In these darker months of the year, Chocolate Espresso Cake is exactly what I need. In the afternoon, as the sun sets, I need a little hit of something— caffeine, pleasure, comfort… Happily, my husband likes to make me chocolate cakes, and he’s not afraid to adapt a recipe to suit our family’s needs. One of my favorites is Nigel Slater’s Chocolate Almond Cake, from The Kitchen Diaries adapted by Jeff to be grain-free. We ate this last night as part of our Winter Solstice celebrations– it’s rich and comforting. While there are plenty of flourless chocolate cake recipes out there, I prefer this one because the almond flour gives it a nice crumb and it’s much more like a traditional cake– but so dark and decadent.
Chocolate Espresso Cake Recipe
What You’ll Need
- a round 9″ springform pan
- parchment paper
- an electric mixer (or a whisk operated by a sturdy arm)
- 200 g (7 oz) good quality dark chocolate
- a shot of espresso* (about 3 T strong coffee)
- 200 g (or 1 cup) good butter, cut into pieces
- 5 eggs, separated
- 200g sugar (1 scant cup)– can be regular, coconut sugar, or xylitol
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 T good quality cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
- 200g or a 1 and 3/4 cups almond flour
*We use an aeropress to easily make espresso at home
What to Do
- Preheat your oven to 350 F, or 180 C, and line your pan with buttered parchment paper.
- In a double-boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt your chocolate. As it begins to soften, add the espresso, stirring gently until completely melted. Add the butter, and stir until everything is even.
- Beat the egg whites until stiff, and then fold in the sugar.
- Combine the dry ingredients.
- Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat, and stir in the egg yolks. Fold the chocolate into the egg whites, gently.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the batter, and then stir very gently to combine– do not over-mix.
- Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 50 minutes, until the middle is semi-firm and an inserted knife blade comes out cleanly.
- Allow to cool, then dust with cocoa powder and serve.
I hope this cake brings you lots of comfort and happiness this winter!
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This looks absolutely delicious! The houseguests have already arrived and my menu was finalized a week ago, but this is definitely going on the baking list of 2014… Merry Christmas and happy New Year!!!
Oh, I do hope you’ll try it! Jeff knows the way to my heart… Through this very cake, after a very long day.
This cake looks amazing as do the sausages. I’ll be making this cake soon.
Oh, good! I hope you love them both!
Absolutely lovely!
Thank you, Rachel.
Would it work to subsitute coconut oil for the butter?
Ali, we haven’t tried it, so I can’t say for sure– but since the butter is melted in, I imagine that coconut oil would work well. Let me know if you try it!
I am also curious about substituting coconut oil for butter
Cynthia, I can’t say for sure– but since the butter is melted in, I imagine that coconut oil would work well. Let me know if you try it!
would I be able to substitute the almond flour? my daughter and I are allergic to nuts. what would you recommend?
Hi Pam, I am sorry to say that I cannot recommend any substitutes for the almond flour. This cake is built around that ingredient, so I would recommend that you look for a rich chocolate cake that is based on coconut flour. We love the one from the Paleo Comfort Foods cookbook (https://amzn.to/1hcR3dY.) Maybe I’ll be able to share one soon!
Oh, my goodness! This cake is absolutely delightful, with great flavor, nice texture, and excellent moisture! I substituted a few TBSP worth of butter for coconut oil (because I needed some of my butter for making another recipe the same evening). And, because my springform was in use, I used an 8×13-inch glass baking dish instead. I cut the cake into small squares, dusted the squares with cocoa, and served them with lightly-sweetened whipped cream. Our guest *raved* about what he kept calling “brownies”, and ended up politely removing himself from the table because he found the cake so enticing! 🙂 This recipe is a keeper!
As it is snowy and blowy (word? ☺) here today I am putting this in the oven immediately for a morning snack! Thanks so much. Love your blog.
Hi! This looks great. I plan on making it for my boyfriend’s birthday this Friday. What adjustments would you make for the baking time if I made cupcakes from the batter?
Thanks,
Leah