This flourless chocolate cake is delicious, decadent and comes together with little effort! It’s filled with cocoa powder, melted chocolate and rich brown butter. This impressive dessert is the perfect recipe for any occasion. Bonus: it’s naturally gluten free!
This flourless chocolate cake is super rich, fudgy and chocolatey! It also sounds and looks fancy, but couldn’t be easier to make. It’s made with just 7 ingredients and comes together without a mixer!
Leaving out the flour makes this flourless chocolate cake super fudgy and indulgent. It also makes it naturally gluten free! This cake is easy yet special which makes it perfect for a weeknight treat or celebration dessert.
For more chocolate cake recipes, check out my Mini Chocolate Cake, Nutella and Peanut Butter Cake, and Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake.
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WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- You’ll love the rich, fudgy center and perfect crispy yet tender crust!
- You only need a couple bowls and an 8 inch cake pan to make this easy flourless cake recipe. The cake comes together by hand. No mixer needed!
- This chocolate cake comes together in less than an hour!
- It tastes like it came from a fancy bakery or restaurant.
- It’s so easy to decorate! Just a a dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar. You can also top it with whipped cream, ganache, ice cream, fresh fruit. The list goes on!
INGREDIENT NOTES
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. I recommend first browning the butter, but this is optional.
- Chocolate: I prefer semisweet chocolate. Chocolate baking bars work best for this recipe. They melt better and more evenly than chocolate chips. I recommend semi-sweet. It is not as dark as dark or bittersweet and not as sweet as milk chocolate.
- Eggs: Use 4 large room temperature eggs.
- Sugar: I found that 3/4 cup is the perfect, just right amount.
- Cocoa Powder: Use natural unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract surprisingly brings out the chocolate flavor.
- Salt: Salt also enhances the chocolatey flavor and rounds out some of the sweetness.
SUBSTITUTIONS & VARIATION
- Feel free to swap out the semisweet chocolate for dark or bittersweet.
- To enhance the chocolate flavor, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder. It can usually be found in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
- The chocolate ganache I use to top my Orange Cardamom Cake would definitely up the chocolate factor and make the cake even more of a showstopper.
- Instead of a dusting of cocoa powder, you can dust the cake with powdered sugar.
- If you want to go super indulgent, top the warm or room temperature cake with ice cream!
- This cake is also delicious with a dollop of regular or chocolate whipped cream!
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Chop the chocolate and place it in a large, heat proof mixing bowl. Set aside.
Step 2: Next, brown the butter. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter over the chopped chocolate.
Step 3: Stir the chocolate and brown butter together until the chocolate has melted.
Step 4: Sift the cocoa into the butter and chocolate mixture.
Step 5: Whisk in the sugar and salt. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Make sure mixture is well mixed.
Step 6: Pour mixture into an 8 inch cake pan or 8 inch springform pan greased and lined with parchment paper.
Step 7: Bake for 25-37 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Run a knife between the edge of the cake and the pan to loosen it. Remove cake from pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Step 8: Top with chocolate whipped cream. Alternatively, you can top the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder or serve it with ice cream.
Hint: Make sure the scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the bits from the brown butter.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a springform pan. I have made this cake in a regular 8 inch cake and in a springform pan. Both work, but the springform pan makes it a little easier to take the cake out of the pan.
- Grease and line pan with parchment paper. Make sure to grease then line the pan with parchment paper to prevent it from sticking.
- Run a knife along the edge of the pan. Whether you use a regular or springform pan, run a knife between the cake and the pan before removing it.
- Use a hot knife. This cake is fudgy and can stick to your knife when you slice it. To get clean, sleek slices run a large, sharp knife under hot water or dunk it in a glass of hot water and wipe it dry. Make sure to wipe the knife clean in between slices and dip the knife in hot water in between each cut.
RECIPE FAQs
Flourless chocolate cake is cake made without flour. It has a rich, creamy flavor from melted chocolate, butter and whole eggs.
Yes! It is naturally gluten free.
Flourless chocolate cake tastes chocolatey, rich and gooey and it has a light, crispy crust.
STORAGE
Refrigerator: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: You can freeze this cake in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
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Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Cakes and Cupcakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy flourless chocolate cake makes the best fudgy, rich treat! Gluten free and perfect for both weeknights and special occasions.
Ingredients
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, browned
- 6 ounces (170 grams) semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM (optional)
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 tablespoon natural cocoa
Instructions
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Butter then line with parchment paper the bottom of an 8″ springform pan or the bottom of a round 8″ cake pan. Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Chop the chocolate and place it in a large, heat proof mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Next, brown the butter. Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once begins to bubble and comes to a boil, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter over the chopped chocolate. Make sure the scrape the bottom of the pan for all the bits.
- Stir the chocolate and brown butter together until the chocolate has melted. Sift the cocoa into the butter and chocolate mixture. Whisk in the sugar and salt. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla extract. Make sure mixture is well mixed.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan. Spread evenly and bake for 25-37 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reaches 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with chocolate whipped cream. Alternatively, you can top the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder or serve it with ice cream.
CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM
- For best results, chill the bowl and beaters or whisk attachment in the fridge or freezer for 15- 20 minutes before using. In the bowl of an electric mixer or using a hand held mixer, beat the whipping cream on high speed for 2 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and pour the powdered sugar and cocoa in followed by the vanilla. Turn the mixer back up to high and continue mixing until you have medium to stiff peaks, about 3 more minutes.
Notes
Butter: I recommend browning the butter. Brown butter adds an extra layer of toasty, nutty flavor. To skip this step, simply melt the butter and chopped chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second bursts. Stir well in between each interval. Continue until chocolate has melted. You could also place the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water to melt it. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water and be sure to stir occasionally as the mixture melts.
Chocolate: Dark or bittersweet chocolate can be used in place of semisweet. Use good quality chocolate. I would not recommend chocolate chips.
Espresso powder: Add an optional 1 1/2 teaspoons of espresso powder to enhance the chocolate flavor.
Storage: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze this cake in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
Keywords: cake, espresso, chocolate, flourless, dessert, gluten free, chocolate cake, Valentine’s Day
I baked this cake because I was super curious to see what a flourless cake tastes like and wow. Was I pleasantly surprised. It’s light and moist and I didn’t feel guilty eating it with a cup of coffee.
★★★★★
Thank you Sam! I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake!:)