Food Recipes Chocolate-Almond Cake 5.0 (1) 1 Review File this gluten-free treat under the easiest cake you’ll ever make. By Leah Koenig Leah Koenig Leah Koenig is the author of seven cookbooks including Portico, The Jewish Cookbook, and Modern Jewish Cooking. Her work has appeared in the New York Times, Food & Wine, Epicurious, Food52, and more. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Published on September 01, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg DuPree Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Stand Time: 1 hr Total Time: 2 hrs Servings: 8 slices Yield: 1 cake Jump to Nutrition Facts This chocolate gluten-free cake from the cookbook Portico: Cooking and Feasting in Rome's Jewish Kitchen is unbelievably easy to make and with just a few simple ingredients to boot. It mostly comes together in a food processor, first by processing blanched almonds to make almond meal and then by pulsing bittersweet chocolate until finely ground. The almond-chocolate mixture meets its expected sidekicks, vanilla extract and sugar—but there’s no creaming technique involved here. Instead, egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks and folded into the mixture. The result is like a dense, rich, and delicately chocolatey souffle with a crispy, crunchy top. Serve with whipped cream for maximum enjoyment. 20 Quick Gluten-Free Desserts You Can Make Tonight Ingredients 2 cups blanched whole almonds 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1/8 tsp kosher salt 8 large egg whites Whipped cream (optional) Confectioners' sugar (optional) Directions Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9-inch springform or regular round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Pulse almonds in a food processor, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed, until very finely ground, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Add chocolate; pulse until mixture is combined and chocolate is finely ground, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt; pulse until thoroughly combined. (Texture should resemble barely damp sand.) Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Put egg whites in a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or use a bowl and a handheld electric mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 4 minutes. (Egg whites are ready if, when you lift the whisk, they stand straight up, holding their shape.) To ensure you’ve reached the stiff peak stage when beating egg whites, remove the beater attachment and lift it. The tips should stand straight up and hold their shape, and the mixture should be smooth and shiny. Always start with a clean bowl, and don’t let any egg yolk sneak in with the whites. Add a generous scoop of egg whites to the almond-chocolate mixture; gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Add remaining egg whites and fold just until no white streaks or clumps remain. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until the center of cake is just set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. (Be careful not to overbake—err on the side of very slightly underbaked.) Place pan on a wire rack and let cool for about 1 hour. Run a butter knife around the edges of the pan. Gently unmold the cake and transfer it to a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream and confectioners’ sugar, if desired Rate It Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 458 Calories 29g Fat 39g Carbs 14g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 8 Calories 458 % Daily Value * Total Fat 29g 38% Saturated Fat 8g 41% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sodium 251mg 11% Total Carbohydrate 39g 14% Dietary Fiber 7g 26% Total Sugars 27g Protein 14g 28% Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 117mg 9% Iron 5mg 28% Potassium 478mg 10% *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.