This grain-free spiced chocolate torte is a great to end a festive dinner. It will satisfy any chocolate lover, but also has a delectable hint of spice.
Thanksgiving is over, and I’m planning to top everything with pomegranate arils from now until the end of the year. This grain-free spiced chocolate torte, of course, is no exception.
I love using warming spices like cinnamon and cardamom to make desserts smell and taste extra festive during the holiday season. However, I’m also a huge lover of chocolate. I didn’t want to choose between my love of chocolate and my love of a little seasonal spice, so I decided to combine the two into a spiced chocolate torte.
This torte has a perfect texture and crumb thanks to a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour from Bob’s Red Mill. Those two flours are my go-to for grain-free baking year round. The almond flour, which is made of whole, blanched sweet almonds, provides the tenderness and richness that every torte needs. And since Bob’s Red Mill almond flour is super finely ground, there’s no need to sift it before using! As an extra bonus, almonds are packed with healthy monounsaturated fats and protein, but are low in carbohydrates (and are naturally gluten free).
The tapioca flour helps add a little fluff to the cake so it’s not too heavy. The almond and tapioca flours work so well together that I bet you can fool your friends and family into thinking this cake was made with regular flour!
If you’re interested in a coupon to save some money on Bob’s Red Mill flours, you can get one right here!
This grain-free spiced chocolate torte is also simple to make–no mixer is required, and there’s no creaming of the butter or any other arm workout involved. Just whisk together the dry ingredients, melt the butter, whisk together the wet ingredients, and stir everything up.
As previously mentioned, cinnamon and cardamom give this cake its irresistible holiday flair. There’s also just a tad of espresso powder in the batter, which helps deepen the chocolate flavor.
After the cake is baked, it’s topped with a lightly salted ganache, whipped cream, and pomegranate arils. The combination of fudgy spiced chocolate cake, gooey ganache, fluffy whipped cream, and tangy pomegranate seeds is really irresistible. I’ve made this cake three times in the past two weeks, and no one over here is complaining!
This cake is even toddler approved. Our friends’ three-year-old son was beyond excited when we walked in with this cake the other night. He spotted it and cried, “It’s a cake! It looks like cheesecake! It has chocolate on it! It’s a birthday cake!”
We got him a piece right away. I was a bit worried the spices in the cake would put him off, but he soon declared it “deeeelicious”.
- 1½ cups Bob's Red Mill almond flour
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ cup Bob's Red Mill tapioca flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons or ½ stick) unsalted butter or ghee
- ½ cup raw sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips
- Generous pinch of salt
- ½ cup heavy cream (or milk of choice)
- Whipped cream or whipped coconut cream
- Arils from half a large pomegranate
- To make the torte, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom an 8-inch springform pan or 9-inch regular cake with parchment and grease the parchment and the sides of the pan.
- Mix the almond flour, tapioca flour, cocoa, baking soda, espresso powder, spices, and salt in a large bowl.
- Melt the butter in the microwave in a heatproof bowl (or on the stovetop in a small saucepan) and whisk in the sugar while it’s still hot. Add the honey and extracts and whisk until smooth, then whisk in the eggs one at a time.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a spatula until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until just set, about 35-40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake should come out clean or with a few small crumbs attached, but no goo.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a rack and allow to cool completely, right side up.
- To make the chocolate ganache, place the chocolate chips and salt in heatproof bowl. Warm the cream in the microwave or on the stovetop until steam is just rising from the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with a plate, and wait five minutes. Whisk until smooth.
- Spread the chocolate ganache over the top of the cooled cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
- Let the ganache set at room temperature for an hour or in the freezer for 15 minutes before topping with whipped cream and pomegranate arils. Slice and serve!
I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.
Thank you for posting this! I was coming to the blog for a different recipe and saw this post just as I was getting out ingredients for a paleo pancake recipe experiment. Since your recipes are always so well tested and come out perfect I quickly switched to make this instead. And they were not only perfect (even with a double batch), they were delicious! Only my daughter is GF and dairy free, but my husband and I both enjoyed them very much as well!
Great! So glad you enjoyed this. Thanks so much for leaving a comment!
The cake fulfills the promise! Made it twice within 3 days! Cut the baked cake in half and used a self made berry-dates jam as a filling. Too bad that I can’t upload pics here!
Will make tonight again for a family lunch tomorrow!
Greetings from Vienna, Austria
Mary
I’m so happy you like it, Mary! I bet it’s fabulous with your berry-date jam. I’d love to see a picture–if you’re on Instagram or Facebook and want to share one, tag me (@acalculatedwhisk).
I think before all the holiday magic washes away for another year, this is on my MUST list. Your photos are absolutely divine so I can only imagine your flavors are as well. Congratulations on this beauty!
Thank you so much, Carrie! This would be a great one for NYE, too.
Love the idea of topping a cake with pomegranate arils. A wonderful holiday finishing touch.
Thank you, Rachel!
This looks so simple and full of rich flavors! I love this idea for a birthday cake alternative!
Thank you so much, Taesha! Yes, one reader who commented below already made it for her husband’s birthday. 🙂
This looks divine! You had me at fudgy but the festiveness just seals the deal. I simply must make this!
Thank you, Michele! Hope you love it as much as we did!
I am absolutely in love with this festive and delicious torte. I feel like this dessert is one that should be on every holiday table across America. You have inspired me to jump in the kitchen and make something delicious. Thanks for the inspiration!
Thank you so much, Kelly! 🙂
Oh wow, that looks insanely yummy! Such a great festive holiday teat 🙂
Thank you, Stacey!
I can’t stop putting pomegranate on everything either, it’s just so festive! I can’t wait to try this out because it looks incredibly fudgy and perfect the serious chocolate craving I have right now!
Thank you so much! I have chocolate cravings pretty much all the time, so I understand what you’re going through!
Holy GORGEOUS this would be perfect for Christmas dessert!
Thank you, Dana!
Wow this is stunning! This is such a beautiful treat to serve for the holidays!
Thank you so much, Emily!
This torte looks incredible! The inside is fudgy and just perfect! I love all the spices added to it that make it stand apart from a traditional chocolate torte.
Thank you, Jessica! I do love the combination of fudgy chocolate and seasonal spices.
Gorgeous! I am so making this! Love that you put pomegranates on the cake! Perfect!
Thank you so much, Katja! I’m putting pomegranates on or in everything this time of year!
Becky, this spiced chocolate torte looks so moist and delicious ! I love chocolate and can never say no about it. I guess another recipe I need to try this holiday season! I’m very very happy about it ! xoxo
Thank you, ChihYu!! I can never say no to chocolate, either.
This is so pretty! What a special treat! And I bet no one will be the wiser that it is grain free! It looks amazing!
Thank you so much, Renee!
WOW, what a beautiful cake and so festive! Okay, I am definitely making this for our Christmas dinner dessert! Thanks so much for sharing!
Thank you so much, Halle! Hope you and your family love it as much as we did!
This cake is gorgeous! Not only do I love chocolate and pomegranate together, but I LOVE the fact that this cake is grain-free!
Thank you, Bethany! I love chocolate and pomegranate together, too!
Becky – I just took this out of the oven for my husband’s birthday tonight – it smells divine! I’m going to make some whipped coconut cream right now and let that sit in the fridge, but I’m wondering about the cake and ganache. Should I just let the cake sit out, uncovered, all day while I’m out and then make the ganache later when I come home? Does the cake need to be covered once cooled or will it be fine for the day on the counter? Cannot wait to surprise the family with this beauty tonight!
I would cover it just to be sure it doesn’t dry out, but it should be fine either way! You could put the ganache on now and stick it in the fridge, or leave the cake on the counter and add the ganache later. Just keep in mind that the ganache needs a little while to set before you add whipped cream or it will smear and look messy. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
It was amazing! Left it on the counter lightly covered with a towel…made the ganache and whipped coconut when I got home. Let it all set up and topped with raspberries. Huge hit! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe that allowed this dairy & grain free girl enjoy some bday cake without consequence!
I’m so happy you liked it, Kristin! Love the idea of using coconut cream and raspberries. Thank you so much for stopping back by to let me know how it turned out! Happy birthday to your husband 🙂
Whoah. Love the idea of topping a spiced chocolate cake with the pomegranate!
Thank you so much, Christine! They do make a great pair.