Soft, with a rich chocolate flavor, this easy flourless chocolate cake is for real chocolate lovers. Made with semisweet chocolate and eggs, this cake needs no flour to achieve a fudgy texture.
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Why you should try this flourless chocolate cake recipe
Fudgy texture. If you wonder what this cake tastes like or what consistency it has, I would say that it’s like a crossbreed of Chocolate mousse and Chocolate cremeux. Where you get a decadent and fudgy texture, with rich dark chocolate flavor.
Gluten-free chocolate cake. It’s always great to have a dessert recipe in your collection that can be enjoyed by many. If you have a friend or a family member who has a gluten intolerance, or you are trying to avoid gluten, this chocolate cake without flour is what you need because I believe that everyone should be able to enjoy a delicious dessert.
Rich chocolate flavor. This dessert is all about chocolate. I dare to say that it’s the richest chocolate dessert on my blog. So, if you like chocolate flavor, this cake recipe is what you need.
Are you looking for more chocolate desserts? Look no further! Check out these fudgy Easy homemade chocolate truffles, this creamy Chocolate ice cream (no churn!), and this fancy-looking Chocolate Pavlova.
What chocolate to choose
Chocolate is the most important ingredient in this cake. It affects not only the flavor but also the texture and overall structure of the cake. So you should choose good-quality chocolate, such as couverture with at least 55% cocoa content. However, baking chocolate or a plain bar of Belgian-style chocolate, such as Lindt, will work well in this recipe.
As for the type of chocolate, you will need semisweet chocolate with at least 55% cocoa in it. My advice is not to use chocolate with cocoa content lower than 55%, or your cake will turn out too soft to cut into pieces. If you prefer bittersweet chocolate (70%), you can use it without any problem.
Other ingredients you will need
- Butter – You will need unsalted butter for this cake.
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
- Instant coffee – Alternatively, you can swap it with espresso powder if you really want to enhance the coffee flavor in your chocolate flourless cake.
- Eggs – Bring the eggs to room temperature before whipping them up with sugar.
- Sugar – You will need white granulated sugar.
- Topping – While you can make whipped Chocolate ganache and pipe it on top of the cake, I prefer to keep it simple. I use unsweetened cocoa powder to dust the top of the cake and fresh raspberries to add a pop of color and a burst of fresh berry flavor.
Expert Tips
Whip the eggs to the ribbon stage. When whipping the eggs to the ribbon stage, you're looking for a specific consistency where the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow. To test for the ribbon stage, lift the beaters or a spoon from the mixture, and the batter should fall back into the bowl in a thick ribbon-like stream that holds its shape briefly before sinking back in.
Chill the cake well. Right after baking, the cake will be too soft to cut. Chocolate and cooked eggs need time to stabilize and set. To save some time, you can bake this flourless chocolate cake in the evening and leave it to set in the fridge overnight.
Cut it with a hot dry knife. When slicing the cake, use a knife heated under hot water and wipe with a paper towel. This method prevents the cake from sticking to the knife, resulting in smooth and neat slices.
How to make flourless chocolate cake
- Preheat the oven to 320F (160C) and line the bottom and the sides of an 8” (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Wrap the pan with a piece of foil to prevent it from leaking the batter as it will be quite thin.
- In a heatproof bowl, add the chocolate, butter, salt, instant coffee, and vanilla extract. Heat over a pot with simmering water or in the microwave until the butter and chocolate have melted and the mixture has a homogeneous consistency. Set aside to cool down.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and whip on medium-high speed for 10 minutes or until the mixture has tripled in volume and is at a ribbon stage. When done, lower the speed to low and whip the mixture for an extra 1 minute.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Mix it on low using a mixer or mix it with a rubber spatula until it looks homogeneous and well mixed.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a crust has formed on the top of the cake but it is still jiggly if shaken.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature. Then, transfer the cake to the fridge for 6 hours or overnight to set.
- Dust with cocoa powder, decorate with fresh raspberries and serve.
Possible variation
Serve with whipped cream – To balance out the sweetness of this flourless chocolate cake, serve it with unsweetened, freshly whipped cream.
Chili pepper – Did you know that chili peppers and dark chocolate pair well together? If you feel adventurous and want to try something new, I dare you to mix in a little bit of red chili powder, chili flakes, cayenne pepper, or chipotle chili powder into your cake batter right before baking.
Cinnamon powder – If you like how chocolate with cinnamon tastes like, you can add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon right into the chocolate cake batter before baking.
FAQ
Store it covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
This chocolate cake freezes well. Place it on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap, then wrap it in a piece of foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
More cake recipes you may like
Chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting
Recipe card
Flourless chocolate cake
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Rubber spatula
- Stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer and a large mixing bowl
- 8" (20cm) springform pan
- Parchment paper
- Aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 400 g semi-sweet chocolate
- 200 g unsalted butter can be cold
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 5 large eggs at room temperature
- 150 g white granulated sugar
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Fresh raspberries for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 320F (160C) and line the bottom and the sides of an 8” (20cm) springform pan with parchment paper. Wrap the pan with a piece of foil to prevent it from leaking the batter as it will be quite thin.
- In a heatproof bowl, add the chocolate, butter, salt, instant coffee, and vanilla extract. Heat over a pot with simmering water or in the microwave until the butter and chocolate have melted and the mixture has a homogeneous consistency. Set aside to cool down.
- Meanwhile, add the eggs and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer), and whip on medium-high speed for 10 minutes or until the mixture has tripled in volume and is at a ribbon stage. When done, lower the speed to low and whip the mixture for an extra 1 minute.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Mix it on low using a mixer or mix it with a rubber spatula until it looks homogeneous and well mixed.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform pan and bake for 35 minutes or until a crust has formed on the top of the cake but it is still jiggly if shaken.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool down to room temperature. Then, transfer the cake to the fridge for 6 hours or overnight to set.
- Dust with cocoa powder, decorate with fresh raspberries and serve.
Lea
Would it be possible to use bakers chocolate instead of semi sweet chocolate and just add more sugar?
Anna
Unfortunately, this recipe works best with regular semi-sweet chocolate. If you add more sugar, the texture of the cake won't be the same.