Flourless Chocolate Cake
This flourless chocolate cake has simple ingredients and is easy to put together. Naturally gluten free, this cake is dense, fudgy and a hit for parties.
Confession: I am really not great at food photography. I am definitely getting better by playing around with my DSLR but I have a long way to go.
I do remember maybe 10 years ago when I had my other blog, I did take one photo that I thought was amazing at the time. We had just learned about gluten free cooking and I was doing an experiment to see if I felt any better without gluten in my life for 2 weeks.
Long story short, I did even though I still enjoy some gluten today. But for those two weeks I had fun experimenting with gluten free cooking and gluten free desserts and gluten free cake.
What is flourless cake?
I made my first flourless chocolate cake around that time and I was SO impressed by it. Flourless chocolate cake contains a few simple ingredients including unsweetened cocoa powder, eggs, bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate chips, sugar and butter which makes it easy to make but the result is a really dense fudgy cake that felt really decadent.
❓FAQ
Yes! This cake is naturally gluten free because it contains no wheat flour and only cocoa powder and melted chocolate. This is also why it stays so dense as it doesn’t have that spongy texture you get from baking with flour. The cocoa powder acts like the flour in flourless chocolate cake.
Flourless chocolate cake is best when good quality cocoa powder and chocolate is used. I use bittersweet chocolate chips for my cake though semi-sweet chocolate chips can be used as well baking chocolate bars.
A variety of sugar or sweetener can be used in this recipe including: granulated white sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar, honey or maple syrup.
Vegan flourless chocolate cake is possible to make by subbing the butter for vegan butter spread or coconut oil and replacing the eggs with a 15oz can of pumpkin puree. Instead of topping it with chocolate ganache, you could make a raspberry glaze by cooking down frozen raspberries and adding some honey and lemon juice and cook down until its thick.
Parchment paper is a MUST when making flourless chocolate cake so it doesn’t stick. My favorite way to make a cake not stick is to cut out 2 strips of parchment paper and make an X over the bottom of the pan before pouring in the cake batter. This way you are able to gently lift the cake out from all sides and keep it from breaking or crumbling.
A hint of coffee gives the cake a depth of flavor kind of like mocha that nothing else can. Make sure whatever coffee you use is finely ground. I like using dark roast coffee. Even though there is only 2 tsp per recipe, decaf coffee can be used for those that are very sensitive to caffeine.
This recipe makes about 8-12 servings. The cake is small but it is very DENSE. A small slice is all you need. Keep in mind that you do not need to make the chocolate ganache that goes on top but it is worth it!
More Holiday Treats
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For Flourless Chocolate Cake
- 8 oz [Bittersweet Chocolate Chips]
- 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- ¾ cups [Granulated Sugar]
- ¼ tsp [Sea Salt]
- 1 tsp [Dark Roast Coffee] ground fine
- 1 tsp [Vanilla Extract]
- 3 Eggs
- ½ cup [Unsweetened Cocoa Powder]
For Chocolate Ganache Glaze
- 8 oz [Bittersweet Chocolate Chips]
- ½ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
- For Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350
- Line a 8×8 circle or square shaped baking pan with a parchment paper X and grease pan and parchment fully. This works best with an oil spray.
- In a small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Melt chocolate chips into butter until fully combined. Whisk in sugar, ground coffee, salt, vanilla extract and unsweetened cocoa powder until well combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk 3 eggs together and slowly whisk them into the chocolate mix until everything becomes a smooth thick chocolate batter.
- Make sure heat is kept low as to not burn chocolate and to not cook the eggs as they are being mixed into the chocolate.
- Add batter to cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until center of cake is cooked through.
- Let cake cool on cooling rack for 15 minutes before using parchment paper to remove from pan.
- Let cool completely before adding chocolate ganache.
- For Chocolate Ganache
- In small saucepan, heat up heavy whipping cream over low heat. The cream should never come to a boil or even simmer, it just needs to be warm enough to melt chocolate chips slowly.
- Add 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chips to pot and whisk slowly until mixture is fully emulsified.
- Pour chocolate ganache over cake and spread making sure some drips down the side for aesthetic effect.
- Put glazed cake in fridge for at least 2 hours so ganache sets and becomes firm.
- Garnish with berries or dusted powdered sugar.
This cake looks so delicious! I love flourless chocolate cakes!
thank you so much! me too!
Made this for Christmas and it was gone fast! Got so many compliments and people asking for the recipe. Someone we didnt know had celiacs was overjoyed because they were going to be able to enjoy a delicious dessert!
Yay! That made my day 🙂
Will a knife inserted in the center ever come out clean when making a flourless chocolate cake? It feels and seems unstable but I’ve cooked it for additional time to get the center to set on some level.
Try running your knife under hot or boiling water before slicing!