use Kahlua or Tia Maria (coffee liqueurs). Read below for substitutions.
Variations & substitutions
- Spiced: add a ground spice like cinnamon or cardamom to the chocolate batter.
- Nuts: use another nut, like hazelnuts, and slightly change the flavor.
- Liquor: use a different one to add more character to the torte or to complement the nuts, like Amaretto (almond) or Frangelico (hazelnut) that will enhance the nutty flavor.
- Don't want to use liquor? Add more water (¼ cup) to the prepared coffee.
Steps to make a chocolate torte
- Electric mixer: it will make your life easier, especially when beating egg whites.
- Large bowls: you'll need to fold fluffy whites into the chocolate mixture.
- Meringue: clean and dry bowl and beaters are essential for a good result.
- Pour the liqueur into the warm melted chocolate and mix to incorporate fully. The mixture will be smooth and shiny.
- The chocolate batter will be thick and textured after you add the almond flour. We still need to add the meringue to soften it.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
It's essential to use a squeaky clean bowl and beaters when beating egg whites. If they have a trace of grease or water, they might not grow in volume as necessary.
- The meringue is ready when stiff peaks form. If the peak folds onto itself, keep beating for a minute or two more.
- Add a third of the whites (eyeball it) and mix until no white streaks remain. This first part lightens up the chocolate mixture, making incorporating the rest of the meringue easier.
Fold the remaining meringue in two parts, adding the last one before the other is completely incorporated.
- The final chocolate batter is even in color. Make sure no streaks of white remain but don't overmix it so the meringue flattens as little as possible.
- The cake will puff and rise in the oven and crack around the edges. After it's cooled down, it will sink, and that is fine.
Cooling down
The oven door is left ajar (opened a little, I use a wooden spoon) after it's turned off to allow the cake to bake a little longer with the residual heat.
Topping
Whipped cream and fresh berries take this chocolate dessert to the next level.
You can make it the day before and refrigerate it in an airtight container.
- Stabilized whipping cream: I add a few tablespoons of cream cheese to the cold cream for a firmer result. I find that the flavor is amazing and it keeps well for a few more days.
- Berries: fresh is better but you can use frozen ones if that's all you have. Make sure they don't have ice around them and add them at the last minute as they will start to drip.
Storage
- Chocolate cake: can be kept refrigerated in the pan for 3 days before assembling. Cover it with plastic wrap.
- Whipped cream: can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Assembled torte: eat it the same day it's made for the best results. Leftovers need to be refrigerated. The berries will lose shine in a day or two.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the correct temperature, utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- Chocolate: the better the chocolate, the better the flavor of the cake.
- Topping: besides the whipped cream, you can serve it with a chocolate ganache and berries. Slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream and a chocolate or caramel sauce drizzle is another favorite around here.
Related recipes you might like:
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Flourless Chocolate Torte with Whipped Cream and Berries
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A rich and showstopping dessert served with berries and cream. This chocolate almond torte is flourless (gluten-free), cuts like a dream and can be made a few days ahead.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons coffee powder
- ¼ cup coffee liqueur, I used Kahlua
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar, sugar
- 6 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 6 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ⅔ cups almond flour, 6 ounces. You can use finely ground almonds
For the topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 2 cups fresh berries
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC). Butter or spray and flour a 9-inch (24cm) springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
- Melt 6 ounces semisweet chocolate in a bowl over a double boiler or in the microwave. Dissolve 2 teaspoons coffee powder in ¼ cup coffee liqueur and add to the chocolate. Stir to mix and reserve.
- Subtract 2 tablespoons from the total sugar and reserve for the meringue.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat ¾ cup unsalted butter until creamy. Slowly add the remaining sugar to the butter and beat until the mixture is light and creamy. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add 6 egg yolks, one at a time, beating well between each, and beating an extra minute after the last one.
- Mix in the chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in 1 ⅔ cups almond flour until incorporated.
- In another large clean bowl beat 6 egg whites with ¼ teaspoon salt until they begin to stand in soft peaks. Use an electric or stand mixer.
- Add the reserved 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form.
- Add a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture and fold with a spatula.
- Add the rest of the whites in 2 additions, mixing carefully but thoroughly. Don't beat or overmix. As soon as there are no streaks of white, stop mixing. Make sure you scrape the bottom with the spatula to make sure.
- Pour into the prepared pan, turn the oven down to 350ºF / 180ºC and bake for 15 minutes.
- Turn down the oven to 325ºF / 160ºC and bake for another 45-50 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserter in the center comes out dry. The cake will be puffed and cracked. Don't overbake it.
- Turn off the oven and leave the cake in it, with the door ajar for another 30 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire rack and cool, in the pan, to room temperature.
- Cover the pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours before removing. This will make it firmer and creamier.
- When ready to serve, slide a flat knife or spatula around the sides of the pan, release the springform, and carefully transfer the cake to the serving plate.
For the topping:
- Place 1 cup heavy cream and 2 tablespoons cream cheese in a medium or large mixing bowl.
- Add 3 tablespoons powdered sugar and beat with an electric hand mixer at medium speed until firm peaks (stiff peaks) form, it will take about 4-5 minutes, depending on the speed of your beaters and the size of the bowl (smaller bowls take longer).
- Beating: if using the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat at low speed, especially towards the end so you don't curdle the topping. I use a wire whisk for this reason. Important: whipped cream can curdle very quickly when overbeaten. To avoid this, I always beat it at medium-high speed until soft peaks start to form, lower the speed to medium and continue beating until medium-firm peaks form. Then, I finish beating by hand with a whisk until I get stiff peaks. It takes a bit of arm muscle, but it's hard to overbeat cream by hand.
Assemble the torte:
- Top the cake with the whipped cream, spreading it to cover the sunken middle.
- Scatter 2 cups fresh berries on top and serve. Keep leftovers refrigerated, well covered in plastic wrap or airtight container.
Notes
Baking time: Keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Topping: In addition to the whipped cream, you can serve it with chocolate ganache and berries. Slightly warm with a scoop of ice cream and a chocolate or caramel sauce drizzle is another favorite around here.
Storage:
Chocolate cake: It can be refrigerated in the pan for 3 days before assembly. Cover it with plastic wrap.
Whipped cream: can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Assembled torte: For the best results, eat it the same day it's made. Leftovers need to be refrigerated. The berries will lose their shine in a day or two.
Chocolate cake: It can be refrigerated in the pan for 3 days before assembly. Cover it with plastic wrap.
Whipped cream: can be made 2 days ahead and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Assembled torte: For the best results, eat it the same day it's made. Leftovers need to be refrigerated. The berries will lose their shine in a day or two.
Did you try this recipe?Let me know in the comments below!
Tara says
I am so glad things are starting to get back to normal for you. What an amazing looking dense, delicious and decadent cake. You always satisfy, great post!!
Rosie @ Blueberry Kitchen says
Your torte looks so delicious, especially with the raspberries - I love that it was inspired by Chocolat too!
Katy says
I'm glad things are slowly getting better - what a nightmare that must have been. I hope everything is sorted soon. This torte looks absolutely delicious - I am always looking for new GF recipes to try and this is going straight to the top of the list!
Shannon @VillageGirlBlog says
This looks amazing! I love raspberries with chocolate too. Yum all the way around 🙂
Guru Uru says
I am so happy my friend that things are getting better for you 😀
Lovely looking cake perfect to celebrate with!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Chef Di says
Just lovely! Such a beautiful torte and incredible photos as always.
Deb says
Pleased to hear things are getting better! My husband adores chocolate, the darker and richer all the better.
A must make dessert my my favorite chocolate lover!
mividaenundulce says
I like the moist that almonds give to cake mixes. And the combination of chocolate and raspberries is also wonderful.
Martin D says
Your torte looks amazing Paula! I love flourless cakes such as this. And the almond adds such a great dimension to the flavors! Magnifico!
Laura Dembowski says
So glad to hear that you are doing better! It's a process I'm sure but there is always light at the end of the tunnel. This torte looks amazing! I always love my desserts as is - no whipped cream or ice cream - because I want to enjoy the flavors of the actual treat.
Heather Schmitt-Gonzalez says
Well, it could change my life just looking at it - holy cow, it looks amazing, Paula! I love that in the midst of all that is happening, you could bake this beautiful torte. And Chocolat is one of my favorite movies, so this is just perfection.
Amanda says
This looks so good - I really love gluten free cakes that require no flours at all. I think they're tasty and tend to turn out consistently better than their flour-ed counterparts!
Helene Dsouza says
I always thought about opening a choco shop but then its too hot here so we opened up a pastry. Anyway, I totally enjoyed reading your post Paula and your chocolate cake looks like a classic that my french grandmother would make. I bet it tastes heavenly!
Paula I am sorry I missed out on the happenings in the last weeks but I hope I can catch up soon.
Cher Rockwell says
Glad to hear things are slowly getting better.
Your torte is gorgeous.
Renee says
I'm glad to read you and your city is recovering from the flood. Mother Nature can be so cruel sometimes. Your torte is heavenly and one I wish I could be there sharing with you, my friend.
Silvia says
Delicious! I love raspberries. Love.
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
Paula, this torte is calling my name. It looks so decadent and rich. Yum!
Carol | a cup of mascarpone says
Paula, this torte is lovely! Adore that you added Kahlua, and paired it with the raspberries! Have a beautiful Sunday!
Liz Berg says
This is the only way the hubby will eat nuts...ground up and in chocolate cake! Simply gorgeous, my friend!
The Ninja Baker says
You already do change people's lives with your fabulous food recipes, Paula. And your thoughtful Vintage Kitchen posts.
Including the reminder to add TLC to make fantastic torte à la almond and chocolat.