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This incredible Bourbon Pecan Flourless Chocolate Torte is rich and fudgy chocolate cake with a glossy chocolate glaze on top.
Incredible Bakery-Style Flourless Chocolate Torte
This decadent Bourbon Pecan Flourless Chocolate Torte is dense and intensely chocolate – and a chocolate lovers dream!
The torte gets its rich and fudgy flavor from both melted bittersweet chocolate and cocoa powder. The flavor of the chocolate is intensified by the addition of bourbon – a spicy, woodsy liquor that complements the flavor of the bittersweet chocolate.
Some toasted and ground pecans are also added to the cake batter, adding a subtle texture and more richness to the chocolate as well.
This Bourbon Pecan Flourless Chocolate Torte is a special occasion dessert – perfect for a birthday, dinner party, or a holiday dessert table. Just remember to bake the torte a day ahead so it has a chance to chill overnight, then add the glaze the day of service.
We have some friends and family members who avoid both gluten and dairy, and this dessert is one that they can gladly enjoy!
Credit for this incredible recipe belongs to Suzanne Lombardi, one of the original founders of Dancing Deer Baking Co. – a popular mail order bakery founded in the Boston area. I clipped this recipe from the pages of the Boston Globe magazine many years ago – long before food blogs like ours were a thing!
The original article notes that Ms. Lombardi used to bake this exact flourless chocolate torte recipe for Beans, a local espresso bar chain that once operated in Brookline and Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.
Key Ingredients
- Chocolate – Use both bittersweet chocolate (we recommend Ghiardelli’s Premium 60% Cacao Bittersweet Baking bars) as well as unsweetened baking cocoa powder (we’re fans of Rhodelle).
- Pecans – Toast the pecans in a dry skillet, then cool and grind them in a food processor until a fine crumb texture.
- Bourbon – The bourbon really enhances the flavor of the dark bittersweet chocolate and helps to balance the sweetness as well. Note that the alcohol in the bourbon will evaporate as the torte bakes, so you’re just left with the flavor but not the alcohol.
- Unsalted Butter
- Eggs
- Granulated Sugar
- Corn Syrup – A small amount is added to the glaze, giving it that silky and luxurious texture.
- Whipped Cream and Strawberries – Totally optional, we added both to garnish the plate when serving our chocolate torte.
Baking Tips and Tricks
- To prevent the top from cracking as it bakes in the oven, bake your torte in a water bath (follow these instructions). The moisture released into the oven gives the torte a super moist texture.
- Be sure to wrap the bottom of your pan with foil before placing in the water bath to avoid any leaking or water seeping in. Or – buy a springform pan with a silicone protector like this.
- Do not overbake your torte. The torte should be baked just until the center is no longer jiggly. (The finished torte is very moist and dense so using a toothpick to test the center will not work.) The top may still have a glisten, but once set, the top will firm up a bit. Ours baked for exactly 40 minutes, but ovens vary.
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Bourbon Pecan Flourless Chocolate Torte
This incredible Bourbon Pecan Flourless Chocolate Torte is rich and fudgy chocolate cake with a glossy chocolate glaze on top.
Ingredients
Torte
1-2 tablespoons melted butter, for preparing the pan
1/2 cup pecans
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 pound (8 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup bourbon
Glaze
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon corn syrup
For Serving
Whipped cream and fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Brush the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with melted butter. Cut a large single sheet of aluminum foil – making sure that it is wide enough to surround all sides of your springform pan. (We recommend using extra wide aluminum foil if it is available rather than two narrower pieces of foil to avoid any chance of leaking.) Wrap the pan, making sure that the sides of the pan are fully covered by the foil. Also make sure that you don’t tear the foil as you wrap it. Set pan aside.
- In a small dry skillet, lightly toast the pecans over low heat. Let cool, then, using a mini food processor, grind the pecans until uniform sized crumbs. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place a pot of water on to boil to be used as a water bath. You will need a pan wide enough and deep enough to fit the springform pan.
- Place butter and chocolate pieces in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring and being careful not to brown the butter or scorch the edges of the melting ingredients. Remove pan from the heat and stir in the cocoa powder. Set aside to cool.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs just until they are broken up. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed for 5 minutes or until the mixture triples in volume. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
- With a wooden spoon or firm silicone spatula, fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, and then do the same for the pecans and bourbon – stirring just until all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan.
- Place the springform pan inside a baking pan that is large enough to hold the pan and large enough to allow for water to surround the springform pan. Then, carefully add about an inch of very hot water to the baking pan so it surrounds the spring form pan, being careful not to splash any water into the prepared pan with the torte mixture. (You want to add enough water to the pan to ensure that the water does not fully evaporate during the baking process.)
- Bake the torte for 40-45 minutes or until it is just set in the middle. (The top will crack when it settles if you over bake the torte.) Carefully remove the spring form from the pan of hot water and place the pan on a rack to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, leave the torte in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
- Make the glaze by whisking glaze ingredients over medium low heat until melted and smooth.
- Run a slim knife blade around inside of the spring form pan to loosen the torte, then remove the sides of the spring form pan. Remove sides and place torte, still with pan bottom attached, onto a round serving platter.
- Pour the slightly cooled glaze over the torte, letting it drizzle down the sides and pool at the bottom.
- Slice into 12 thin wedges. Serve with whipped cream and strawberries, if desired.
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Notes
Note: For best results, you will want to bake this torte using the water bath method. See here for step-by-step instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make this Bourbon Pecan Flourless Chocolate Torte ahead of time? Yes – in fact you should because the torte needs to completely cool before you add the glaze.
- What is a torte? It’s a dense, super moist German cake with ground nuts in the batter rather than flour. They are typically heavier than a regular flour-based cake with a texture similar to fudge. They do not rise when baked so tortes are also flatter than a cake.
- How do I store leftovers? Wrap the torte tightly with plastic or store slices in a covered container. Then refrigerate for up to a week.
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Can any alcohol be substituted for the bourbon? Cointreau, Kahlua, etc?
Hi David – We haven’t changed this recipe around at all ourselves, but I think you definitely could swap in some other liquors…please let us know how it works out for you!
The recipe seems a little light on pecans. Only 1/2 cup?
Not sure if you read the post but the pecans are toasted and ground and add a subtle texture to the fudgey chocolate….
we will use our 10 inch springform pan and DO IT !!
no need to start to thinking about losing any weight with this pie in the mind to do.
thanks for your recipe,,,, Margaret
Hope you enjoy the recipe Margaret! The cooking time will probably a little less with the larger pan – hope that helps! Martha
I love everything in this! Bourbon is my drink of choice:-). The pecans and chocolate would taste wonderful with a little bourbon – great holiday recipe!
Thanks Becki – if bourbon is your drink of choice I think you will love this cake! 🙂