My brother-in-law, Ken, brought this torte-like cake for our family Christmas party a few years back. It was an instant hit! Now everyone counts on him to deliver, year after year. It’s an extremely rich, dense cake, yielding at least 16 servings, and hands-down the best flourless chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. Hard to believe, but this cake comes in at only 4 net carbs per serving!
The original recipe included 1 cup of brown sugar for the cake, and 2 cups of white sugar for the raspberry sauce! I replaced the brown sugar with Swerve Brown (zero net carbs). Sukrin Gold works beautifully as well, but a bit more expensive – found on Amazon. You can make your own brown sugar alternative by mixing one cup granulated erythritol with one teaspoon of maple extract and one teaspoon of stevia glycerite. Top with our delicious low carb berry sauce using only three ingredients: frozen berries, sugar replacement and butter, with only 2 net carbs per serving.
I made this cake for Thanksgiving dessert and was worried it wouldn’t live up to the original. Since my family and I all have ridiculously sensitive tastebuds, I was sure they’d detect the erythritol in the brown sugar substitute. Ken brought the original version and I brought this one. Game on. With my large family of game-playing chocolate lovers, we knew a blind taste test was the only way to know for sure. No one could tell the difference between the original brown sugar cake and the Swerve Brown sugar alternative cake. Eureka! Three, repeat three cups of sugar eliminated, while the flavor and texture remained the same.
This recipe uses only FIVE ingredients, including one pound of dark chocolate. I use 5 bars of Ghirardelli Intense Dark Chocolate 92%, giving this cake it’s rich, dark chocolate taste. You’ll also need one cup of freshly brewed espresso. If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can use a cup of strongly-brewed dark roast coffee, or 1 teaspoon espresso powder that’s been blended into one cup of hot or cold water. Fortunately, Amy and Andrew bought us an espresso machine last Christmas, which I run 5-6 times in order to get one cup.
I use a springform pan, and wrap in foil before placing in the water bath. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a 9 or 10-inch round cake pan, lined with parchment paper. It needs to be a good 2 inches (5cm) in depth to contain the batter.
After bringing butter, espresso, and brown sugar substitute to a boil, you’ll whisk in the chocolate pieces. Then stir in eggs you’ve lightly whisked into chocolate mixture. Place in water bath into a 350 degree oven for 42-45 minutes. Sit back and let the fabulous aroma waft through the house.
Raspberry sauce, berries, and whipped heavy cream are the perfect toppings for this decadent dessert. It’s perfect for serving a big crowd, because a thin slice is more than satisfying.
Keto Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake / Adapted from The Capital Grille, NY, NY
A rich, dark chocolate, dense cake. With only 4 net carbs per serving, it fits perfectly into a keto or low-carb lifestyle without sacrificing on taste or texture. Top with raspberry sauce and heavy whipping cream for a gorgeous presentation.
- 1 pound 92% cocoa chocolate (I used 5 bars Ghirardelli Intense Dark 92% broken into pieces)
- 1 pound unsalted butter (diced)
- 1 cup freshly brewed espresso (or 1 teaspoon espresso powder dissolved in 1 cup water)
- 1 cup Swerve Brown Sugar
- 8 eggs (beaten to blend)
Toppings
- Low-carb raspberry sauce
- Fresh raspberries for garnish
- Land O Lakes sugar-free whipped heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Wrap a springform pan with foil to seal out water, or a 2-inch deep, 9-inch diameter cake pan, lined on the bottom with parchment paper.
- Bring butter, espresso and brown sugar substitute to boil over medium-high heat in saucepan, stirring constantly.
- Add chocolate pieces; whisk until smooth then remove from heat and cool slightly – just a few minutes.
Whip eggs until blended. Stir eggs into chocolate mixture until blended. Do not whip.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, then place in roasting pan. Pour hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of pan.
- Bake until center of cake is set, and tester (I use a toothpick) inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 42-45 minutes.
- Remove pan from water. Wrap in foil and chill cake overnight.
Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. If using a springform pan, loosen sides to release cake. If using round cake pan: using oven mitts, hold pan bottom over low heat on stovetop for 15 seconds, warming slightly to release cake. Place platter over pan. Hold pan and platter together tightly and invert. Lift off cake pan and peel off parchment.
Refrigerate overnight. Remove from refrigerator an hour or two before serving. Cut into slices and top with raspberry sauce and whipped cream. Top with a few fresh raspberries.
16 servings
Can I use espresso powder instead of brewing? I’m not a coffee drinker..
Absolutely! Blend one teaspoon espresso powder into one cup of water in place of espresso. Thanks for a great question.
Thanks for sharing this very good piece of information. Very interesting points too!
Thank you, Hisako, for visiting the site! Appreciate your comments.
What would happen if I omit the espresso- my husband doesn’t like the taste of coffee !
Hi, Lisa, and thanks for a great question. I’ve made this cake countless times and will say that it has a very slight coffee flavor. It’s not overpowering, however if your husband hates any amount of coffee flavor, you might try a cup of hot cocoa instead. I would use whole milk and heat in microwave, then melt in one ounce 85% cacao (like Lindt chocolate bars) for flavor. The espresso has zero carbs, and the hot cocoa will add approximately 18 net carbs for the entire cake.