Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Chocolaty without being positively overwhelming.
Texture: A cross between a brownie, cake, mousse, and a truffle!
Ease: Deceptively easy.
Why You’ll Love This Cake: This is my go-to elevated easy dessert recipe for entertaining.
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My husband, Joe, calls this a “Hall of Fame” recipe. It’s one of his all-time favorites.
Think of it like a chocolate cake, a brownie, and chocolate mousse had a delicious baby.
Made without flour, it relies on eggs, butter, and chocolate for structure. So it’s the perfect bake for your gluten-free friends and family!
After being inspired on vacation at a restaurant in La Jolla, I set out to create my own version. You’ll also see this recipe called a flourless chocolate torte.
I wanted to avoid having to separate eggs and whip the whites. I also wanted to avoid a cake SO rich and truffle-like that you can only have one or two bites.
I’m happy to say that after much testing, I think I nailed the recipe.
Serve it with fresh fruit and a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful Valentine’s Day dessert. Make it for a special date night at home. This is also my go-to dessert for dinner parties and small groups!
Sprinkle of Science
Ingredients Notes
Baking is chemistry, and every ingredient was selected with care. Here are the ones to pay attention to:
- Chocolate – I used Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate chips. Opt for the best quality you can access.
- Sugar – It doesn’t just sweeten, it also creates a moist texture, so reducing will create a drier cake. Read more about the role of sugar in baking here.
- Espresso powder – Optional. It’s super subtle and enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Eggs – Three whole eggs plus an additional egg yolk, for a fantastically fudgy texture. Eggs help provide the structure to this cake because there’s no flour. Be sure your eggs are at room temperature.
- Cocoa powder – I used Dutch-processed cocoa powder to achieve a smooth chocolate flavor and deep color. You can use natural cocoa powder in this recipe instead.
- Heavy whipping cream – Chilled. More on that below.
- Powdered sugar and berries – Optional, but it looks so pretty to decorate the baked and cooled cake with either, or both!
How To Make Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Melt the chocolate and butter. In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and butter in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until just barely melted. You can also do this step in a double boiler on the stove.
- Add the sugar, espresso powder (if using), salt and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Let cool to room temperature so you don’t scramble the eggs.
- Add the eggs. Add in the eggs and yolk all at once, vigorously whisking until smooth.
- Mix in the cocoa powder. Whisk until just combined.
- Whip the heavy cream. Beat the cream to medium peaks. Be careful not to overbeat your cream here. You don’t want stiff peaks for this recipe.
Tip: Although not pictured below, I love using my immersion blender with the whisk attachment to quickly whip small amounts of cream. - Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Be careful to avoid compressing all of that air you just whipped into the cream!
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake. Bake at 350°F for about 25-30 minutes, or until the cake has puffed up, the edges are set but the center is still slightly wobbly, and the center is at least 200°F using an instant-read thermometer.
- Allow to cool completely. Place the pan on a wire rack. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight for the most fudgy texture.
- Serve. Use a sharp knife to cut into slices, running the knife under hot water and wiping off the blade between slices. Top with sifted powdered sugar, whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream and a few fresh raspberries or strawberries. Best served chilled.
Baking Success Tips
- Do not overbake. This will cause a dry or crumbly result.
- Parchment circles with tabs make easy work of removing the cake from the pan without drama.
- Expect sinking. Flourless cakes naturally deflate as they cool. More room for whipped cream, ice cream, or ganache 😉
- Serve chilled. This will make it easier to slice and emphasize a fudgy texture.
Serving Ideas & Tips
- Fresh mint and raspberries or sliced strawberries
- A scoop of vanilla ice cream
- A dollop of freshly whipped cream
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- A dusting of cocoa powder
- Raspberry sauce
- Ganache (1:1 ratio — this is Joe’s favorite!)
To slice, use a sharp knife to cut into slices, running the knife under hot water and wiping off the blade between slices. Feel free to top with garnishes after slicing, too.
Storage & Make Ahead
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze, wrap the entire cake or slices of cake well in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container or a ziptop bag for up to two months. Thaw in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. It tastes great frozen, too!
FAQs
Yes! If you’re worried about serving someone who has celiac disease, you’ll want to check your ingredients to ensure the packaging states that it is gluten-free and that your tools and equipment haven’t recently touched flour to be safe.
Note: Baker’s Joy spray is not gluten-free.
It’s perfectly normal for this cake to fall slightly as it cools. Remember, flour typically acts as the backbone structure support of cake recipes. Without it, some sinking is unavoidable. I think it adds to the rustic charm of this type of cake!
If your cake falls excessively, it’s likely from overmixing. Be sure to gently mix in the ingredients, particularly in the final few steps, and do not over-mix.
Use a light-colored 8-inch round cake pan for this recipe. Note that this recipe makes enough batter to fill the pan quite full, so if you have it, use a 3-inch-deep pan to ensure no overflow. My favorite brand of cake pan is Fat Daddio’s because they bake evenly and wash up easily. Don’t use a dark-colored or coated nonstick cake pan, or you may end up with dry or overbaked cake edges. I also don’t recommend using a larger pan, as your cake will be very thin.
The cake should be puffed up, the edges set but the center is still slightly wobbly, and the center is at least 200°F using an instant-read thermometer.
Yes, but I promise it’ll be worth it in the end! This cake is delicate when warm. Leaving it plenty of time to cool completely in the tin, then a few hours in the fridge (preferably overnight) will allow the cake to set up. It’ll become more rich and fudgy as it chills!
Bonus: you can make this the day before a dinner party or event, and it will be ready to devour without having to make it the day-of!
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Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ¼ cups (213 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (43 grams) Dutch-process cocoa
- ½ cup (120 grams) heavy cream, chilled
For the topping:
- Powdered sugar
- Freshly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or 1:1 ganache (chocolate ganache recipe here)
- Fresh strawberries or raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a light colored 8-inch round 3-inch deep cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.* Place a parchment round on the bottom of the pan and spray again.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and butter in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until just barely melted. Stir until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla. Let cool.
- Add in the eggs and yolk all at once, vigorously whisking until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder until just combined. Batter will be thick.
- In a small but deep bowl or measuring cup, use an electric mixer or immersion blender fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the heavy cream to medium peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the batter until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Bake the cake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake has puffed up, the edges are set but the center is still slightly wobbly, and the center is at least 200°F using an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. The cake will deflate slightly as it cools. Loosen the edges of the still-warm cake from the pan with a thin flexible knife or offset spatula so it unmolds easier when ready to serve. Let cool completely in the pan. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight. At this point, the cake can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days as well as any leftovers.
- This cake is best served chilled. When ready to serve, remove the cake to a serving plate. Use a sharp knife to cut into slices, running the knife under hot water and wiping off the blade between slices. Place a spoonful of powdered sugar in a small fine mesh strainer and dust over each slice. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream and a few berries. Serve.
Notes
More Chocolate Dessert Recipes:
This post was originally published in 2009 and updated in 2023 with new photos and recipe improvements. Photos by Joanie Simon.
Could you make it with bittersweet chocolate instead of semi sweet?
Hi Karen! Yes, you can – find out more in the Tip Box, above the recipe, under the heading, “What Kind of Chocolate Should I Use?” Happy baking! 🙂
This cake is amazing!!! I’ve made it twice for company and it’s already become my signature dessert!! I followed the recipe exactly, even purchased the recommended cake pan. I cut parchment sheets into shape of pan and made tabs to pull it out. Served the cake topped with powdered sugar and raspberries once and strawberries once, plus homemade whipped cream.
It’s one of our team favorites, too. So happy to hear it’s become your signature dessert!
Would it be possible to double the recipe and bake it in an 8 by13 rectangular pan?
Hi Jackie! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try!
Everyone loves this cake! My coworkers have all asked me for the recipe. Perfect!
Made this last Valentine’s & making it again this Valentine’s! Delicious!! 😋
This recipe was so delicious and easy to follow! My only mistake my first attempt was I didn’t line my cake pan with parchment paper and the cake stuck. The next day I re made this cake following all the same steps but this time using parchment paper and it was a breeze!
The cake was so moist and fudgy on the inside. I did heat my piece up in the microwave for 10 seconds because I wanted it warm. I topped it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and strawberries.
10/10 recommend!!
Woohoo! Looks amazing, Maria! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
First time making something like this and followed the recipe exactly. Found the pictures and directions very helpful. It was absolutely amazing! So happy how it turned out, everyone loved it! It was a hit! Will be making this many more times thanks so much for the recipe.
So thrilled to hear that this recipe was such a hit for you, Emily!
Absolutely brilliant. Everyone loved it and wanted the recipe.
This was a hit all around – incredibly delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, and my book club loved it. Thank you for the link to the cake pan. It was perfect. I used my own parchment paper, cut into a circle and I made tabs for it. Huge help!!
So glad to hear that this recipe was a hit, Audra! 🙂
Do you use regular Dutch cocoa powder or unsweetened?
Hi Lauren! As specified in the recipe ingredients, we recommend using Dutch-process cocoa – but as Tessa mentions in the baking tips (above the recipe), “If you need to, you can use natural cocoa powder in this recipe instead.” I hope that helps! Let us know how it goes if you give this cake a try 🙂
Tessa, I am researching flourless chocolate cakes since discovering a restaurant nearby that serves an exquisite recipe of such.Their slices are generous, but are $13 (with gelato on top). I am therefore motivated to bake my own cake. I came upon your beautiful website, full of photographs that are very helpful and attractive. Here’s my question: your recipe includes heavy cream that you whip. Some recipes separate the egg yolks from the whites and whip the whites. Does this accomplish the same thing as whipping heavy cream?
Also, I thought your website name came not from AZ, but from that old expression, “if you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
Thanks, Brian
Hi Brian! Yes, there’s a similar effect in whipping the cream to achieve a touch of lightness in an otherwise very rich and dense cake. I hope that helps! Let us know what you think of this cake once you have given it a try 🙂
Can the heavy cream be substituted for unsweetened coconut milk?
We haven’t tried that!