Cooking From Cookbooks: Rich Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake

Cooking From Cookbooks is a series where I showcase innovative plant-based recipes from my favorite cookbooks.

While thinking about which recipe to introduce you to The Complete Vegan Cookbook with, this rich vegan flourless chocolate cake seemed like a no-brainer.

First of all, as stated in the title, this cake is rich AF. Using two whole bars of high-quality dark chocolate (like Lindt or Ghirardelli) plus cocoa powder in the batter yields an incredibly decadent, satisfying chocolate dessert.

Secondly, it calls for just six ingredients and is super easy to make. You simply melt the chocolate in a double boiler, whisk it with the other ingredients, pour the batter into a baking dish, and bake. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that it does require a bit of time to chill in the fridge before serving.

As you may know, classic flourless chocolate cake relies on eggs to give it body. For a plant-based alternative, this baby calls for applesauce and flax “eggs” (mixture of ground flax + water) to give it structure. This batter also uses a bit of ground coffee, which intensifies the chocolate flavor and adds some bitterness.

This vegan flourless chocolate cake is very sweet and fudgy in texture, so you only need a tiny sliver to satisfy a sweet tooth. It goes without saying that ice cream is practically a must here – So Delicious makes amazing plant-based ice creams and they’re available in most supermarkets.

For more delicious plant-based recipes, buy The Complete Vegan Cookbook on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever books are sold!

Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 3.9 from 59 reviews

• Author: thenewbaguette.com
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
• Yield: 1 cake 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Cuisine: American

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Description

This decadent vegan flourless chocolate cake uses applesauce and flax in place of eggs. (Reprinted from The Complete Vegan Cookbook: Over 150 Whole Foods, Plant-Based Recipes and Techniques by the Natural Gourmet. Copyright © 2019 by Natural Gourmet Cookery Corporation. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.)

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Ingredients

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• 3 tablespoons flaxseed meal (ground flax seeds)
• 7 ounces (two standard-size bars) vegan dark chocolate (72% cacao or higher), broken into chunks
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup raw sugar or coconut sugar
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon finely ground coffee
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a round 8- or 9-inch baking dish with coconut oil and line the bottom with a parchment paper round.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flaxseed meal with 9 tablespoons of water. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. Fill a medium pot with about 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Wipe a large heat-proof bowl (preferably a glass one) completely dry with a towel and put it on the pot over the simmering water, making sure the water is not touching the bowl. Reduce the heat to very low and put the chocolate in the bowl. Allow the chocolate to melt slowly, stirring as needed, until it’s completely melted and smooth. Carefully remove the bowl from the pot and set aside.
4. To the bowl with the flax mixture, add the applesauce, sugar, cocoa powder, coffee, and salt, and stir to thoroughly combine. Stir in the melted chocolate. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour.
5. Cool to room temperature then cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate to cool completely, for at least several hours or overnight. Cut into 16 triangles and serve.

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Notes

Leftover cake may be stored tightly covered in the fridge for up to several days.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 slice
• Calories: 114