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Flourless Mexican Chocolate Cake

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12 servings

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Last updated on April 11, 2022

I’m slowly but surely making my way through my stack of stunning books from Raincoast Books, and this is one I’ve been excited to dig into for a long time now.

two layer mexican chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting on clear glass cake plate

Flourless by Nicole Spiridakis is a seriously exciting compilation of dessert recipes that are naturally gluten-free.

I’m going to try to tell you about this book without being too gushy, but guys, seriously – gushing.

If you know me at all, you know I am not gluten-free, or dairy-free, or sugar-free… I think it’s great that some people choose those lifestyles and I also think it’s great when people who don’t get to choose have options like these fabulous desserts from Flourless.

I also think it’s important for people without dietary restrictions to be able to adapt and cook for those who have them. Now, I am not an expert in allergy-friendly baking. But the thought that maybe it doesn’t have to be so hard is really intriguing to me.

close up of mexican chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with chocolate sprinkles

I think this cookbook would be awesome for people who are celiac or choose to eat gluten-free.

I think this cookbook is even more awesome for people who don’t. Because we (gluten eaters) are the ones without the experience and arsenal of gluten-free baking mixes or substitutions.

To sum it up better than I ever could: “With these delectable recipes, you can put away the complicated gluten-free flour mixes, forget about the hard-to-find “gums”, and finally make flour-free desserts worthy of any weeknight indulgence or special occasion.”

I have bookmarked a lot (a lot) of recipes to try. They’re just so… normal. Cookies, brownies, layer cakes, cupcakes – she’s got it all. But I chose to make the Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake with Milk-Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting. The picture looked incredible, and I’ve never actually had “Mexican Hot Chocolate” anything, so I needed to change that.

The cake comes together using ground flax (which I always have stocked, and is not hard to find) and ground oats. I would recommend quick cooking oats if you are grinding at home because they are smaller and won’t be as hard to get smooth. I only had large oats, and I ground them in my food processor. There was still a bit of texture to them, and my cake had a larger crumb because of it.

two layer gluten free chocolate cake on clear cake plate on white background

The frosting is just insanely good. I don’t often use milk chocolate in anything, as I usually prefer semisweet or dark chocolate, but the sweet, creamy milk chocolate and tangy buttermilk complement the spice in the cake so well, I definitely recommend going that route.

I doubled the frosting recipe (which is reflected in the recipe below), because I like a good amount of frosting. And, besides, it’s delicious.

I was a little nervous adding the cayenne to the cake, because I’m not a big spice lover. But I did it, and I have to say I really like it! The cinnamon is the predominant flavor, but you get just the slightest bit of heat from the cayenne. If you’re not sure and not ready to try it, you could leave it out and it’d still be awesome!

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Flourless Mexican Chocolate Cake

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 1 vote
Flourless Mexican Chocolate Cake with Buttermilk Milk Chocolate Frosting: a rich chocolate cake with cinnamon and a hint of cayenne, smothered in creamy, tangy chocolate frosting. www.thereciperebel.com
Review
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 12 servings
Calories 424cal

Ingredients

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake

  • 1 tsp ground flax seeds
  • 2 tsp boiling water
  • 1 cup canola oil 240ml
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk 180ml
  • 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar 200g
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 1/2 cups gluten-free quick cooking oats 170g, ground (I use a blender!)
  • 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder 60g
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Milk Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting

  • 1 cup unsalted butter 230g, room temperature
  • 4 oz milk chocolate 120g, melted, slightly cooled
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4-6 tbsp buttermilk

Instructions

  • To make the cake:Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 8” pans with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray (spraying under the parchment is a good way to get it to stick to the pan).
  • In a small bowl, combine the ground flax and boiling water. Set aside 10 minutes.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flax seed paste, oil, buttermilk, coffee, brown sugar, vanilla and eggs. Add the ground oats, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, cayenne and salt. Whisk until combined.
  • Evenly divide the batter between the two pans and bake until tops are firm and shiny, about 23-24 minutes (original recipe says 30 minutes – mine were much sooner). Remove from the oven and let cakes cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning them out onto the rack to cool completely.
  • To make the frosting:Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a handheld mixer) and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla and beat until combined.
  • Add the powdered sugar and 4 tbsp buttermilk, and beat until a smooth, fluffy frosting forms, about 5 minutes. You will notice the color lighten as it gets close to being done. Add more buttermilk if frosting seems too dry.
  • To assemble:Spread half of the frosting on one cake layer, then top with the other layer and spread remaining frosting on top.

Notes

*You will measure your oats before grinding them

Nutrition Information

Calories: 424cal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 95mg | Potassium: 238mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 43g | Vitamin A: 580IU | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 1.5mg

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. MaryAnne says

    I love Mexican Chocolate and when looking for a gluten free recipe to make for my sister, thought I would try this one. This may be a stupid question-sorry!, but do you measure the oats before or after you have ground them? I would assume there is a difference. My sister also cannot digest seeds (diverticulitis), can I substitute something for the chia seeds?

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi MaryAnne! Sorry about the confusion! I updated the recipe to include a note. You will measure before grinding them. Can she digest ground flax? That’s what is used in the recipe. If she can’t, you could try swapping out the flax and water mixture for an extra egg, but I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure how that would go!

      Reply

      • Mary Ann says

        We do not need to cook gluten free but I’d try this anyway. I just don’t know why the flax seed. Thanks,

      • Ashley Fehr says

        Hi Mary Ann! I’m not sure the reasoning either. I have tried it without, and it works just fine but it fell a little flat in the middle. I would probably keep making it with unless you don’t have ground flax.

  3. Shinee says

    Wow, what a beauty, Ashley! Thanks for sharing this fabulous recipe. One of my favorite chocolate cakes is flourless, but I’ve never tried one with flax seed. Intrigued!

    Reply

  11. Candy says

    This sounds amazing! Though I wonder why there is a flax “egg” in addition to regular eggs… Oh well, I will have to try this, regardless! I can’t tolerate oats, so I usually sub quinoa flakes (plus a tablespoon of coconut flour if the batter seems too thin), and it works beautifully! Thanks for the recipe 🙂

    Reply

  12. Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says

    So I am with you. I am normally not a healthy baker either. I tried going gluten free a few years ago and couldn’t do it. But I think I need to rethink that idea. This looks awesome! No flour huh? Wow. I need this cookbook too! Pinned! 😉

    Reply

  13. Sherri@The Well Floured Kitchen says

    This cake looks awesome. You could never tell it was flourless! That cookbooks sounds so interesting too!

    Reply

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