Flour is one of the main ingredients in any cake, correct? We’d like you to think about that again. Because the recipe we’re presenting here leads to a delicious and rich chocolate cake, but without any trace of flour in it. Yes, you read that right. So follow this guide to make a chocolate cake with no flour, and have a brilliant cake sweet on your hands.
Ingredients:
- 113 gm unsalted butter
- 170 gm high quality semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 135 gm granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 27 gm unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For the mocha whipped cream:
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon warm water
- 240 ml cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 22 gm confectioners’ sugar
- 6 gm unsweetened natural or dutch-process cocoa powder
- optional: raspberries and a dusting of confectioners’ sugar
Direction:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C.
- Grease a cake pan, line it with parchment paper and grease the paper too.
- Add the butter to a bowl and melt on the stove top or by putting it in the microwave. Then add the chocolate chips to the bowl. Melt in 20 second increments. Melt for 20 seconds, then mix, and put back in the microwave or on heat. Stir continuously. Continue this process until fully mixed. Set aside.
- Add the sugar, espresso powder and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture. Mix well.
- Then whisk in the eggs until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Now add the cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and whisk it in well.
- Now pour the prepared batter into the cake pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes. The exact time will depend on the machine you're using. You’ll know it's done when you insert a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean. Do not overbake or the cake will be dry. It's normal for the cake to have cracks. The eggs are expanding, so that will happen. The cake will flatten out again as it cools.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let it cool. Then run a knife around the edges of the pan and invert onto a serving plate or cake stand. If you have the time, place it in the fridge for 2 hours.
- In the meantime, make the mocha whipped cream. For this, add the espresso powder and water in a bowl. Set aside. In a bowl, add the heavy cream, sugar, cocoa powder and the previously prepared espresso mixture and beat with a handheld mixture or in a stand mixture with a paddle attachment. Soft peaks will form.
- Serve cake with this whipped cream on top. Add raspberries, strawberries or any other berry of your choice. And sprinkle sugar or cocoa powder on top. Serve cool.
- Store leftover in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes, tips and tricks:
You can make the batter in advance and store it in the fridge for one day, leaving only the baking and topping for the next day. Similarly, you can create the whipped cream topping and use it the next day. It becomes stiff when cooled, so best to beat it a bit before using it. After baking, the cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Remember to cover with plastic wrap before putting it in the freezer to avoid crystalisation. When using, remember to thaw overnight in the fridge. Then bring it out to room temperature and let it thaw more. Maybe you can put it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes to warm it up. Then serve.
The espresso powder is added in the cake because it really complements the rich flavor of the chocolate and brings it out strongly. If you don't have any, you can also use instant coffee powder. Or if you prefer, you can leave it out entirely.
For the chocolate, you can use baking chocolate, easily found in markets. Avoid using candy melts, chocolate dipping wafers or chocolate chips, since these contain stabilisers which prevent them from melting into the batter with the same silky consistency needed for the base. If you prefer, you can use a dark chocolate or a bittersweet chocolate. Avoid white chocolate or unsweetened chocolate.
The amount of sugar you use in the whipped cream will depend on how sweet you want it to be. Increase or decrease as you prefer.
You can also top the cake with nuts, sauces, marshmallows or any other topping that you can think of. Get creative!