If cake had a personality, this one would be the people pleaser. Gluten-free? “Pick me!” it would say. Dairy-free? “I’m here!” No mixer? “I got you.” Intensely chocolaty with a brownie-like chew, it has a little something for everyone. (Semisweet chocolate contains no dairy by default, but check your package to be sure.) Thanks to its slick viscosity, tahini magically emulsifies with water and chocolate for a smooth, satiny sauce. For the fudgiest texture, be careful not to overmix the cake batter.
Ingredients
6 servings
Cake
½
1
2
½
1
½
2
1
2
1
Sauce and assembly
¼
2
½
⅓
1
1
Preparation
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Cake
Step 1
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly grease bottom and sides of a 9″-diameter ovenproof skillet, preferably cast iron, with extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk 1 cup (100 g) blanched almond flour or almond meal, 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, and ½ tsp. baking powder in a medium bowl until well combined.
Step 2
Vigorously whisk 1 cup (packed; 200 g) light brown sugar, ½ cup (40 g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, 2 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, and ¼ cup room-temperature water in a large bowl until combined and smooth. Add 2 large eggs and whisk to combine. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in dry ingredients and 1 cup (170 g) semisweet chocolate chips (about 50% cacao) until just incorporated, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl to ensure no dry pockets of flour remain. Scrape batter into prepared skillet; smooth surface.
Step 3
Bake cake until puffy and set with no visible wet spots on top (cake is fudgy, so a tester isn’t of much use; err on the side of underbaking), 20–30 minutes. Let cool slightly.
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Sauce and assembly
Step 4
While the cake is baking, bring ¼ cup (packed; 50 g) light brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder, and ¾ cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, add ½ cup (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips (about 50% cacao), and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in ⅓ cup (75 g) well-stirred tahini, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract until smooth (mixture will thicken once tahini is added). Let cool 10–15 minutes.
Step 5
To serve, scoop vanilla ice cream onto warm cake and drizzle with a few spoonfuls of fudge sauce. Sprinkle with a small pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve with remaining fudge sauce alongside.
