Passover is my favorite excuse to bake decadently rich flourless chocolate cakes. A few years ago I wanted to lighten things up a bit, so I added almond flour (aka almond meal) to my standard flourless chocolate cake. The result was a happy surprise – this chocolate almond flour cake, or what my family likes to call our Chocolate Crackle Cake!
My family loves this Passover flourless chocolate cake recipe. It’s completely free of wheat flour. And it’s really quite simple to make! This is a moist and delicious dessert, and a lovely way to end the Seder meal.
How is this Different from the Typical Passover Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe?
A chocolate almond flour cake is a great choice for a Passover dessert. Firstly, it’s wheat free and gluten free. Secondly, the use of almond flour lightens up the texture, making it less dense and heavy than most other flourless chocolate cakes.
The top of this cake will crackle a bit as it cools. Consequently, a crispy sugar-dusted “shell” appears on the cake. A tart and refreshing raspberry coulis with a fresh raspberry and mint leaf garnish completes the dessert. Sounds fancy, but it’s not too complicated– promise!
When considering a chocolate almond flour cake for your own Seder meal, it’s important to check if any of your guests have tree nut allergies. This is not a good choice for nut allergic guests, for obvious reasons! For them, I would recommend a nut-free dessert, like these Passover chocolate chip cookies. For a gluten free nut free option, these raspberry cacao ripple rochers (minus the nut garnish!) would make a tasty choice.
If nuts are not a problem for your holiday crew, then this Passover flourless chocolate cake recipe might make a perfect dessert for your Seder. Enjoy!
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Chocolate Almond Flour Cake
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (you may substitute unsalted non dairy butter/margarine for parve/dairy free)
- 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (use parve chocolate for dairy free)
- 1/4 cup milk (or use unsweetened almond milk for dairy free)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour (aka blanched almond meal)
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Avocado oil (or melted butter - for greasing the baking pan)
- Fresh mint leaves (for garnish)
Coulis Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of your cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the parchment paper and inner walls of the pan with avocado oil or melted butter. If using a springform pan (recommended), you may also want to cover the exterior lower half of the pan with a layer of foil to prevent any leakage.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cut the chocolate into large chunks and add it to the pan. Stir until melted.
- Add milk or almond milk, vanilla and salt. Stir until everything is melted together and smooth. Remove from heat. Pour chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl.
- Separate the eggs. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites along with ½ cup of the sugar until soft peaks form.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the other ¼ cup of the sugar until the mixture turns creamy and light yellow.
- Break up any chunks in the blanched almond meal with a fork or your fingers, then fold the almond meal into the melted chocolate mixture.
- Fold egg yolk mixture into the batter.
- Fold half of the beaten egg whites into the batter, then fold the remaining egg whites until just combined. Mixture should be light and airy from the egg whites. Do not over-mix.
- Fill prepared baking pan with chocolate cake batter. Smooth the surface of the cake with a spatula or spoon.
- Place in the oven and bake the cake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. You can check for doneness with a temperature probe; the internal temperature should reach 200 degrees F. Once it is done baking, remove the cake from the oven and let it return to room temperature.
- Cake will deflate slightly and the top of the cake will “crackle” as it cools. Release cake from pan when it is fully cooled. If you prefer a cold dessert, chill cake in the refrigerator overnight.
Raspberry Coulis
- Combine raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and puree ingredients together.
- Strain mixture into a bowl through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down on the solid ingredients and agitating the mixture to extract as much syrupy juice as possible.
- Dispose of the solids. The syrup is your coulis.Store coulis in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
To Serve
- Before serving, garnish your cake with powdered sugar, fresh raspberries, and mint leaves.
- Use a long sharp knife to cut the cake. Place each slice on a dessert plate drizzled with raspberry coulis, garnished with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.
Nicola says
Shalom Tori,
The cake was delicious, was like a fudgey brownie. Seder was at my sister in laws house, so I left the cake in the baking tin and plated it there. Served it with strawberries, though (for a dairy meal) a thin vanilla sauce would have been tasty with it I think. Thanks for the recipe, so happy I found your site.
Shavua Tova.
Suzy says
I made this cake today with my ten year old daughter for Passover. It looked exactly like the photo, and was absolutely fabulous! Everyone loved it, and my daughter and I had a great time baking it. It was so easy and delicious. Thank you!
Nicola says
Mitsuyan! That is what I was planning to do, using a coffe grinder to get the consistancy, Thanks for reminding me not to take them too far…PB is not on the menu!
Toda Raba ve B’shana haba’a….
Lehitraot.
Nicola says
I Just discovered your site about an hour ago and am thoroughly enjoying recipe hopping here. I was planning to make a very similar recipe for a chocolate torte in the morning, but yours sounds yummier and is more detailed. Will ground almonds be ok to sub for the meal do you think? I have everything else it is just that element I am concerned about. Chag Sameach!
Tori Avey says
Chag Sameach Nicola! Do you have a food processor? Are the ground almonds blanched (no skin)? If yes, then you can make your own almond meal by pulsing the ground almonds into a fine powder in the processor. Just make sure you don’t over process, or you’ll end up with almond butter!
michelle says
the recipe looks fantastic! just wondering if i can use matzah cake meal instead of almond meal (bc of allergies)? thanks so much and chag sameach!
Tori Avey says
Hi Michelle– You know, I’ve never tried this particular cake with matzo cake meal, but I’m guessing it would work just fine as a sub– it will no longer be gluten free, though. If that’s not an issue, go for it! It should be fine. And please let me know how it turns out for you. Chag sameach to you and yours!
Susan Csengody says
I will be making this for the first night of Passover! Can’t wait to try it. Thank you for the recipe. Will let you know how it turns out!
Bettina Marom says
Can you use Mocha Mix instead of Almond Milk
Tori Avey says
Hi Bettina– it depends. Are you making this for Passover? Mocha Mix is kosher, I believe, but it contains soy and corn, both of which are considered kitniyot. Many Ashkenazi Jews will not eat kitniyot during Passover. So, it would depend on how strict you and your family keep kosher for Passover. If you’re not making the cake for Passover, Mocha Mix would be a perfectly acceptable sub!
alan says
i am going to make this today . i have secured raspberries.
Susan Shakked says
My son is allergic to nuts but I would like to make this for Passover. What do you suggest>
Thank you,
Susan
Julia {The Roasted Root} says
Oh the crackle! Great technique! The cakes I make with almond meal never turn out looking like that! Next time around, I’m following your recipe to the T!
Linda says
Is it possible to make this cake ahead and to freeze it? if freezing is a problem, can i make it two days ahead? thanks!!
Roz says
thanks for this great recipe, brought it the seder, big hit!!!
Anita Powell says
I meant almond meal – sorry! As soon as I posted it, I realized the mistake. I was thinking of the post where someone asked if they could substitute flour and thus the confusion. Thanks again
Tori Avey says
Hi Anita! This recipe is a modification from my basic flourless chocolate cake recipe, which actually contains no almond meal– it’s similar to this cake, but much richer than the almond meal version. I’d be happy to email the basic flourless cake recipe to you, but I’m in Israel right now and don’t have my recipe files with me. If you’re still interested, comment me and let me know… I’ll be sure to send it to you when I return to the U.S. 🙂
Anita Powell says
What if you are allergic to almonds – do you have a substitute for the almond flour? Thanks
Laura says
Oh, my goodness. It’s such a lovely cake and your presentation is wonderful!! I’m not Jewish, but I love to try other cultures’ foods. Several of yours have made into my cookbook. Please keep up the awesome things that you do; I’ll be waiting. Thanks!!
Coco Galvez says
Yumm I can wait to try it. It look delish!
Carrie S. says
Oh my! This looks delicious! Perfect for those of us who eat gluten-free every day. I look forward to trying it.
Pearl says
What is meant by blanched almond meal?
This rceipe sounds yummy … would love to make this for Passover.
Tori Avey says
Pearl, there are instructions for making blanched almond meal here:
http://www.food.com/recipe/how-to-make-your-own-almond-meal-almond-flour-432272
You can also find it at many health food stores and chef’s supply stores. It’s becoming more and more common as a GF alternative to flour. If you need a certified Kosher for Passover version, your best bet is to make your own. It’s easy to make and much cheaper than the packaged variety.
Erin says
Sounds delicious! If you don’t have (easy) access to almond meal, what might you substitute? For a non-Passover dessert, would a 1-to-1 substitution of all-purpose flour work?
Elaine says
Thanks….I bought Almond meal at Trader Joe’s and wasn’t sure what I was going to do with it. I’ll give this a go and let you know!