A deep dark chocolate cake is the perfect dessert to celebrate any special occasion with.
This sweet treat is unique in that it doesn’t require flour to bind it and instead relies on ground almonds which makes it gluten-free but also results in a rich and moist finish.
With a glossy chocolate glaze and a topping of toasted hazelnuts, this cake will be a true showstopper.
Donal Skehan's dark chocolate hazelnut mud pie recipe
Serves: 8
Ingredients
- 225g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
- 125g butter, diced
- 175g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g ground almonds
- 6 large eggs, separated
For the chocolate glaze:
- 100g of good quality dark chocolate
- 30g of butter
- 50g of icing sugar, sifted
- 75ml of double cream
- 75g of hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped.
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line an 8-inch diameter spring-form tin with baking parchment.
For the mud pie, melt the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl sitting over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Remove the bowl from the heat and mix in the sugar, vanilla extract and ground almonds with a spatula. Stir through the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing after each addition, until you have a thick batter. Put the egg whites in a standing food mixer (or use an electric hand-held mixer in a bowl) and whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add the egg whites to the chocolate batter and fold through gently until just combined.
Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared cake tin and place in the oven to bake for about 35 minutes until it is firm but with a slight wobble. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to sit on a wire rack to cool in its tin. Before removing the tin to cool completely.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl sat over a pan of just simmering water. When melted, remove from the heat, whisk in the icing sugar and the cream. Allow to cool until the mixture becomes thick enough to leave a figure of eight on the surface. Pour over the chocolate mud pie and then sprinkle with hazelnuts. Leave to set before slicing and serving.
Watch here as Donal Skehan demonstrates how to make his dark chocolate hazelnut mud pie:
About Donal Skehan
With ten years under his belt as a TV host and award winning food writer, Donal Skehan provides his audience with do-able meals that anyone can master. A dad of two, Donal knows a thing or two about juggling parenthood, work and cooking!
Donal has released 11 cookbooks, with his most recent being Home Kitchen.
Dublin native, Donal is currently residing in Howth with his family after living in Los Angeles for four years.
* Originally published in July 2014, updated in September 2024.
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