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Home ยป Dessert Recipes

How to Make a Flourless Chocolate Torte (Recipe)

Published: Feb 12, 2019 ยท Modified: Jan 23, 2024 by Madalaine ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท

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This Flourless Chocolate Torte recipe is my "Go To" dessert.  For no other reason than it is incredibly rich, moist, deeply chocolatey, and easy to make. 

You can top it with the Easy Ganache in the recipe, or simply dust it with powdered sugar.  Serve it as it is, with berries, whip cream, or a scoop of ice cream.  I will tell you, it is best served warm.  

Date Night Dinners: 3 full meals inspired by 3 romantic cities. 3 Step by Step menus you can make ahead of time so you can have FUN in your kitchen!

What is the difference between a cake and a torte?

A while ago, I was teaching a cooking class and someone asked: What is a torte?

The main ingredients in a cake are sugar, eggs, butter, and flour.  A torte uses little to no flour and uses ground nuts instead of flour. 

A cake rises higher and is lighter than a torte.  A torte uses whipped egg whites gently folded into the batter to help it rise.  Because of the gluten in the flour, a cake's texture is smooth and soft, whereas a torte's texture is heavier and more coarse. 

Typically a torte (like in this chocolate torte recipe) has a deeper flavor and is richer than a cake.

Date Night Dinners: 3 full meals inspired by 3 romantic cities. 3 Step by Step menus you can make ahead of time so you can have FUN in your kitchen!

How to make this Flourless Chocolate Torte Recipe

For best results use good-quality chocolate like Valrhona or Ghirardelli. I've made this recipe in both a cake pan and a springform pan. Either one works well.

Ingredients

  • 12 oz dark chocolate, chopped
  • 8 oz butter
  • 4 ounces of strong coffee
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup almond or hazelnut meal
  • 7 large eggs, separated
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Heat the 12 oz chocolate, 2 sticks of butter, and 4 oz coffee until the chocolate has completely melted.
  2. Stir to combine
  3. Add 1 cup almond meal, 1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute like Truvia), 1 teaspoon vanilla, and ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt and mix well.
  4. After the chocolate mixture has cooled, stir in 1 egg yolk (total of 7) at a time until each one is completely combined
  5. In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer, whip the 7 egg whites on high speed until they form firm peaks and fold them into the batter
  6. Line a 9-inch pan with parchment paper and spray well with non-stick spray
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan
  8. Bake at 350F for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  9. Cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then take it out of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
Date Night Dinners: 3 full meals inspired by 3 romantic cities. 3 Step by Step menus you can make ahead of time so you can have FUN in your kitchen!

PRO TIP: When having to fill a small pan or muffin pan with batter, use a disher (ice cream scoop with lever) for an easy "pour."

Extra chocolate flavor: add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder in step 1.

VARIATION: Instead of using coffee, add 4 oz of your favorite liquor.  Spiced rum, Kahlua, Frangelico, and Grand Marnier are excellent choices.

Here's my step-by-step video:

But with Valentine's Day coming up, I thought, What the heck. Let's jazz it up with an easy chocolate ganache and raspberries!   I know, I know... chocolate and raspberries are a Valentine's Day cliche, but so what, it's delicious.  Think classic, not cliche.

By adding a few raspberries, you can create an elegant dessert...

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Many times tortes are served with berries because they're light and have a fruity tartness to them that balances out the dense richness of this flourless chocolate cake.

Can a Flourless Chocolate Torte be Frozen?

This recipe freezes great.  To make serving it easy after freezing, cut it into individual slices before you freeze it.  Wrap each piece in wax paper and then plastic wrap. 

When you are ready to thaw it out, unwrap the piece and microwave it for 30 seconds, then at 10-second intervals until your desired temperature is reached.

Health Benefits of Chocolate

A great motto, even if it's a bit of a cliche, is everything in moderation. That's why it's a good thing to make this torte and freeze it in single portions so you're not tempted to eat it in one fell swoop. It's also great to have it on hand like this it makes dessert a snap for impromptu dinner parties!

Not that you need a reason to have a bit of chocolate now and then, but chocolate (especially dark chocolate) has some nice health benefits too.

  • Dark chocolate cocoa has a large variety of antioxidants. In fact, it has more than most foods.
  • The flavanoids in dark cocoa can increase blood flow and might lower blood pressure.
  • Dark chocolate has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity.
  • May reduce heart disease risk.
  • The flavanol and caffeine in cocoa have been shown to increase blood flow in the brain which promotes clear thinking and short-term memory.

More Divine Desserts!

If you think this chocolate torte recipe looks good, check out this little collection of low carb and/or gluten free desserts that are to die for!

Easy delicious desserts to add to your personal recipe collection. Keep this PIN handy because more recipes are always being added!

Happy Valentine's Day!

โค๏ธ

Flourless chocolate torte - deeply rich and intensely chocolatey | www.lakesidetable.com
5 from 4 votes
Print

Flourless Chocolate Torte

Deep, rich, moist, and intensely chocolatey.  Need I say more?  | www.lakesidetable.com
Course Dessert
Cuisine French
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Resting Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 16 servings
Calories 460.69 kcal
Author Madalaine

Ingredients

  • 12 oz chocolate chopped
  • 8 oz butter
  • 4 ounces strong coffee
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup almond or hazelnut meal
  • 7 large eggs separated
  • ยฝ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla

Ganache

  • 8 ounces semi sweet chocolate chopped
  • 1 cup heavy cream

Special Equipment

  • cake pan or mini cheesecake pan
  • electric mixer
  • scale

Instructions

  1. Grease 9 inch pan and preheat oven to 350ยบF

  2. In a double boiler, melt chocolate, butter, and coffee. ย Stir until smooth.

  3. Remove bowl from heat and stir in sugar, ground almond meal, vanilla, and salt.

  4. Stir in egg yolks one at a time.

  5. Beat egg white until stiff peaks and fold into chocolate.
  6. Pour batter into pan and bake until firm, about 1 hour.

Ganache

  1. Heat the heavy cream until it steams.

  2. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and is completely smooth.

  3. Let cool slightly and pour over cooled torte.

  4. Serve warm with whip cream and berries.

Recipe Notes

Variation: Replace strong coffee with 2 ounces of rum and 2 ounces of kahua

Nutrition Facts
Flourless Chocolate Torte
Amount Per Serving (1 piece)
Calories 460.69 Calories from Fat 315
% Daily Value*
Fat 35g54%
Saturated Fat 18.95g118%
Cholesterol 123.31mg41%
Sodium 212.03mg9%
Potassium 186.63mg5%
Carbohydrates 34.92g12%
Fiber 3.04g13%
Sugar 29.07g32%
Protein 6.03g12%
Vitamin A 683.93IU14%
Vitamin C 0.09mg0%
Calcium 52.44mg5%
Iron 2.08mg12%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Make this flourless chocolate torte for your date night. Date Night Dinners: 3 full meals inspired by 3 romantic cities. 3 Step by Step menus you can make ahead of time so you can have FUN in your kitchen!

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Comments

  1. Surya says

    June 28, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    5 stars
    Definitely want to try out this recipe!

  2. Amia says

    January 13, 2025 at 3:41 pm

    5 stars
    I am so excited to try this recipe! My husband loves chocolate cake and I think this will make for a great Valentine's Day surprise

    • Madalaine says

      February 23, 2025 at 9:48 pm

      How did that Valentine surprise go?

  3. Madalaine says

    April 18, 2025 at 3:40 pm

    5 stars
    My family loves this dessert! Such a great gluten-free option for holidays.

5 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)
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Hi Iโ€™m Madalaine and I love helping people have FUN in their kitchen. You'll find lots of easy-to-follow gluten-free recipes and tons of tips I learned in culinary school.ย  Most of my recipes are French-inspired butย allย of my recipes are family favorites.

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