Name: Chocolate Almond Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: cake release spray (or oil); 2 tbsp cocoa powder (or as needed); 1 ½ cups (250g) chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet); 1 ¼ cups (250g) superfine sugar ((= caster sugar), or granulated); ⅔ cup (150g) unsalted butter (cubed); 1 ⅓ cups (125g) ground almonds; ½ cup + 2 tbsp (75g) flour (plain / all-purpose flour); 4 large eggs (separated); 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract); pinch salt; ¾ cup (130g) chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet); ½ cup (120ml) heavy cream ((= double cream)); 1 tbsp golden syrup (or honey); 1 tbsp whole milk to thin glaze (optional); fresh berries (approx. 10 ½ oz (300g)); chocolate shavings

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Chocolate almond cake is sure to be adored by chocolate lovers everywhere! The almond flour and chocolate keep the cake incredibly fudgy and almost brownie-like in texture. Delicious as it is but dress it up with chocolate ganache and you have a cake ready to go to the ball!

I baked this cake recently to celebrate my upcoming book release – because I have written an actual cookbook folks! I can hardly believe it, it feels totally surreal, but Easy Air Fryer Bakes is out in the UK on June 6th 2024, in a little over a month.

Pre-order Easy Air Fryer Bakes cookbook on Amazon banner

If you enjoy baking and love your Air Fryer then this book is for you and you can pre-order it now on Amazon (which, by the way, would be HUGELY supportive so I thank you in advance).

By let me not get totally sidetracked… so let’s circle back to this chocolate almond cake recipe. Unlike many almond flour chocolate cake recipes, this cake is not entirely flourless (although this one is!). You can make it into a gluten-free cake very easily however, you just need to use GF flour instead of all purpose or plain flour.

chocolate almond cake covered with chocolate shards against a dark background

Chocolate Almond Cake Ingredients

I baked this cake in a Nordic Ware Charlotte 6-cup cake pan. This special pan replicates the Charlotte dessert shape, with slightly elevated sides and a dip in the middle. You can simply use a deep 8-inch round cake pan if you don’t own one.

Semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips or a 70% cocoa baking chocolate bar.
Unsalted butter
Caster or granulated sugar
Vanilla bean paste or extract
Large eggs, separated
Almond flour or ground almonds
All purpose flour (plain flour) or gluten-dre
Dark chocolate chips, golden syrup or honey and cream for the Ganache
Chocolate shavings or fresh berries to decorate
Pinch salt
Cake release spray and cocoa powder, for the cake pan

How to Make Chocolate Almond Cake

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Mist a deep 8-inch cake pan, or a Charlotte Cake pan, with cake release spray and dust thoroughly with cocoa powder, shaking out any excess.

Separate the eggs, putting the egg whites in a mixing bowl in a pinch of salt and setting the egg yolks aside in a small bowl. Whisk the egg whites until you have firm peaks and set aside.

Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and microwave in short bursts until the butter melts. Leave to stand for a minute then stir until completely smooth. Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly.

melting chocolate and butter in a mixing bowl, collage

Add the sugar, vanilla and egg yolks to the chocolate bowl and mix vigorously to combine. Stir in the ground almonds and flour until the batter is smooth. Add a third of the whisked egg whites to loosen to the batter and then gently fold in the rest.

triptych showing how to make chocolate almond cake

Transfer the batter into the prepared Charlotte pan or 8-inch pan and level. Bake in a 180°C (350°F) preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or cook in an air fryer at 160°C (320°F) for 40-45 minutes. The cake is ready when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

collage showing chocolate cake batter being levelled in a Charlotte cake pan

Cool the cake in the tin for five minutes then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool. The cake should release with no trouble at all provided you have greased the pan well (see photo above). Worth keeping in mind that the cake is a little crumbly due to the low flour content so treat it with care!

Decorate and Serve

Put the chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream and golden syrup until almost boiling then pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for a couple of minutes then stir until completely smooth. Drizzle the ganache over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides and settle in the middle.

drizzling ganache over chocolate almond cake

Top the cake with a medley of fresh berries, such as strawberries, raspberries and blueberries or simply with chocolate shavings and serve!

Chocolate almond cake with chocolate ganache and fresh berries on a wooden platter

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