Flourless chocolate coffee walnut cake is flavoured with dark chocolate, cocoa powder, coffee powder, ground walnuts and walnut liqueur. This recipe is not a technical bake so suitable for all levels of baker.
In this gluten free flourless chocolate cake I swap regular flour for ground walnuts, which not only add flavour but great texture to the cake. Buying ground walnuts or walnut flour is expensive, so I bought a bag of walnuts and blitzed them in the food processor.
Coffee and walnut cake has always been a favourite, but I wanted to create a lighter cake without all the icing. Despite it's rich, dark appearance, this cake is super light, and is not at all dense and heavy.
This cake has a rich dark chocolate flavour, I like to use 85% dark chocolate (my favourite chocolate), but anything over 70% will work well.
Why you'll love this flourless chocolate cake recipe
- The perfect balance of flavours the coffee, ground walnuts and walnut liqueur pair beautifully with rich dark chocolate.
- Make ahead the day before as this cake stores really well.
- Containing no flour this cake is suitable for coeliacs or anyone following a gluten free diet (just check the remaining ingredients, eg the dark chocolate and cocoa powder that you are using are gluten free too).
- Quick to prepare and baked in less than 30 minutes.
- Freezes really well, once baked cut into individual slices and store in the freezer.
Recipe ingredients
- Walnuts - I use ground walnuts in place of flour in this cake.
- Chocolate - use dark chocolate with a minimum of 70% cocoa solids. I used 85% as I love really dark chocolate.
- Butter - I used unsalted butter, which I cut into cubes to melt into the chocolate.
- Liqueur - I've added walnut liqueur to this chocolate cake. It's entirely optional and you can leave the alcohol out entirely if you prefer, just add some milk or water instead.
- Eggs - I used 4 large eggs to make this cake.
- Sugar - fine caster sugar is best as it whisks really well with the eggs.
- Cocoa powder - I add cocoa powder to the cake batter to really intensify the chocolate flavour in the cake.
- Coffee - for the coffee flavour I add instant coffee powder to the cake batter.
LESLEY'S TIP: If making for gluten free diners, ensure you check that the chocolate and cocoa powder you are using is gluten free!
How to make flourless chocolate coffee walnut cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160CFan/350F. Line the base of the sandwich tin with baking parchment and lightly grease the sides.
- To make ground walnuts, place the nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the nuts have broken and ground down to the right consistency.
- Break up the chocolate and place it into a small heat-proof bowl along with the butter.
- Place the bowl over a small saucepan of just boiling water, taking care not to boil the water too high, just enough to warm the base of the bowl and melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir until melted then set aside to cool, then add in the walnut liqueur.
LESLEY'S TIP: When making ground walnuts, take care not to over process the nuts or they start to release their oils and turn into a sticky paste.
- Now add the eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk the eggs until they become really thick and have doubled in size. Using a hand held electric whisk this will take around 2 minutes.
- Mix the ground walnuts, cocoa and coffee powder together in a small bowl. Then using the electric whisk on low, spoon the walnut mixture into the eggs a tablespoon at a time, whisking until well combined.
- Now pour the chocolate mixture into the cake batter and continue to whisk until well combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared sandwich tin and place into the hot oven to make for 20-25 minutes.
- The cake is cooked when the cake starts to pull away from the side of the tin and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
- Remove the tin from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, remove from the tin and place on a plate ready to slice and serve.
LESLEY'S TIP: This cake will sink a little as it cools (see images above). This is entirely normal for this cake.
Recipe variations
- For an alcohol free cake swap walnut liqueur for the same quantity of water.
- If you don't have walnut liqueur you can substitute with a coffee liqueur and reduce the powdered coffee to 1 tablespoon.
- You can add other flavours of liqueur to this chocolate cake, try amaretto (almond liqueur), or fruit liqueurs like an orange liqueur or cherry liqueur.
- I've used a 85% dark chocolate but anything over 70% will work.
- Swap dark chocolate for a flavoured dark chocolate.
Serving suggestions
This is a rich and decadent chocolate cake, which will serve 8-10 diners once sliced. I like to dust the cake with a little extra cocoa powder, or some icing sugar, when serving. I like to add some double cream (heavy cream), whipped cream or a scoop of dairy or vanilla ice cream.
Useful hints and tips
- Ground walnuts or walnut flour are difficult to find and expensive to buy. I prefer to grind the nuts myself in the food processor, using the pulse button. Don't over process the nuts or they loose too much oil and turn into a paste.
- Take time to properly beat the eggs and sugar together, you want the mixture to thicken and become almost mousse-like in consistency.
- Don't open the oven while the cake is baking, you don't want to risk the cake collapsing in the oven.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before trying to remove the cake from the tin. This is a cake that needs time to set once baked and out of the oven.
- Made with ground walnuts this cake is suitable for coeliacs or anyone following a gluten free diet. Ensure you also check that the chocolate and cocoa powder you are using is gluten free too.
- Swap butter for a dairy free alternative and this cake is suitable for dairy free diners.
- Allergy advice: gluten free, dairy free, soya free and peanut free. For comprehensive and detailed allergy advice go to Allergy UK.
FAQs
Flourless cakes are ideal for coeliacs or anyone following a gluten free diet as they don't contain any grains or flour based gluten. The flour is usually replaced by something like ground nuts like walnuts or almonds, or coconut flour. But you can also use polenta in a flourless cake.
No! Gluten free means that the cake contains no gluten or gluten based products. It's not just a case of swapping the flour for ground walnuts, you also need to check the other ingredients you are using, eg use a gluten free dark chocolate, check the label on the cocoa powder and ensure it is gluten free too.
Don't worry, your cake may sink a little once baked and cooled, this is entirely normal for this sort of cake, as there is no gluten in this cake to help the structure to hold once the cake has risen.
Once baked and cooled, store the cake in an airtight container on the counter top for 3-4 days. If storing in the fridge, the cake will keep for 5-6 days, however, I recommend removing and allowing the cake to come to room temperature before serving.
Yes, absolutely, this cake freezes really well and you can store a whole cake or individual slices. Once cooled, wrap the cake in clingfilm, place into an airtight container or ziploc bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy defrost overnight in the fridge.
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Additional recipe suggestions
If you like this recipe then try some of my favourite chocolate cake recipes:
- Flourless Chocolate Amaretto Cake
- Flourless Chocolate Orange Cake
- Chocolate Victoria Sponge Cake
- Pear & Almond Traybake (Gluten Free)
- Easy Chocolate Loaf Cake
- Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
- No Bake Chocolate Orange Cheesecake
If you love baking then have a look at my Best Cake Recipes post. Here you’ll find lots of hints and tips as well all my favourite cake recipes.
Flourless Chocolate Coffee Walnut Cake
Equipment
- 20cm (8") round sandwich cake tin loose bottomed works best
- weighing scales
- measuring spoons
- large mixing bowl
- 2 small bowls one needs to be heat-proof
- small saucepan
- wire rack
Ingredients
- 75 g ground walnuts (see instructions below on how to make ground walnuts)
- 100 g dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
- 100 g unsalted butter (cut into cubes)
- 3 tablespoon walnut liqueur
- 4 large eggs
- 100 g caster sugar
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoon coffee powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/160CFan/350F. Line the base of the sandwich tin with baking parchment and lightly grease the sides.
- To make ground walnuts, place the nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the nuts have broken and ground down to the right consistency. Do not over process the nuts or they start to release their oils and turn into a sticky paste.
- Break up the chocolate and place it into a small heat-proof bowl along with the butter.
- Place the bowl over a small saucepan of just boiling water, taking care not to boil the water too high, just enough to warm the base of the bowl and melt the chocolate and butter together. Stir until melted then set aside to cool, then add in the walnut liqueur.
- Now add the eggs and sugar to a mixing bowl and whisk the eggs until they become really thick and have doubled in size. Using a hand held electric whisk this will take around 2 minutes.
- Mix the ground walnuts, cocoa and coffee powder together in a small bowl. Then using the electric whisk on low, spoon the walnut mixture into the eggs a tablespoon at a time, whisking until well combined.
- Now pour the chocolate mixture into the cake batter and continue to whisk until well combined.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared sandwich tin and place into the hot oven to make for 20-25 minutes.
- The cake is cooked when the cake starts to pull away from the side of the tin and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with just a few crumbs attached.
- Remove the tin from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cake is cool, remove from the tin and place on a plate ready to slice and serve.
Notes
• Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only •
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