Flourless Chocolate Torte {Grain Free + Dairy Free Option}

Rich, decadent, creamy, chocolatey goodness ... if you love chocolate + cake + truffles, this Flourless Chocolate Torte will not disappoint.  It's so easy to make, and if you're a baker {or a Real Foodie}, you'll probably already have the ingredients on hand ... I almost always do.  So don't wait for a special occasion, make some today and share with someone you love ... trust me there's plenty to go around, it's very rich, so a simple slice is just perfect.

Recipe inspired by: Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake @ Amee's Savory Dish.  I adapted the recipe just a bit ... both are delicious and full of flavor.  

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE 

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Equipment: Double Boiler or Medium-Size Sauce Pan w/ Heat Proof Glass Bowl, Standing Mixer w/ Whisk Attachment or Hand Held Mixer w/ Large Mixing Bowl

• 10 ounces homemade chocolate chips* or allergy-free chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup coconut oil, pasture butter or ghee {See Resources}
• 1/2 cup honey {I use local raw creamed clover}
• 2 teaspoons gluten free vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt {See Resources}
• 1 tablespoon cacao powder
• 6 organic or pastured eggs

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Grease a 9" springform cake pan or a 9" round cake pan {a 9" Pie Dish will work too, the edges will come out like a pie though, not with straight edges}.  Line the pan with a circle of unbleached parchment paper {the circle does not have to be perfect, just large enough to roughly fit in the bottom of the pan}.

3. In a doubler boiler {or homemade double boiler - I use a medium-size pan, fill half way with water, and place a heat proof glass bowl on top of the pan}, slowly melt the coconut oil/pasture butter/ghee and chocolate chips over medium-low heat.  Stir constantly to evenly distribute and melt the chocolate.  Remove from heat when the chocolate is fully melted.    

4. Add honey, vanilla, salt and cacao powder.  Stir until honey is melted and fully incorporated.  

5. Using a hand held mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time using medium speed.  If using a Standing Mixer {fitted with whisk attachment}, transfer chocolate mixture to the mixing bowl first, then beat in the eggs.  Mix until fully incorporated.  The batter will be thin.

6. Pour mixture into greased cake pan. 

7. Bake at 300 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes.  Cake should be set, but still a little wet in the middle when done.  The cake will puff up, but will deflate when you remove it from the oven.  Let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator for a few hours if you can stand it.  Make sure to let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  

8. Cut each slice with a clean, dry knife; make sure to clean the knife or wash with warm water between slices.


Yield: About 10-12 servings.

Serving Suggestions: Enjoy with a dollop of Homemade Whipped Cream or Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and serve with some fresh berries.

Storage: Keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 days {but trust me it won't last that long before someone gobbles it up}.  

Note: I dusted the top of mine with organic powdered sugar, this is totally optional.

*To make your own Homemade Chocolate Chips, check out these recipes here and here. 

Amazon links are affiliate links, prices are the same for you.  Should you decide to purchase through my blog, thank you in advance and much gratitude for supporting Recipes to Nourish.

This post is shared at Whole Food Fridays @ Allergy Free Alaska, Melt In Your Mouth Monday @ Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Fat Tuesday @ Real Food Forager, Real Food Wednesday @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet, + Allergy Free Wednesday @ The Tasty Alternative. 

Raspberry White Chocolate Torte

This is a bit of a simplified version of my Raspberry White Chocolate Truffle Tuxedo Cake previously featured on this blog. It uses only three of the elements of the more complicated dessert but is still very delicious while being a little easier and faster to prepare.


Chocolate Cake

1 cups sugar
1 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 egg
½ cup soured milk
½ cup black coffee
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour into a greased and floured 9 inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
When the cake is completely cool, wrap a 4 inch wide, heavy duty aluminum foil collar around the cake to act as a mold, taping the end so that it fits snugly.
White Chocolate Truffle Filling

1 ½ cups white chocolate chips
1 ½ cups whipping cream
Scald ½ cup whipping cream almost to boiling. Pour over white chocolate chips and let stand for 3-4 minutes before stirring until smooth. Cool this mixture almost to room temperature before folding it gently into 1 cup whipping cream that has been beaten to stiff peaks. Pour inside the aluminum foil collar and chill for a couple of hours before adding the raspberry layer.

Raspberry Topping

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp corn starch dissolved in an ounce of cold water

Bring the raspberries and sugar to a very gentle boil for 5 minutes. Keep the stirring to an absolute minimum so as not to break up the raspberries too much. Slowly stir in the dissolved corn starch and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before spooning over the chilled white chocolate layer. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight before serving.

Rum and Chocolate Buttercream Torte

This Rum and Chocolate Buttercream Torte is very well appreciated every time I serve it. I sometimes like to sprinkle toasted and roughly chopped hazelnuts over the filling and on top of this torte, which makes a very delicious variation to this basic recipe.

Vanilla Cake

Cream well:

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp butter
1 cups sugar
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Add

1 egg

Beat until well creamed.

Sift together
½ cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour
½ cup + 1 tbsp cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder

Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, alternately with

1/3 cup +1 tbsp whole milk

Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Pour batter into a 9 inch cake pan that has been greased and floured and the bottom lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Buttercream Filling:

1 cups sugar
1/3 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile beat together to stiff peaks

3 egg whites at room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Slowly pour in the sugar syrup hitting the side of the bowl and not the beaters. Continue beating the frosting for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is completely cool. When completely cool, slowly begin to add, a few tablespoons at a time

1 cup softened unsalted butter

Beat until smooth after each addition.

Combine and melt in a double boiler:

8 ounces chocolate, chopped in small pieces
¼ cup butter

Add to the meringue mixture and beat well until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. This may take 15 minutes or so and you may have to chill the frosting for several minutes before beating it again to get it to stiffen. Alternatively, you can place the frosting bowl in an ice bath while continuing to beat constantly until the icing stiffens sufficiently.

To assemble the torte:

Split the vanilla cake into 2 layers. Sprinkle each half of the cake with

1 ounce dark rum

Fill and frost the cake with the buttercream frosting and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before finishing with the Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup scalded whipping cream
Pour scalded cream over the chocolate chips and let stand for 5 minutes before stirring until completely smooth. Pour and spread over the entire torte.

Raspberry-Orange Chocolate Buttercream Torte

This tempting torte was thrown together for dessert a couple of nights ago based on some leftover chocolate buttercream frosting and raspberry compote that I already had on hand. A really delicious mix of flavours in this one for sure and it was well appreciated by my dinner guests and a couple of lucky friends who received the leftovers the following day.

As an alternative to brushing the cake with orange syrup you can use a couple of ounces of Grand Marnier or similar orange based liqueur or even a raspberry liqueur if you prefer.

Orange Cake
Cream well

1 cups sugar
½ cup butter
Zest of one orange

Add
2 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
1 tsp vanilla extract

Sift together
1 1/3 cups + 1 tbsp cake flour
1 tsp baking powder

Fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with
½ cup whole milk, in 2 equal portions

Always begin and end with dry ingredients. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 or 10 inch round cake pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes at 325 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch them carefully as they can over bake quite quickly. Cool on a wire rack .

Orange Syrup

½ cup sugar
Juice of one orange + enough water to make ½ cup
Zest of one orange

Boil together in a small saucepan until the mixture becomes syrupy about 10-15 minutes.

Raspberry Compote
3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a little water

Bring the raspberries and sugar to a rolling boil. Add enough of the cornstarch slurry to slightly thicken the compote. Cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Set aside to cool.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup water

Combine and bring to a boil. Continue to boil over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Meanwhile beat together to stiff peaks

2 egg whites at room temperature
¼ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch salt

Slowly pour in the sugar syrup hitting the side of the bowl and not the beaters. Continue beating the frosting for 10-15 minutes until the meringue is completely cool. When completely cool, slowly begin to add, a few tablespoons at a time

2/3 cup softened unsalted butter

Beat until smooth after each addition.

Combine and melt in a double boiler:

6 ounces chocolate, chopped in small pieces
3 tbsp butter

Add to the meringue mixture and beat well until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. This may take 15 minutes or so and you may have to chill the frosting for several minutes before beating it again to get it to stiffen. Alternatively, you can place the frosting bowl in an ice bath while continuing to beat constantly until the icing stiffens sufficiently.

Chocolate Ganache
12 ounces chocolate, chopped in small pieces
½ cup scalded whipping cream

Pour scalded cream over the chocolate in a medium sized bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes then stir until completely smooth. Note: You can add a teaspoon of finely grated orange zest to the ganache for extra orange flavour if desired.

To Assemble the Torte
Split the cake in two layers and brush each layer with the orange syrup. Using a piping bag or a plastic bag with the corner snipped off pipe a ½ inch thick border of buttercream frosting around the perimeter of the bottom layer of cake to form a sort of well to contain the raspberry compote. Pour the chilled compote into the well and top with the second layer of cake. Frost the entire cake with the remainder of the chocolate buttercream frosting. Chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before spreading on the chocolate ganache. Chill for another half an hour. Garnish with raspberries and or orange slices if desired.