Dark Chocolate Torte

also known as flourless chocolate cake / the ultimate winter dessert

SOUL FOOD /

No sooner had I sent the message “I can bring dessert tonight - what do you think about flourless chocolate cake with hot fudge sauce?” did I receive a message from another friend who was also attending the impending dinner party, “I’m thinking tonight calls for some brownies.” As the cooler weather sets in on this side of the globe it seems like there is one thought on everyone’s mind immediately following the constant question of how on earth do I stay warm once I move more than a few metres away from the heater; chocolate.

I’ve extolled the virtues of cocoa in the past so we have that covered, but I do want to mention a few special things that are happening in this cake specifically. The first is the coconut oil in combination with the almond meal, a pairing which produces a rich, butter-like effect both in flavour and texture. Meanwhile, the additions of hazelnut meal and cinnamon bring layers of warmth and a roasty depth to the mix, really putting the ‘dark’ in ‘dark chocolate’. The end result is a crumb is moist, dense, and melts in your mouth, while the edges are crunchy-fudgy like a brownie. It’s dairy free and gluten free and you’ll forget the names of either while eating it.

In the end, we (temporarily) tabled the brownies for another occasion and settled on her bringing coconut ice-cream instead, which was piled high over thick slices of this cake and finished with a drizzle of the aforementioned hot fudge sauce - the recipe for which will be delivered to the inbox of paid subscribers later this week 💌

Ingredients

270g 72% dark chocolate

120g extra virgin coconut oil

1 cup unrefined caster sugar

3 large eggs at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup almond meal

1 cup hazelnut meal (in a pinch, replace this with more almond meal)

Pinch of salt

Dash of Cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 160C degrees.

Line a 20cm springform pan with greaseproof paper.

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil over a double boiler until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.

Whisk the three eggs in a glass pyrex jug. Stabilise the bowl holding the chocolate mixture, and whisking continuously, stream the eggs in slowly until completely incorporated.

Using a spatula, fold in the cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, almond meal, and hazelnut meal.

Transfer the mixture into the lined tin. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean, with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it when inserted.

Allow the cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. Dust with cocoa powder, cut it into wedges, and dress it up with your choice of ice-cream, hot fudge sauce, or nothing at all.

Enjoy!

Pantry Note: The coconut oil can absolutely be substituted with butter. 45% dark chocolate also works nicely for those who prefer to roll on the sweeter side.