Best Almond Flour Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

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This easy recipe is for the best almond flour chocolate cake with chocolate ganache—this moist and tasty cake with simple ingredients pairs well with fresh berries on top.

Almond Flour vs. Almond Meal

You might wonder which one to purchase for your almond chocolate cake at the store – almond flour or almond meal. The truth is, both will work ok for you. They are both made from almonds, but how they are ground is different.

Almond meal is prepared by grinding whole, unpeeled almonds. Since the skin is present, the final product is somehow coarser. Whereas almond flour is made by grinding skinless almonds, which are first treated with boiling water to remove the skins, so when ground, they will present as a pale final product.

Healthline states that both have similar nutritional values, so the preference should be based on how you would like your final product to look and taste. Since almond flour resembles wheat flour, it is a preferred ingredient for sweet dishes for fluffier results, just like in this fluffy almond flour chocolate cake.

My family and I are not gluten sensitive, but many of our friends have some gluten sensitivity or gluten allergy. And some are following a keto diet. So, this rich chocolate cake with almond flour mixture is on my list of chocolate desserts when hosting parties as it is a perfect gluten-free, low-carb, and keto-friendly best chocolate cake.

How to Make Chocolate Cake with Almond Flour?

There is truly no difference in the preparation in comparison to using regular flour or wheat flour. To get a nice and fluffy flourless chocolate almond cake, it is essential to use almond flour and not an almond meal. I came across recipes where people used homemade almond flour, which I still needed to try. But any local grocery store these days carry almond flour. It is though on the expensive side compared to regular or wheat flour. But if gluten is a concern in your diet, and you are craving an easy chocolate cake, this gluten-free chocolate cake might be your chocolate lover’s dream.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache?

Chocolate ganache is a versatile cream used frequently on European tortes. I remember growing up in Serbia when chocolate ganache was one of the first creams my mom taught me to make. It consists of two simple ingredients – chocolate and heavy whipping cream. And, the ratios of these two ingredients make the ganache thin or thick. For this almond flour chocolate cake recipe, I optimized the amount of cream and chocolate to get a ganache of medium thickness – not too thick but enough to spread easily on the whole cake.

Almond Flour Chocolate Cake Ingredients

Almond flour. When baking cakes, almond flour works much better than the almond meal.
Cocoa powder. I always prefer unsweetened cocoa powder since sugar is added to the cake, and chocolate frosting is made of sweet dark chocolate, so there is no need for additional sweetness.
Salt. I like adding a little bit o salt to cakes to enhance the flavor of the other ingredients.
Sugar. I typically use cane sugar. As a substitute for sugar, maple syrup or any other liquid sweetener can also be used. Or you can use coconut sugar if this is your preference.
Baking powder. I did not try baking soda as a substitute for baking powder, so I can not recommend it in this recipe.
Butter. As a substitution, you can use melted coconut oil. I frequently use coconut oil in my recipes; it doesn’t make much difference. You can try one great recipe for EASY & DELICIOUS WHOLE-WHEAT CREPES WITHOUT SUGAR (WITH COCONUT OIL).
Large Eggs. This recipe calls for 4 eggs, but I also tried making it with 3 eggs. The difference is in the final moisture of the cake – the more eggs, the more moist the cake.
Dark chocolate bars. You can also use chocolate chips here.
Heavy whipping cream. It is a perfect ingredient for the best chocolate ganache when mixed with melted chocolate.
Vanilla extract (optional). This is an optional step; add a few drops to wet ingredients.

Chocolate Almond Flour Cake Preparation Steps

Time needed: 1 hour

Step 1
Prepare a large mixing bowl, and add 2 cups almond flour.
Step 2
Add 1/4 cup of regular cocoa powder (unsweetened).
Step 3
Add a pinch of salt (about 1/4 tsp).
Step 4
Add 1/3 cup of sugar.
Step 5
Sprinkle 1 tsp baking powder on dry ingredients and mix everything until well combined. Set the bowl with dry ingredients on the side.
Step 6
Keep the butter at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Melt butter in a separate smaller bowl – the quickest option is to melt it in a microwave. I typically cut the butter with a knife into smaller pieces and set it twice in the microwave on high for 20 seconds.
Step 7
Whisk eggs with an electric mixer in a separate large bowl. Some people like to separate egg whites from egg yolks and mix them separately. Since I prefer spending less time in the kitchen and always opt for the quickest way to prep my ingredients, whisking whole eggs works well for me.
Step 8
Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture.
Step 9
Add melted butter to the egg mixture with the dry ingredients and mix everything well with an electric mixer until combined.
Step 10
Prepare a round parchment paper and put it on the bottom of the 7-inch springform pan.
Step 11
Pour cake batter into the prepared pan and bake at 350 F (180 C) for about 20-25 minutes. Baking time might differ in your oven, but the best way to know when it is done is to insert a toothpick or a knife into the center of the cake to see if the crumb has set.
Step 12
Take it out of the oven and let it cool in the cake pan for 10 to 15 minutes. Before unmolding the cake upside-down, run a knife around the outside edge of the pan, then invert the cake onto a cooling rack. Lift the pan off of the cake. Peel off the parchment paper slowly. Let the cake cool completely on a cooling rack.
Chocolate Ganache Preparation Steps
Step 1
Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks. Separate the whipped cream into two equal amounts in two separate bowls.
Step 2
Melt 4 oz of dark chocolate bars (or use the equivalent amount of chocolate chips) on a stove. Add your chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar to the bowl with about 1 tbsp oil or butter, and slowly stir the chocolate with a rubber spatula until silky smooth.
Step 3
Add melted chocolate to one-half of the whipped cream. Since chocolate is hot, adding it to whipped cream will become liquid – but don’t worry! Let it cool (you can put it in the freezer for about 5 minutes).
Step 4
Mix cooled chocolate ganache with the rest of the whipped cream.
How to Add Cream Frosting on the Flourless Chocolate Cake?
Step 1
Let the chocolate ganache cool at room temperature before spreading it on the cake. The ratio of chocolate and cream in this recipe is for a thicker ganache.
Step 2
Spread the chocolate cream over the cake using a cake spatula. Refrigerate and serve with fresh berries on top (raspberries go excellent!)