This flourless chocolate torte is super decadent, and not for the faint of heart. One slice is plenty rich, and if you don’t like chocolate this probably isn’t for you! It’s fancy enough to impress, comes together easily and without much fuss, and travels and stores well. What more could you ask for?

Oh, that it’s gluten free? Yeah, that too!

This is my adaptation of a recipe I saw on Food Network years ago and have been tweaking and making ever since. Of all the combinations I’ve made, this one is my favorite because it reminds me of Nutella. And who doesn’t love Nutella? (Seriously…are you out there, Nutella-hater? Anyone?)

It has become my most requested party cake by friends, coworkers and family (this one was actually for my mom’s birthday!).

You can play with the flavors and try different extracts and toppings, and it’s wonderful served with some fresh whipped cream or whatever fruit is in season.

Enjoy!

Oh, one more thing…you WILL need (or at the very least it will make your life easier) an electric mixer (handheld is fine!) and a springform pan. If you don’t have these things, see the tips at the bottom to make this cake a bit more user friendly.

Ingredients:

• For Torte:
  • 3/4 Cup Salted Butter
  • 6 Extra Large Brown Eggs
  • 2 tsp. Hazelnut Extract
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar (You can use white or brown, but nothing too chunky!)
  • 12 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• For Glaze:
  • 1/4 Cup White Chocolate Chips
  • 1 tsp. Coconut Oil

Recipe:

1. Heat your oven to 350 F. Grease the sides and bottom of a springform pan with a bit of coconut oil or butter.
2. In a saucepan, melt all of the butter over low to medium heat. You don’t want it to brown, so don’t get crazy with the temperature. Once the butter has melted all the way, stir in your semisweet chocolate chips. Stir until the mixture is smooth and glossy, with no chips left intact. Remove from the heat and let it cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat together all of your eggs, extract, and sugar. Beat together on high speed for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is pale yellow and fluffy. It should increase in volume by about a third once it’s all whipped up.
4. Now that your chocolate has cooled sufficiently, fold in about a half a cup of the mixture into the eggs. This will help them come up to temperature while cooling the chocolate down further, and keep you from having a big bowl of chocolaty scrambled eggs. Once you get the initial scoop folded in, continue with the rest of the mixture until it’s all incorporated. The color should be even and smooth, with no obvious streaks of yellow.
5. Place your greased springform pan onto a cookie sheet just in case any of your seals aren’t tight enough. Bake for 40 minutes at 350, or until the top solidifies and there are barely any cracks. It will lose it’s “jiggle” when it’s done.
6. Let cool completely on a wire rack. To prepare the glaze, melt the white chocolate and coconut oil together in the microwave for one minute. Stir for a bit, until all of the chips are dissolved. If they’re not melting, keep microwaving for additional 15 second intervals and stirring after each.
7. Place wax paper underneath your cooling rack to catch the mess that’s about to happen! Remove the sides of the springform pan. You can leave the bottom of the pan attached to the cake for this part. Take your spoon and drizzle the white chocolate over the cake in long strokes, about 5″ above the cake. The higher you go, the thinner it will be.
8. Once you have sufficiently decorated your torte, pop it in the fridge to set for at least half an hour (the white chocolate should harden) before wrapping it up.

Tips:

• If you don’t have a springform pan, a round pan will do – just make sure that you adequately grease it and dust some cocoa powder in there to act as flour and keep it from sticking. You could also cut rounds and strips of parchment paper to keep it from sticking.
• A whisk will do the trick when it comes to mixing the eggs, but it’s definitely not going to be as quick. If you only have a whisk, turn the bowl with one hand while mixing with the other to make it more effective.
• When you cut it, use a real knife. This is a dense, chocolaty treat and it needs a strong knife to cut it. Also, use a real plate. This one is a bit heavy for paper!

This torte can be stored for about 5 days in the fridge. It seldom lasts that long 😉