With Honey Almond Butter Glaze…

Food to Feel Good is turning one! And let me tell you, this Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake is the most perfect way to celebrate my first official year as a blogger. It’s a totally decadent yet healthier spin on a classic chocoholic favorite. I hope this recipe also serves as a thank you gift to each of you, for following me and supporting the growth of this ever-so-dear-to-my-heart ongoing project. Make some for yourself and enjoy every last bite. You deserve it!

Over the past year, I can’t tell you how fulfilled I’ve been in sharing my Paleo(ish) recipes, health insights, and practical nutrition tips with you. The recipe development, photography, and writing that I do for each and every post has rekindled my creative passion that I somehow managed to stifle for several years. It’s also fueled me to keep posting, despite my full-time job, nutrition practice, writing and editing work for others, and personal cheffing on the side.

Naturally, I decided it was necessary to celebrate this milestone with chocolate! And not just some chocolate, alllll the darkest of the dark chocolate. You might be wondering how this Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake is different from the traditional version. One major difference is that this cake has half a cup less sugar than a traditional flourless chocolate cake. That’s a lot of sugar! Another key difference is using healthy, real-food, nutrient-dense ingredients.

I always buy free-range eggs. They are not only more humane but they contain more nutrients, like vitamin A, vitamin E, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids than conventionally produced eggs. When I crack my eggs open I always want to see dark orange yolks—a sign of their vitamin A content—which the eggs I used in this cake totally had.

Take a quick moment to think about the natural life of a chicken; a chicken is fundamentally meant to walk over the grass, pecking and picking, getting a variety of different foods from a decent amount of land while also getting some physical activity. This diversity of food provides a greater density of nutrients to the chickens (instead of just eating corn all day, every day), so they lay higher quality eggs.

These chickens also get to move freely and participate in their natural social lives, as opposed to being crammed into very small cages and aggressively crowded together. Case in point, buy free-range eggs! Support a local farmer if ya can.

Another swap I made in this recipe was trading the traditionally used butter for coconut oil, to keep that rich texture in a delicious dairy-free way. If you’ve never tried coconut oil, I’d say in 99% of recipes you can’t taste any coconut at all. Definitely not in this one, since the chocolate takes center stage. Coconut oil is rich in medium-chain triglycerides, which are energy-boosting fats that fuel your metabolism and also support glowing skin and strong hair.

Can’t forget to highlight the chocolate; for this Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake I used Dagoba Unsweetened 100% Dark Chocolate. It’s organic and Rainforest Alliance Certified, meaning it was produced with sustainability and social equality in mind. I recommend looking for a chocolate that has these labels and I find they also always taste better than a generic brand bar of baking chocolate. You can scoop up some Dagoba for yourself right here through Amazon:

As a member of the Amazon Affiliates program, I do get a small commission for any products you purchase using my links, at no extra cost to you!

I sweetened this midnight goddess of a cake with coconut sugar. As you may have learned from my posts over the past year, I love using coconut sugar due to the fact that it has a lower glycemic index than traditional sweeteners and actually lends some minerals to the recipe too.

White sugar, on the other hand, gives you nothing both empty calories and an intense spike in blood sugar. Coconut sugar also has a great taste, not-coconutty at all, and works in tons of different recipes in place of refined white sugar and brown sugar.

Last but not least, I added a teeny-tiny little bit of finely ground coffee to my Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake. It just helps to deepen the flavor of the chocolate, you can use decaf if you’re worried about getting wired, or just omit it altogether if you’re not a fan.

Are you drooling yet? If you’re not I think you should have your pulse checked.

Let’s get this cake party started.

Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grab your 9-inch springform pan, remove the bottom, and trace a piece of parchment paper the size of the circular bottom to insert in your pan. Grease the sides of the pan with coconut oil and set aside.

Now, let’s make this luscious, smooth, dark chocolate cake batter. The first step is to chop up 12 oz. of unsweetened, super dark, 100% baking chocolate. Fill a medium-sized pan with a few inches of water, place a larger glass or metal bowl on top (making sure not to touch the water), and turn on to medium heat. Add the chocolate, coconut oil, and sea salt in the bowl and as it heats stir frequently until all the lumps disappear. This will probably take about 5-10 minutes, but be patient and don’t let the water get above a light boil.

While you’re waiting for the chocolate mix to get fully melted, crack your eggs into a medium-sized bowl, then add coconut sugar, vanilla, and ground coffee (if using). Use a hand or stand mixer to whip these together really well, on a medium speed for 5-8 minutes.

When the chocolate and coconut oil are fully melted, remove from the heat and set aside for several minutes, to cool just slightly, still stirring occasionally. You don’t want it to be crazy hot because it will literally scramble your eggs, aahhh!

Now, slowly pour the chocolate mix into the egg and sugar mix, folding it in and mixing together until fully combined. Go ahead and pour the completed Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake batter into your prepared pan, gently tap the pan on the counter a couple times to remove any air bubbles, and pop that beauty in the oven. Then lick the spoon! And the bowl. And the mixer attachments. Best cake batter ever.

Due to the density of this cake, it does take a while to cook—about 1 hour. I always like to mention that since I live at high altitude my recipes for baked goods may take a different amount of time when made at other elevations. Set your timer for 45 minutes just to be safe. You’ll know the cake is done when the top is slightly cracked like this photo, the center should be firm to the touch, and a toothpick or knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Don’t worry if the middle is not quite as raised as the sides, we’re filling this baby up with glaze and berries!

Now, I know it’s going to be REALLY hard not to touch this cake when your whole house is filled with the smell of rich hot cocoa. But, you gotta let it cool so it is easier to remove from the pan and more accepting of the glaze.

Speaking of glaze, this is a great time to work on the Honey Almond Butter Glaze. Simply pour your creamy almond butter, melted coconut oil, and honey in a small bowl and stir it all together. Done! Feel free to sample and revel in the extremely simple yet totally tasty glaze you just created in under a minute.

Once your Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake is cooled, pop off the outer layer of the springform pan and use a flat serving utensil or knife to gently pop the bottom of as well. Use a wide spatula to place it on whatever serving dish you’d like to use.

Then you can just drizzle away! I started by taking large spoonfuls of glaze to the outer rim of the cake, to get that nice drippage. Then I swirled a bit around the inside and left a few little gaps for, you know, drama…or whatever. Top with sliced strawberries or raspberries and you have got one gorgeous, incredibly rich, and satisfying cake.

If you want to make your Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake ahead of time, simply make the cake and store it in the fridge, then whip up the glaze and drizzle it on top before you plan to serve, as it will harden when cooled.

Thanks for following me along over the past year! I can’t wait to keep the recipes and nutrition tips flowing. Leave me a comment and let me know what recipes you’d like to see in year two on Food to Feel Good.

Looking for some more delicious but healthy dessert options? Check out my Raw Vegan Blackberry Lavender Cheesecake and Flourless Peanut Butter Blondies.

Ultimate Paleo Flourless Chocolate Cake with Honey Almond Butter Glaze

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews

Author: Ailsa at Food to Feel Good
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours
Total Time: 1 hours 20 minutes
Yield: 10-12 servings
Category: Dessert

Description

This super-rich, super-dark chocolate cake will become your new go-to for a decadent but healthy celebratory treat. A few easy to find, simple ingredients make a dazzling cake that is sure to please any chocolate lover!

Ingredients

Cake:

12 oz. organic unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup coconut oil, plus more for greasing pan
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 large eggs
1 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely ground coffee or espresso (optional)

Honey Almond Butter Glaze + Fruit:

1/2 cup creamy almond butter
3 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 cup strawberries, sliced (or whole raspberries)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F. Trace the bottom of a 9″ springform pan on parchment paper, then cut out the circle and place in the bottom of the pan. Grease the sides with coconut oil and set aside.
Fill a medium-sized pot with a few inches of water, then place a glass or metal bowl on top of the pan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Add chopped chocolate, coconut oil, and sea salt to the bowl and turn on to medium heat. As the chocolate and oil begin to melt, stir frequently. Don’t let water get above a light simmer. Once chocolate and coconut oil are fully melted and blended, remove from heat and allow to cool for several minutes, still stirring occasionally.
In a medium-sized bowl, use a hand mixer to blend eggs, coconut sugar, vanilla, and coffee together really well, 5-8 minutes.
Fold chocolate mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Stir together until fully combined. Pour batter into prepared cake pan, gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove air bubbles, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.* Allow cake to cool for at least 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and glazing.
To make glaze, mix together creamy almond butter, honey, and melted coconut oil in a small bowl. Drizzle over the outsides of the cooled cake first, then swirl more over the top. Pile sliced strawberries in the center of the cake and enjoy!

Notes

*Since I live at a very high altitude, baking times may vary for your cake. Check it after 45 minutes, if the top is not somewhat crackled and the center is not firm, bake longer. When it’s done a toothpick or knife inserted in the center should come out clean.

*You may have extra Honey Almond Butter Glaze. While it’s still fresh and creamy, dunk some whole strawberries or chunks of banana in it, then refrigerate on a piece of parchment paper. Now you’ve got some healthy sweet snacks!