This recipe from Nigella Lawson is one of my favourite chocolate cakes, gluten free or not. It is dense and full of chocolate but also incredibly moist. As per usual I backed off a bit on the sugar from the original recipe, and also added our chocolate.

INGREDIENTS

Yields: 8-12 slices

  • 50 grams or 6 TBSP good-quality cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 125 millilitres or 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 150 grams or 1 1/2 cups almond flour - ours is delicious here.
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 170 grams or 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 150 millilitres or 2/3 cup regular olive oil (plus more for greasing)
  • 75 grams or 3/4 cup chocolate chips

METHOD

  1. Preheat your oven to 170°C/325ºF. Grease a 22 or 23 cm/ 9inch springform tin with a little oil and line the base with baking parchment.
  2. Measure and sift the unsweetened cocoa into a bowl or jug and whisk in the boiling water until you have a smooth, chocolatey, still runny (but only just) paste. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then set aside to cool a little.
  3. In another smallish bowl, combine the almond flour with the baking soda and pinch of salt.
  4. Put the sugar, olive oil and eggs into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with the paddle attachment (or other bowl and whisk arrangement of your choice) and beat together vigorously for about 3 minutes until you have a pale-primrose, aerated and thickened cream.
  5. Turn the speed down a little and pour in the cocoa mixture, beating as you go, and when all is scraped in you can slowly tip in the almond flour mixture.
  6. Scrape down, and stir a little with a spatula, add the chocolate pieces and then pour the liquid batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the sides are set and the very centre, on top, still looks slightly damp. A cake tester should come up mainly clean but with a few sticky chocolate crumbs clinging to it.
  7. Let it cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, still in its tin, and then ease the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula and spring it out of the tin. Leave to cool completely or eat while still warm with some ice cream.

MAKE AHEAD:
Can be made ahead - store in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days or freeze for up to 3 months, wrapped in a double layer of clingfilm, followed by a layer of foil. Unwrap and defrost at room temperature for about 3 hours.