Flourless Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake is soft in the middle with a crunchy top layer and a rich chocolate flavor. It’s easy to make and ready in about 45 minutes. This is a gluten free dessert with only a few simple ingredients. 

This flourless chocolate cake is ready in less than an hour so truly, it really is an any occasion dessert that doesn’t require much effort. It’s hard to believe that this rich and decadent chocolate cake is flourless and gluten-free!

I love any desserts that are gluten-free because it means I can enjoy it, and when it’s also chocolate, that’s true perfection. The chocolatey flavor in this cake is created by semi-sweet chocolate chips and cocoa powder that make it oh so rich.

If you love decadent cakes, you’ll really fall head over heels for the consistency here. This cake is thick and moist, making each bite oh so satisfying! While I do love a good fluffy cake, there’s certainly something to be said for the richness you’ll find here.

I also like to leave the center of this cake a little gooey to enhance that rich quality even more. Scroll down to the recipe card to find out all about that gooey consistency if you’d like!

How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cake

Prepare the baking pan! Preheat your oven to 375°F and grease an 8-inch round baking pan all over the bottom and sides. Trace the baking pan around on the parchment paper and do it slightly bigger than the baking pan (1). Line the bottom of the baking pan with the round piece of parchment paper (2).

Melt the chocolate. There are two different ways to do so:

Melt chocolate in a sauce pot: Melt the butter first over low heat and then stir in chocolate chips. Keep slowly stirring the whole time. When the chocolate chips are about half way melted, take the sauce pot off the heat and continue to stir until the chips are fully melted and the mixture is smooth (3). 

Alternately, you can –

Melt chocolate in a microwave: Place the butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on half the power for 30 seconds at a time. Make sure to stir after every 30 seconds.

Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat for a few seconds until combined.

Beat in the eggs one at a time.

Once the eggs are incorporated, lower the speed and add cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder if using. Beat until all ingredients are evenly incorporated. 

Spread the cake batter into the baking pan. Sprinkle some coarse sea salt all over the top. Bake for 30 minutes. Let it cool to room temperature before serving.

PRO TIP: If you’d like it to have a more gooey center, bake for only 25 minutes.

How To Make Chocolate Ganache Topping

To make chocolate ganache, you will need a 4 oz. bar of baking chocolate and ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream.

First, chop the chocolate bar as finely as you can and place it into a small mixing bowl. Next, heat up heavy whipping cream until it’s scalding hot but be careful not to let it boil. You can carefully heat it up in a microwave, a few seconds at a time.

Finally, pour the hot cream over chopped chocolate and stir until the mixture is smooth. (If you have chocolate chunks that are not melting well, pop the bowl in the microwave for a few seconds, on half the power, and try mixing again.)

Is It Okay That My Flourless Chocolate Cake Deflated?

It’s perfectly normal for a flourless cake to fall (aka deflate) slightly as it cools. Note, it falls more if you’ve chosen to bake it a little less for a gooier center.

Remember, flour is usually what holds the structure of a cake, so without it, some falling is unavoidable. While the cake bakes, the liveners help the cake rise but with nothing to support the structure, it will fall some.

That is also what helps the top to be nicely crunchy while the inside will be fudgy and even gooey (if baked a few minutes less.)

Do remember not to overmix the batter, that can cause to unnecessary falling and compromise the some texture of the cake.

Freezing Instructions

Flourless chocolate cake is very easy to freeze. You can freeze the whole cake or cut it into slices and freeze them each individually. Make sure to cool the cake to room temperature before freezing.

Once cooled, wrap the cake, or each slice, in a couple of layers of plastic wrap and make it air-tight. Place it into a large freezer zip-lock bag, label, and freeze for up to 4 months. 

When ready to thaw, make sure to do it slowly, in the refrigerator. 

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Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in April 2020.