No flour? No problem! This vegan flourless chocolate cake is a next level treat for those of you who are looking to avoid that gluten but at the same time, indulge in a delicious chocolate dessert.
The texture is much denser than my usual chocolate cake recipes but the fudginess and the rich and intense chocolatey flavors make this treat truly delectable. The top of the cake is beautifully crisp and dusted with powdered sugar.
When served with the right things, there is no reason why gluten free vegan chocolate cakes can't be delicious too. I love to pour dairy-free single cream over this one, although it tastes great on it's own too!
Some other flourless recipes that I think you'll love are my vegan banana brownies, vegan chocolate mud cake & vegan banana bread baked oats recipes which are all so delicious despite the lack of gluten.
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Why You Will Love This Cake
- Delicious Texture - I love the texture of flourless cakes because they usually have a crispy and firm exterior and once you slice into the center, they are gooey and fudgy. Just like my vegan flourless almond chocolate cake, it's a completely different, yet equally tasty variation of chocolate cake.
- Deep Flavors - This cake is gorgeously rich and the chocolate flavors are mouth-watering. If you've ever tried my vegan chocolate mousse recipe, it has a very similar chocolate intensity about it.
- Easy to Make - Making this cake is so simple. You just need to whisk together both the cornstarch mixture and the melted chocolate and add them both to the remaining ingredients to form a batter. Bake the cake and serve!
- Allergy Friendly & Plant Based - This vegan flourless chocolate cake recipe is completely vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredient Notes
- Vegan dark chocolate - If you can find a vegan baking-specific chocolate bar then this would be the best option for you. These kinds of chocolate bars like the one I used, melt the best. I don't recommend using vegan chocolate chips for melting as they can often become clumpy and burn easily.
- Coconut cream - I love to stir this into the melted chocolate in order to make it creamier. It's a natural alternative to something such as, dairy-free double cream.
- Almond meal - This is the same thing as almond meal. It serves as a gluten free flour-like ingredient and it works so well. They create a delicious texture for the cake which I can't wait for you to try. I also used ground almonds for my vegan blueberry almond cake and vegan almond lemon cake recipes and they turned out to be great.
- Brown sugar - Using brown (Demerara) sugar is the best type of sugar to use. As this flourless cake is quite dense, it needs a sugar which is going to increase the moisture. Brown sugar does just that.
- Cocoa powder - Make sure that you use good quality cocoa powder as it can make a huge difference to the outcome of the cake. Especially if you like your flourless cakes on the richer side.
See recipe card for full information on individual ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- As well as the ground almonds, you may also be able to try using almond flour in its place. Although I haven't tested using it, I'm almost certain that it'll work just as well as the ground almonds. It all just depends on which one you would prefer to use and which is available where you live.
- For a cake which is slightly less moist but still equally as fudgy, use granulated sugar in place of the brown sugar, 1:1. Instead of having the texture of my eggless chocolate blueberry cake loaf, the cake will end up with similarities to my vegan double chocolate mousse cake instead, which isn't a bad swap!
How To Make A Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
For the full method, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
1: Grease a round, springform cake tin with vegan butter.
2: Melt the chocolate.
3: Make the cornstarch mixture.
4: Pour it into the chocolate. Whisk.
5: Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients.
6: Spoon the flourless chocolate cake batter into the prepared tin. Bake in the oven.
7: Let the cake cool then serve.
Expert Tips
Don't over-mix the chocolate - The melted chocolate can become clumpy if over-mixed so stop mixing once it has melted. After that you can add in the coconut cream. Also don't use vegan chocolate chips are they're difficult to work with and don't melt easily.
Don't open the oven door - Opening the oven door before the cake is ready may cause the cake to collapse and sink. Especially if it's within the first 15 minutes of baking. Let the cake bake without checking on it until time is almost up.
Make the cake more gooey - This recipe calls for the cake to be inside the oven for 35 minutes. For a gooier texture in the center of the cake, perhaps you can reduce the total time by 5-7 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
No. My flourless chocolate cake is free from flour, as well as all other gluten-containing products. This is almost always the case for these kinds of cakes because they are most often catered to people with allergies to gluten.
There is a difference between the two. They often overlap but some types of flours are gluten free and can therefore, be used inside a gluten free cake. Many celiacs will consume flours such as, buckwheat and almond flours but not wheat-containing flours.
Store this easy chocolate cake inside an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
More Gluten Free Vegan Recipes
If you tried this Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
For the cake batter:
- 60 g cornstarch
- 140 ml soy milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 230 g vegan dark chocolate
- 150 g coconut cream thick part from refrigerated can of coconut milk
- 120 g almond meal
- 150 g brown sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 0.25 teaspoons salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Preparation:
- Preheat your oven to 163 Celsius (325F).
- Grease the base and sides of a round, 8-inch springform cake tin with vegan butter.
Make the chocolate cake:
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch into the soy milk until fully combined. Mix in the vanilla and maple syrup. Set aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate using the double-boiling (bain-marie) method over a medium heat. Whisk in the coconut cream until it is melted into the chocolate mixture. Remove from the heat.
- Add the soy milk mixture to the chocolate and mix in until just combined.
- Finally, gently fold in the almond meal, brown sugar, cocoa powder and salt until a smooth chocolate batter forms.
- Add the mixture to the prepared lined tin. Smooth it out on top.
Bake the cake:
- Place the cake in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes. Check the doneness of the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, it’s ready.
- Let the cake cool fully, then slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- The melted chocolate can become clumpy if over-mixed so stop mixing once it has melted. After that you can add in the coconut cream. Also don't use vegan chocolate chips are they're difficult to work with and don't melt easily.
- Opening the oven door before the cake is ready may cause the cake to collapse and sink. Especially if it's within the first 15 minutes of baking. Let the cake bake without checking on it until time is almost up.
- This recipe calls for the cake to be inside the oven for 35 minutes. For a gooier texture in the center of the cake, perhaps you can reduce the total time by 5-7 minutes.
Leah says
Made this cake the other day and it was so fudgy 🙂