Almond flour chocolate cake is made with cacao powder, mascarpone, and a low-carb sweetener, mixed by hand with a whisk, then baked with fresh strawberries until the middle is firm to the touch. It isn't overly sweet, and the crumb is moist and tender, closer to a brownie than a light sponge. It's a small, naturally gluten-free cake for a dinner party, special occasion, or Sunday brunch.
I love simple, delicious dessert recipes such as Healthy Coconut Bites, tropical Mango Cookies made with almond flour, or these Healthy Coffee Dessert Recipes. This cake strikes a nice balance between satisfying your chocolate cravings and staying within the realm of nutritional baking, and it's fancy enough for a dinner party or a special occasion. Before I got it right, it took a bit of testing: 6 cakes and a kitchen full of cacao powder dust. And now, we have a keeper!
Let's make it!
Baking with almond flour? You might also like my Yogurt Almond Flour Coffee Cake or browse all my Almond Flour Recipes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Rich but not heavy: It's beautifully chocolatey and moist, but not your typical decadent cake. It's rich and smooth with a reasonably light structure.
- No special equipment needed: You can make it entirely by hand with a bowl and a whisk.
- Strawberries baked in: A layer of fresh berries settles toward the bottom for a sweet surprise in every slice.
- Gluten-free and low-carb: Made with almond flour and a low-carb sweetener, so also refined sugar-free.
- Fits any table: Fancy enough for a dinner party, easy enough to enjoy with coffee at Sunday brunch.
Ingredients & Notes
- Mascarpone cheese: Adds a rich, naturally sweet component, similar to my Mascarpone Cookies, and its fat content helps stabilize a gluten-free cake.
- Unsalted butter: Another source of fat that keeps the cake moist. Count in a bit extra to grease the pan.
- Large eggs: Use three large fresh eggs, lightly beaten with a whisk.
- Almond flour: For more airiness, I recommend blanched almond flour, made from almonds without the skin.
- Cacao powder: I use unsweetened cacao powder instead of dark chocolate for deep chocolate flavor. Use leftovers in this Pineapple Chocolate Collagen Smoothie or Healthy Coffee Smoothie.
- Baking soda: Because of its acidity, cacao powder reacts with baking soda, making the cake more stable.
- Sweetener: Erythritol and monk fruit sweetener are low-carb sugar substitutes that work well here.
- Fresh strawberries: Chopped strawberries go into the batter. Keep extra fresh berries for garnish.
How To Make Almond Flour Chocolate Cake
Step 1 - Prep the Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Generously butter the inside of a 6-inch round cake pan, shake in a little cacao powder to coat all sides, and tap out the excess. You can also line the pan with pre-cut parchment rounds or cut the rounds yourself.
Step 2 - Combine the Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the almond flour, cacao powder, and baking soda in a large bowl to loosen any lumps. Set aside.
Step 3 - Whisk the Mascarpone and Butter: In a second large bowl, whisk the mascarpone and melted butter until smooth.
Step 4 - Add the Eggs and Sweetener: Whisk in the beaten eggs, then the sweetener, until soft and creamy.
Step 5 - Make the Batter: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk or fold with a spatula until you have a smooth chocolate batter.
Step 6 - Fold in the Strawberries: Stir in the chopped strawberries.
Step 7 - Fill the Pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the bottom of the pan against the counter a few times to even out the batter and release any large air bubbles.
Step 8 - Bake and Cool: Bake for 45 to 47 minutes, until the middle is firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake settle in the pan before removing it, then dust with powdered monk fruit sweetener if you like and garnish with fresh berries.
Top Tips
- Bring the dairy and eggs to room temperature: Take the mascarpone and eggs out of the fridge about 15 minutes before baking so the mascarpone softens and the eggs lose their chill. For more mascarpone recipes, try my No-Bake Mascarpone Tart.
- Break up flour lumps: Alternative flours can clump or feel compacted after storage. Loosen them with a whisk, and press any stubborn lumps with the back of a fork.
- Open the oven door slowly: When checking doneness, open the door gently so a wave of cold air doesn't shock the cake. If the center still feels soft, add a few minutes. Forty-five minutes always works in my oven.
- Let it cool completely: Cooling lets the cake set before slicing, lets the flavor develop, and makes any aftertaste from the low-carb sweetener disappear.
- Don't skip the berries: They're optional but highly recommended. Most strawberries settle to the bottom of the cake for a sweet, subtle surprise.
Variations & Substitutions
- Cocoa instead of cacao: Natural unsweetened cocoa powder works in place of cacao powder.
- Frozen berries: If fresh berries aren't available, use frozen ones. Thaw them first under running water.
- Layer cake: Double the recipe and bake it in two separate pans.
- Powdered topping: To dust the top, I recommend this powdered sugar replacement.
Storage
Store the cooled cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy chilled or bring individual slices to room temperature before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, it will still work. Your batter will be thicker, though, and you might need some extra baking time.
Yes. Mascarpone is made from heavy cream and gives the cake a richer texture, but cream cheese works too. To soften it quickly, microwave it in 5- to 10-second increments until it mixes easily. With a stand mixer or electric mixer, you can beat it straight from the fridge on medium-high until creamy, which takes about a minute.
Yes. To keep the cake low-carb, allulose is a great option. If low-carb isn't a concern, coconut sugar or brown sugar both work well. They complement the chocolate and keep the cake moist without changing the rest of the recipe.
What can I use instead of a 6-inch round cake pan?
An 8-inch loaf pan works, but the 6-inch round pan gives the best results. In a loaf pan, the batter spreads differently and may bake a bit faster in the center while browning more on the edges.
More Almond Flour or Chocolate Desserts To Try Next
Made this? Tell me how it went in the comments and leave a star rating below. I love to hear from you. And don't forget to subscribe to my monthly newsletter! - Mariska
📖 Recipe
Almond Flour Chocolate Cake (Low Carb, Gluten-free)
Mariska RamondinoEquipment
- 1 6-inch round cake pan or 8-inch loaf pan
- 1 whisk
- 2 large mixing bowls
Ingredients
For the dry ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour 100 grams
- ¼ cup cacao powder, plus more to prepare the baking pan 20 grams (or unsweetened cocoa powder)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
For the wet ingredients
- 2.2 ounces mascarpone cheese 60 grams (or cream cheese)
- 4 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking pan 55 grams, melted
- 3 eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Erythritol & Monk fruit sweetener (130 grams) or ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered Monk fruit sweetener with erythritol
- ½ cup chopped fresh strawberries depending on their size, about 3 strawberries
Instructions
- Set the mascarpone, butter, and eggs on the counter for about 15 minutes to lose the fridge's chill. If needed, melt the butter separately.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180°C).
- Butter the baking pan, then shake in a bit of cacao powder (coating all sides) and tap out the excess-reserve.
- Whisk together the almond flour, cacao powder, and baking soda. Set aside.1 cup almond flour, ¼ cup cacao powder, plus more to prepare the baking pan, ½ teaspoon baking soda
- In a separate bowl, whisk the mascarpone and melted butter until smooth.2.2 ounces mascarpone cheese, 4 tablespoons butter, plus more to grease the baking pan
- Add the lightly beaten eggs, followed by the sweetener. Whisk until you have a beautifully soft, creamy texture.3 eggs, ½ cup + 2 tablespoons Erythritol & Monk fruit sweetener
- Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients-you can use the same whisk or fold with a spatula.
- Stir in the chopped fresh strawberries.½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
- Pour the batter into the prepared and reserved baking pan.
- Tap the bottom of the pan a few times against the counter to even out the cake batter and eliminate any major air bubbles.
- Bake for 45 to 47 minutes, or until the middle is firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool before removing it from the baking pan. It does not have to be thoroughly cooled but enough to have settled in its form. Otherwise, the cake will break.
- Dust with powdered Monk fruit sweetener (optional) and garnish with fresh berries of your choice (highly recommended).Extra fresh berries of your choice and powdered Monk fruit sweetener for decoration and garnish.
Notes
- Flour lumps: If a whisk can't break up larger lumps, flatten them with a fork and fluff up the flour mixture.
- Melted butter: I prefer melting the butter in a small pan on the stove over the lowest heat. You can do this while combining the dry ingredients, but remove it as soon as it's melted.
- Fresh berries: If fresh berries are unavailable, use frozen ones. Thaw them first under running water.
- Cream cheese instead of mascarpone: Mascarpone gives a richer texture. To soften cream cheese, microwave it in 5 to 10 second increments, or beat it straight from the fridge with a stand or electric mixer on medium-high for about a minute.
- Other sweeteners: Allulose keeps the cake low-carb. Coconut sugar or brown sugar also work if low-carb isn't a concern, with no other changes needed.
- Checking doneness: Open the oven door slowly so you don't shock the cake with cold air. Add a few minutes if the center still feels soft. Forty-five minutes always works in my oven.
- Removing the cake: Run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Place a large plate on top of the pan, gently flip it, and tap the bottom of the pan until the cake falls onto the plate. Then use a large spatula and your other hand to turn the cake right side up.
- Cooling: Count in extra time to soften the mascarpone and cool the cake before serving. The cake develops its flavor as it cools, and any sweetener aftertaste disappears.
- Pan: A 6-inch round pan gives the best results. In an 8-inch loaf pan, the batter spreads differently and may bake faster in the center while browning more on the edges.
- Layer cake: Double the recipe and bake in separate pans to turn this into a layer cake.
- Metric measurements: The gram amounts are weighed on a kitchen scale, not converted. The serving slider does not adjust them, so scale grams yourself if you change the batch size.
- Storage: Store the cooled cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Enjoy chilled or bring individual slices to room temperature before serving.
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Nutrition (% Daily value)
Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.
Tara says
Could you substitute a different kind of sweetener for this cake?
Mariska Ramondino says
Hi Tara, absolutely! If your goal is to keep the cake low-carb, allulose is a great option. If low-carb isn’t a concern, coconut sugar or brown sugar both work very well. They complement the chocolate nicely and keep the cake moist without needing to adjust the rest of the recipe. Happy baking!
James says
Using the slider to dcsle the recipe does NOT update the metric measurements.
Mariska Ramondino says
Hi James, thank you for stopping by. That is correct. The recipe card will not adjust the metric system, because as with every automatic system, they only provide suggestions and can sometimes be inaccurate (I've tested those results). I use a scale to test each recipe and provide you the accurate amount of metric measurements next to each ingredient so you know exactly the amount of ingredients being used (especially for baking recipes). If you should have any questions for making a smaller or larger cake, feel free to message me and I will see if I can help.
Velina says
Hi, so are the quantities in grams in the ingredients list above correct? They refer to numbers such as 60g, 130g etc. I would like to make this for my baby birthday and won't have time to practice so would like to make sure it will come out well on the. So are the ingredients quantities in grams above correct?
Thank you
Mariska Ramondino says
Hi Velina, Happy early birthday to your little one! 🎉 The gram measurements on my blog are weighed by me using a kitchen scale. I don’t rely on online conversion tools, as they can vary and aren’t always accurate.This cake isn’t overly sweet; it’s slightly tender, moist, and closer to a brownie-like texture. Be sure to let it cool completely before slicing so it sets properly. For best results, I recommend using a 6-inch round pan. An 8-inch loaf pan will work, but the batter spreads differently and may bake a bit faster in the center while browning more on the edges. Happy baking!