Australian foodwriter Jill Dupleix creates fabulous recipes.
They’re comforting to eat, elegant in their simplicity, and just so do-able.
Like our baked beans and potato splats which were both inspired by her, this gluten-free recipe is a tried and tested family favourite. Make it when you’re weary, and it will bring a little cheer to your day. If you whisk the egg whites by hand, you won’t even need to lug the electric mixer out.
I’ve modified Ms Dupleix’s original recipe slightly – substituting semisweet chocolate for the bittersweet, and using a microwave instead of a double boiler. It makes an already simple recipe even easier!
Little Chocolate Cakes
(a recipe by Jill Dupleix)
- 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate, chopped or in callet form (I used Callebaut 811, 54% cacao)
- 100g (3½ oz) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 120g (½ cup) unsalted butter, chopped
- 100g (3½ oz) blanched almond meal (ground almonds)
- 4 large (59g) eggs, separated
- icing sugar, for dusting (confectioner’s sugar)
1. Line 12 muffin pan holes with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 180C/360F or 160C/320F with fan.
2. Place the butter, chocolate and caster sugar in a large pyrex mixing bowl and melt them together in the microwave, using short bursts on high and stirring frequently. Be careful not to scorch the chocolate. The mixture should be smooth and glossy. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Stir the almond meal into the chocolate mixture, then beat the egg yolks in one at a time.
4. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Stir a large spoonful of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, and then gently fold in the remainder.
5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin liners, and bake for 25 – 30 minutes. The cakes will rise a little as they bake, but flatten as they cool. Be careful not to overcook them – Jill suggests pulling them out while they’re still a bit soft in the middle for extra fudginess. Allow the cakes to rest in the muffin pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
Oh those chocolate cake looks absolutely luscious :) The recipe seems very simple, too :)
Tes, it’s just so easy! Pete has asked me to make more – I hadn’t made them for a while, and he says he’d forgotten how much he liked them! :)
I just had a quick go at these. They’re cooling down, apart from the two that I have tried. They are very fluffy inside and I think maybe I should have given them 30 mins rather than 25 mins. They’re like brownies in terms of cookedness inside but airy like a soft nutty meringue, is that what they’re supposed to be like… maybe I’ll just test another one while they’re still warm ;)
Jo, I give them about 30 mins, and when they cool they are quite light and fluffy, aren’t they? I should have cut one open and taken a pic, but honestly, it was all I could do to get a photo of them whole before they were scoffed. :)
Sorry the chocolate bits got stuck to the keyboard there and I pressed send to soon…. now where was I ? I remember…. eating cake…. these are good…. and they’re all mine… I don’t think I’m going to share.
These look amazingly delicious Celia!! If I didn’t already have some whole grain devil’s food cupcakes in the fridge (made Saturday), I’d go make up a batch right now. I’ll give ’em a try next week;)
Melanie, devils food cupcakes sound wicked! Look forward to seeing them on your blog! :)
Yum! Avoiding almonds and eggs – do you think I could sub another nut and either bananas or flax seed for the eggs??
Nicky, I’m not really sure – sorry – but I don’t think so, as the egg whites are the primary rising agent for the cakes. I do think it could probably be made with ground hazelnuts, though…
Yes that’s a good idea, worth a try..
They look and sound delish! Don’t tempt me, I have sworn to myself that I will be good for the rest of the week…
I hope you noticed this recipe is both gluten and lactose free, SG. :) And I reckon the kids could make them…
Thanks again for the muffin pan liners.. :)
Yummy! She took pity and saved some for me ;)
Oh, I’m happy to hear that! Although I always knew Joanna was a good sharer.. ;-)
These sound totally delicious – light and chocolatey, yum!
Thanks Choc, they are quite light! They keep well for a few days – if they don’t all get eaten straight away! :)
These looks superb Celia – I love the simplicity of the dusting of icing sugar over the top. Ground almonds have just been added to my grocery list.
:-) Mandy
Thanks Mandy! So nice to see you back, hope it’s all settling down with the big move!
How funny, I just pressed publish and then popped over here. Looks like it’s gluten free day :-)
I love almonds, they make everything taste good!
Brydie, they have a really nice almond meal at Southern Cross Supplies in Marrickville. It’s well worth a trek out there if you get the chance. The dark brown sugar they have is really nice as well!
I loove chocolate cake with almond meal in it. Flourless chocolate cake is my favourite! Now I have chocolate cravings at 7.30 in the morning… not a good thing!
Claire, I think chocolate cravings first thing in the morning is perfectly normal.. ;-)
Why did I read this before breakfast? My muesli won’t cut it now I’m dreaming of chocolate and almonds! Yummm…..
See, I posted this for you and the Spice Girl, as it’s a gf recipe, so it’s supposed to make you both hungry.. ;-)
Mmm! I haven’t made anything for dessert yet!
These look lovely and quick!
Thanks, Celia.
Heidi, hope you had a chance to make these! They’re very easy! :)
Wicked recipe, they look so tasty, and they are good for you too. ;) I’m thinking a chocolate chai to wash them down. Yummo!
Anna darling, yes, I keep saying that, “they’re good for us, too”.. ;-)
I always love the look of icing sugar dusted on top of cakes – but my love of the taste of icing always wins over! These look amazing. I’m glad you don’t use a double boiler either — I always feel guilty for using my microwave instead, it’s just so much easier.
Keely, I always melt chocolate in the microwave whenever I can – I find it easier to control. Thanks for leaving your blog url – I was wondering if you had one! It’s a great read! :)
They look so pretty, don’t they? I am a huge fan of not icing cupcakes.
Cindy, neither am I – I always end with icing that looks like soft-serve icecream! :)
Actually, I’m not a fan of cupcakes at all really. These are quite different though!
Yum! They look really light and moist :)
They are really quite light, which is very nice!
I am sending the recipe to my mom for her to try – thanks Celia :)
Tandy, I hope she likes it – they’re so easy to make that I whipped up another batch this morning to share with the neighbours. The nice thing for us is that it uses ingredients that we always have on hand.
Look delicious and a real temptation!
Thanks Yvette! :)
Psst we just ate the last four… they are pretty good the second day, Brian thinks the almonds come through…
DId I say pretty good? They’re $*^@ # >!! lovely !
They keep quite well don’t they? I’m so glad you liked them – it’s nice to have such an easy recipe on hand for chocolate emergencies! :)
[…] recently whipped up a batch of Celia’s chocolate almond gluten free little cakes and might have to make some more very soon; chocolate, ground almonds, eggs, butter, sugar, […]
Not one for me, but I can still appreciate their beauty and simplicity from afar! I love the way you’ve decorated them with a simple dusting of icing sugar – very elegant!
C, don’t know if this helps, but I think they might work with ground hazelnuts as well!
C, I get stuck often – I’ve been mostly baking my sourdough ciabatta loaves lately, so it was nice to find the flour in the freezer and try something different with it. The Russian rye/kamut method is just so easy, and makes a nice bread for canapes and open sandwiches!
[…] Here is where I found the recipe! Celia at Fig Jam and Lime Cordial […]
I am catching up to my comments. Was feeling really dumpy for awhile there. Did not want you to think I stopped following.
These little cakes look so good especially now that I am having a sweet tooth attack.