Recipe: Indulgent Flourless Chocolate Torte

March 26, 2018March 28, 2018
by Jacqueline Whitehart

With a mountain of Easter chocolate in the shops, it’s hard to avoid the lure of the sweet stuff. Keep it low carb with my favourite flourless chocolate torte ever. With added hazelnuts.

I’ve been dodging a chocolate avalanche. I only popped out for a few essentials at my local supermarket but everywhere I looked, I was bombarded by temptation.

The sheer volume of chocolatey Easter treats piled up round the shops at the moment is incredible. From bright eggs for the kids to luxurious grown up treats, the retailers definitely go all out on pushing the sweet treats at this time of year.

If you’re going to allow yourself a spot of indulgence on Easter Sunday, my gorgeously rich hazelnut chocolate torte is a deliciously gluten-free, low-carb way of going about it.

The good news is, a little goes a long way, so although this isn’t a low-cal recipe, a small slice genuinely will give you a big, hefty chocolate hit. It looks amazing too, when you carry it proudly to your dinner table for the Easter feast.

Happy Easter!

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte

283 calories

SERVES 12 • Ready in 1 hour

For the base:
150g (5oz) ground almonds
15g (1/2 oz) cocoa powder
1 tsp stevia
30g (1oz) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
For the filling:
250g (9oz) mascarpone
30g (1oz) hazelnuts, roughly chopped
20g (3/4 oz) cocoa
2 tbsp stevia
3 large egg whites
For the topping:
50g (1 3/4 oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
30g (1oz) butter
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp stevia
20g (3/4 oz) hazelnuts, halved

Preheat the oven to 210°C/190°C fan/425°F/gas mark 7 and lightly grease a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin. To make the base, mix together the ground almonds, cocoa and stevia in a large bowl. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and press down firmly with your fingers to make a firm and even base. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then leave to cool.
To prepare the filling, mix together the mascarpone, hazelnuts, cocoa and stevia in a bowl. In a separate clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Spoon a third of the egg whites into the mascarpone and mix well, then fold in the remaining egg whites.
Distribute the filling over the base and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or freeze for 10 minutes. Remove from the cake tin and place on a serving plate.
To make the topping, place the chocolate and butter in a pan over a low/medium heat and stir until melted. Beat the egg yolks and stevia together in a bowl until slightly thickened and then beat in the melted chocolate and butter.
Quickly pour the thick chocolate sauce over the top of the torte, using a knife to even up the topping if necessary. Arrange the hazelnuts over the top and press lightly into the chocolate. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.