Flourless Chocolate Cake may be missing one of my most well-used ingredients, but it’s missing absolutely nothing in terms of flavor! Fudgy, rich, decadent, and supremely chocolatey, this cake is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth. Be sure to check out the how-to video at the bottom of the recipe!
This recipe has a smooth, creamy, and ultra-rich texture that reminds me of a cross between a cheesecake and a chocolate cake. If you’re a chocoholic like me, you’re going to love this one! Make sure to top yours off with chocolate ganache and homemade whipped cream!
Calling all chocoholics!!! This Flourless Chocolate Cake is for you!
Hopefully you, my fellow chocolate fiends, have been enjoying some of the recipes that I’ve shared recently. From my chocolate lava cakes (obsessed!), to chocolate truffles, to today’s recipe, things have been quite decadent recently. Part of it is prepping for Valentine’s Day with rich chocolatey desserts, part of it is just my own chocolate addiction.
But before we go any further, let’s address the elephant in the room. Flourless? I don’t do a lot of flour-free recipes around here, and this certainly isn’t a blog that specializes in gluten-free, so what’s with the lack of grain??
I was hesitant at first, too, until I realized how removing the flour actually made for an insanely rich and decadent cake. One that’s more chocolatey than any other you’ve ever tried… It’s kind of like we left the flour out just to make more room for chocolate. Please, don’t be intimidated by the lack of flour. I promise the flavor and texture more than makes up for it.
Is Flourless Cake Gluten Free?
Yes! As I mentioned, I don’t exactly do a lot of gluten free recipes on my blog; I’m simply not familiar with the flourless lifestyle.
However, flourless chocolate cake is worth omitting the flour for. Because we don’t use flour here, the end result is a decadent, supremely rich and moist cake that lacks for nothing.
Does This Cake Need to be Refrigerated?
While I’ve found some sources that suggest it does not need to be refrigerated, I personally recommend refrigerating. Refrigeration helps keep this cake’s texture more firm than it would be at room temperature.
I will either store in the springform pan and cover with plastic wrap or foil or transfer the cake to an airtight container. If you’re insistent upon keeping your cake out of the refrigerator, make sure to cover it and it should keep for 2 days.
How Long Will Flourless Chocolate Cake Keep?
It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Good luck getting it to last that long, though! I think the personal record in my house is 1.5 days…
How to Slice
This might seem like a silly question, but I’ve found that this cake can actually be a little difficult to slice. If you try to cut it like you’d cut any cake, the pieces will end up looking a little messy and not exactly pretty.
If you’re not worried about your cake slices being pretty, then feel free to proceed to slicing with reckless abandon. However, if you’re like me and care about silly things like presenting cake in a pretty manner, you’ll appreciate this tip:
Take a large sharp knife and run it under very hot water. Carefully, wipe it dry with a clean cloth, then make your first cut. Run the knife under hot water again, letting the hot water rinse off any residual chocolate and warm the blade. Wipe dry once again, then make your second cut and remove your slice of cake! A few extra steps but it actually makes the process much cleaner and easier (and prettier) in the end.
Enjoy!
More Decadent Chocolate Desserts You Might Like:
- Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Chocolate Muffins
- Chocolate Cupcakes
- Chocolate Cheesecake
- Chocolate Sauce
Be sure to check out the video at the bottom of the recipe! If you enjoy watching, make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel where I’ve already uploaded over 100 recipe videos that you can watch for free!
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter
- 6 oz coarsely chopped premium chocolate bar I use 60% Ghirardelli
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 batch chocolate ganache optional
- homemade whipped cream for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (160C) and line the bottom of an 8” springform pan with parchment paper.
- Combine butter and chocolate in a medium-sized heatproof bowl and microwave in 15 second intervals (stirring well in between) until mixture is melted and smooth. Stir in instant coffee and vanilla extract and set aside.12 Tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter, 6 oz coarsely chopped premium chocolate bar, 1 teaspoon instant coffee, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate large bowl (or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment) combine eggs, sugar, and salt. Beat on high speed until mixture has doubled in volume (this will take about 5 minutes with a hand mixer or 1-2 minutes with a stand mixer).4 large eggs, 1 cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt
- With mixer on low speed, slowly drizzle melted chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Once all chocolate has been added, increase mixer speed and stir until completely combined.
- Sift cocoa powder over batter and use a spatula to fold completely into batter.½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pour batter into prepared springform pan and transfer to 325F (160C) oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. Edges should look baked but center may seem jiggly still.
- Allow to cool completely at room temperature then transfer to refrigerator to chill for another 6 hours.
- If desired, before serving top with chocolate ganache that has been allowed to cool for at least 15 minutes after preparing.1 batch chocolate ganache
- To slice, run a knife under very hot water then dry off the knife and use hot blade to slice cake. In addition to the ganache, enjoy topped with berries and whipped cream, if desired.homemade whipped cream
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Michelle
Delicious! I made this with vegan butter and with Guittard SANTÉ 72% Baking Chips with Coconut Sugar. It came out perfect! Even my dairy eating husband loved it. So, for anyone dairy free out there, it does work great with vegan butter!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know how it turned out with those substitutions, Michelle ❤️
pat
Hi
Love this cake but it has fallen to the width of about two cookies although the sides are fine. Did I beat the eggs too much? Not in the oven long enough? I realize a small sink is acceptable but today it has really fallen. It was in the oven for 25 minutes and didn’t juggle in the center so I took it out. I used a toothpick to test and it didn’t appear cooked enough? HELP I am willing to make it again today as I have to take it to a birthday party tomorrow. Thanks in advance for any help you can give me.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Pat! We’re so sorry your cake didn’t turn out as expected. It sounds like you may not have baked it long enough; we recommend baking for 30-35 minutes 🙁
Christina
HOLY MOLY! This came out insanely delicious. Based off of Sam’s help/suggestion, I used unsweetened chocolate due to lack of bittersweet availability. I also used the Chocolate Bundt Cake icing recipe (halved) on top instead of the ganache (just because it’s an insanely amazing icing). It’s all just amazing! These recipes never fail!
Sam
I’m so happy to hear this, Christina! Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out for you! 🙂
Kimberly
This looks so delicious! I know this is an older post, but do you think this would work in mini Bundt pans if sprayed well?
Sam
Hi Kimberly! I honestly don’t know how it will work. It could work but I’m just not sure because I haven’t tried it.
Kimberly Davis
I tried it and it was a success for the most part! My plan was to use my Bak-Klene spray, but then I realized the wheat in the spray would make my cakes not be gluten-free. I do the baking for my church’s coffee shop and was looking for a good gluten-free recipe, so that part was important to me. I ended up using an avocado oil spray and dusting it with cocoa powder. One batch of this recipe gave me 12 mini Bundts using the Wilton’s Mega pan. The other thing I wasn’t sure about was how long to wait before turning the Bundts out of the pan. I let them cool for about 5 minutes, then turned them out onto a cooling rack covered with parchment paper. Out of the 24 Bundts I made, I only had 3 that didn’t come out cleanly enough to sell in the shop. They were perfect for taste-testing though, and MAN were they delicious!!! I followed the cake recipe exactly, then made a dark chocolate ganache to dip the tops of my Bundts in and pipe into the wells of all the cakes. I put them in the shop yesterday with some spiced eggnog cupcakes and Biscoff cranberry cinnamon cheesecake bars. These flourless chocolate mini Bundt cakes were the only items to sell out! Thanks for the great recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad they turned out! Thank you so much for the feedback. 🙂
Elizabeth Fonda
Third time making this ❤️
elizabeth sigurdson
Hi Sam
I am having surgery the week before Christmas – so, I’m looking for dessert recipes that I can make ahead of time and put in the freezer… can I freeze this cake?
Elizabeth
Sam
Hi Elizabeth! I haven’t personally tried it, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. 🙂
Heather
This is the best cake I have ever had the pleasure of making. I could eat this all by myself, I am sure! The flavour is incredible, the texture is such a pleasant surprise..sooooooo enjoyed by all my family. Incredible! Can’t say enough…thank you!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Heather! 🙂
Debbie
My Family LOVES this cake. I now make it all the time and my kids ask for it for their birthday cake. so easy and so good. Only need a small piece since it is so rich and delightful!!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoys it so much, Debbie! 🙂
Kate
Could I add some boozy prunes to this cake?
Sam
Hi Kate! I’ve never tried it but I think it could work. 🙂
Corin Hale
so yummy!
Cori Sessions
Can this cake be baked in a 9″ springform pan? If so, how long should it bake for?
Sam
Sure thing! The bake time will be a little less. I haven’t tried it so I can’t say exactly how long to bake it.
Lori
Can I use chocolate chips instead?
Sam
That should be fine, enjoy 🙂
Melanie
I was wondering what size spring form pan you are using. I don’t have one and need to figure out the volume so I can use one of the pans that I have.
Sam
Hi Melanie! I use an 8″ springform pan. I typically say what size pan to use early in the instructions. 🙂
Patti
Can you use a sugar substitute instead of regular sugar?
Sam
Hi Patti! I haven’t tried it but I think it could work here. 🙂
Melanie
I’ve used Swerve and it works!
Lisa
Hi, that recipe for chocolate flourless cake looks so mouthwatering! Can’t wait to make it 🙂 I wanted to know if I can use salted butter? I don’t have any unsalted butter in stock.
Sam
Hi Lisa! You can use salted butter here, just omit the salt. 🙂
Christina
Question! For the chocolate, can you use unsweetened or semi sweet? Due to nut allergies, we can’t use the bittersweet brand that’s available (since it’s the same machinery)!
Sam
Hi Christina! The unsweetened will work here. 🙂
Evelyn
Tried this recipe on my first attempt at a flourless chocolate cake. It was delicious! And the fresh whipped cream is a MUST. Thought of making the ganache but am glad I didn’t. It was super chocolatey as is and not necessary. After comparing to other recipes I added brewed coffee because I didn’t have instant and thankfully it worked just fine.
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Evelyn! 🙂
Kandy
Is like the flourless chocolate cake at the Contemporary Resort Walt Disney World