Featured Reader Review
Beth said, “You NEED this beauty in your life! Trust me! This is a hunk of absolute rich chocolate perfection. I will be using it for all special occasions!”
A Decadent Chocolate Cake with A Crackly Top!
Helloooo, chocolate lovers! Boy, are you in for a treat. Flourless Chocolate Cake is a rich, decadent dessert that is perfect for any occasion. It’s also a great option for those who are gluten-free. The cake is made with a simple combination of chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar. We add vanilla extract, instant espresso powder, and Kosher salt to bring out all this rich chocolate flavors!
Why I Love This Recipe
It’s moist and fudgy on the inside, with a thin, crispy crust on the outside. The flavor is intense and chocolatey. Basically, if you’re a chocolate lover, this is the cake recipe for you!
Be sure to check out all of my easy dessert recipes, like this homemade chocolate chess pie, this quick and easy chocolate mousse pie, or, quite possible the easiest chocolate dessert ever, a chocolate cherry dump cake.
What’s In Flourless Chocolate Cake?
- Chocolate: Use a high quality chocolate that you really love, because that’s what you’re going to taste when you bite into this easy flourless chocolate cake. We recommend semi-sweet chocolate. This will get melted with unsalted butter.
- Granulated sugar: To sweeten the cake.
- Eggs: The egg yolks are whisked together with sugar, while the egg whites are whipped until stiff peaks form and are then folded into the chocolate cake batter. This helps give the cake it’s signature light mousse-like texture.
- To enhance the flavor: pure vanilla extract, instant espresso powder, and Kosher salt.
Bake this in a 9-inch springform pan or standard cake pan that’s been lined with enough parchment paper to hang off the sides by a couple inches. This makes it easier to remove after it’s cooled!
If you love this, you should totally check out my chocolate torte next! It’s made with almond flour so is also naturally gluten-free.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prepare the pan by lining a 9-inch springform pan very well with parchment paper.
- Melt butter and chocolate together, stirring until smooth (you can do this in a microwave or via the double boiler method).
- Beat the egg whites with about half of the sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk in the remaining sugar, egg yolks, vanilla extract, espresso powder, and Kosher salt. But note, you must let the chocolate cool first! Otherwise you’l risk scrambling the eggs.
- Fold in the egg whites until just incorporated, then pour out into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake. Be sure to let the flourless cake cool before attempting to slice it!
To melt the chocolate in a double boiler (a gentler method for melting chocolate), place the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set on top of a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the butter and chocolate have melted and are smooth.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Freezing
- Make-ahead: You can make this cake a day in advance, cover it well, and refrigerate until ready to serve. This allows the flavors to deepen and the texture to settle.
- Leftovers: Store leftover cake covered in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in a fridge for 1 week.
- To freeze: Flourless Chocolate Cake freezes exceptionally well. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before placing them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in a fridge to defrost, then enjoy cold, room temperature, or warmed up in an oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes.
Ari’s Best Tips!
- Use high-quality chocolate for the best flavor.
- Room temperature eggs incorporate better into the batter.
- Don’t overbake; the cake should be moist and fudgy in the center.
- Serve with a dusting of cocoa powder for an extra chocolatey touch or a little powdered sugar for additional sweetness.
- Let the cake cool completely before serving. This will help it to hold its shape.
- Bake this in a springform pan for easy removal!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Drizzle with warm chocolate ganache for extra indulgence.
- Pair with a glass of red wine or a cup of coffee or hot tea.
Substitutions and Variations
- To make this cake dairy-free, use a good-quality dairy-free butter substitute.
- If you don’t have espresso powder, you can use instant coffee powder instead. It’s gotta be instant, though, so you aren’t left with coffee grounds!
- Chocolate: I like to use semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use dark chocolate or a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate. For a less sweet cake, you can use bittersweet chocolate.
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Ultra Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (340g; 1½ cups) semi-sweet chocolate chopped or chocolate chips
- 12 Tbsp (170g) unsalted butter cut into pieces
- 1½ cups (300g) granulated sugar divided
- 6 large eggs room temperature, separated
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp espresso powder
- Pinch of Kosher salt
Instructions
- Prepare the pan. Preheat an oven to 300F, then butter a 9-inch springform pan on all sides. Line with enough parchment paper to hang over the sides generously (this will make it easier to remove later).
- Melt chocolate and butter. Place 12 ounces (340g) chocolate and 12 Tbsp (170g) butter in a large microwave-safe bowl, then heat on high in 30 second increments, stirring after each addition, until both the butter and chocolate are completely melted. Let cool slightly.
- Beat the egg whites. Place 6 egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer, then whisk until soft peaks form. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in ¾ cup sugar (150g), then continue whisking until the egg whites are glossy and have stiff peaks.
- Add the egg yolks. To the cooled chocolate mixture (it must be cool or you’ll scramble the eggs!), whisk in the remaining ¾ cup (150g) sugar until smooth. Next, whisk in 6 large egg yolks, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp espresso powder, and a pinch of Kosher salt.
- Fold in the egg whites. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions, being sure that the egg whites are fully incorporated before adding more. Try hard not to deflate the egg whites as you fold them into the batter.
- Bake, then serve! Pour the flourless cake batter into the prepared pan, then smooth into a flat layer with an offset spatula. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the cake has puffed up and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake will deflate and crack as it cools – this is the best part!
- For serving: The cake can be enjoyed warm, room temperature, or cold. I prefer it warm, but it will slice more neatly if allowed to cool (you can then reheat individual slices in an oven or microwave). Dust with cocoa powder and serve with lightly whipped cream (or creme fraiche) and berries.
Notes
- TIP FOR SLICING: Allow the cake to cool completely (it’s even easier to slice when chilled). Run a sharp knife under hot water, wipe dry with a towel, then slice. Repeat as needed, wiping between cuts, until fully sliced. Enjoy!
- Make-ahead: You can make this cake a day in advance, cover it well, and refrigerate until ready to serve. This allows the flavors to deepen and the texture to settle.
- Leftovers: Store leftover cake covered in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in a fridge for 1 week.
- To freeze: Flourless Chocolate Cake freezes exceptionally well. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil before placing them in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in a fridge to defrost, then enjoy cold, room temperature, or warmed up in an oven at 350F for 10-15 minutes.
- A springform pan makes this cake much easier to remove, but you can use a regular can pan. Just be sure to line the pan well with enough parchment that you can easily lift the cake out once cooled.
- To melt the chocolate in a double boiler (a gentler method for melting chocolate), place the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set on top of a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until the butter and chocolate have melted and are smooth.
Nutrition
Photography by Alana of Your Home Made Healthy.
You NEED this beauty in your life! Trust me! This is a hunk of absolute rich chocolate perfection. I will be using it for all special occasions!
Beth, thank you for the review!! It is rich chocolatey goodness and I’m so glad you’ll be making it again! xo, Ari
Could not love this recipe any more! My favorite chocolate cake.
Thanks for sharing will try this.
Definitely let me know when you give it a try! xo, Ari
Delicious! This recipe needs more comments/ reviews so ppl see how good it is! Made it for a friend who took leftovers in carryon as he was flying back to his family next day and wanted to share with them 🙂 you know it’s good if someone is willing to travel with dessert!
Thank you, Rab! What a glowing compliment–and I agree, bringing food to family is the ultimate seal of approval. And now I’m craving chocolate cake for breakfast… ha! Cheers, Ari
This was an amazing chocolate cake!! So hard for us to stop at just one slice but our will power kicked in have and have been enjoying. We have an anniversary coming up and this will be the dessert I make for that evenings dinner.