This flourless chocolate cake is every chocolate lover’s dream come true. It’s fudgy and chocolatey and basically tastes like a mix between a truffle and chocolate mousse. That is, it’s pretty much chocolate perfection – and super easy to make as well!
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Prepare yourself.
I’ll tell you something I’ve never thought I could possibly say: I found a chocolate dessert better than brownies. It’s true. As shocking and impossible as it sounds, it’s really 100% true.
I’m a huge chocoholic. My Instagram account is at least 60% chocolate, and I’ve considered re-naming the blog “The Chocolate Covered Whisk” (but only for, like, 1.5 seconds because it’s nowhere near as catchy as The Loopy Whisk – plus choosing that name took over 2 weeks and sweat and tears and stress-eating brownies, so there’s no way I’m giving that up).
Being a chocoholic, you better believe I know my way around chocolate desserts – from brownies (gluten free ones and healthy ones and not-at-all-healthy marshmallow ones) to triple chocolate cupcakes, from chocolate cake to triple chocolate pop tarts… I’ve made and enjoyed them all.
But this flourless chocolate cake – oh my, this cake takes the crown.
A friend asked me how I would describe the cake, its flavour and – more importantly – its texture. It doesn’t have the crumb of a typical chocolate cake, nor does it have the gooeyness of brownies. It’s in a class of its own. And what a class that is.
This flourless chocolate cake tastes like a fluffy chocolate truffle with a crisp, crackly crust that melts on your tongue. It’s luxurious and decadent and intensely chocolatey – without feeling too heavy or too rich.
Because it doesn’t contain any flour (not even almond flour or any other ground nuts), there’s nothing masking or diluting the wonderful flavour of chocolate. That also means that you better use a high quality chocolate (and cocoa powder) – if you don’t… you’re going to taste it.
Before we get to the bits and bobs of making this wonderful cake – if you like what you’re seeing, subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest recipes and tips!
How do you make a flourless chocolate cake?
Making a flourless chocolate cake is actually ridiculously simple. It only contains 6 ingredients:
- chocolate
- butter
- eggs (separated)
- sugar
- cocoa powder
- salt
That’s it! You probably have all these ingredients in your pantry already (so you should probably make this cake ASAP… and thank me later).
First up, melt some (high quality) dark chocolate and butter over a pot of simmering water, until smooth and glossy. I’ve used a chocolate with 73% cocoa solids, but anything above 60% will work well.
Next up, add the egg yolks to the melted chocolate, whisking well.
Then add in the cocoa powder and salt, and whisk – the cocoa powder may cause the batter to thicken and become grainy. Don’t worry, it’s okay. Your flourless chocolate cake will still come out as pretty as a picture (and even more delicious), promise.
Whisk the egg whites and sugar together until they form stiff peaks. Yes, we’re essentially making a simple meringue that we’ll then fold into the chocolate batter.
First, add about 1/3 of the meringue to the chocolate mixture, just to loosen it up.
Then, add in the rest of the meringue and (GENTLY!!!) fold it into the cake batter. The final chocolate cake batter will look (and taste) like a chocolate mousse – try to refrain from attacking it with a spoon. (Though I fully understand and sympathise with your struggles.)
Transfer the flourless chocolate cake batter into a lined springform pan and smooth out the top.
Then, bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about half an hour until risen and a generous (slightly cracked) crust forms on top. If you insert a skewer or toothpick into the middle of the cake, it shouldn’t come out clean – instead, it should have some half-baked batter and moist crumbs attached.
Remember, this is a super moist and fudgy cake – you don’t want to over-bake it!
As the cake cools, it will sink and collapse slightly in the middle. Because it doesn’t contain any flour, this cake will naturally have less structure, so the sinking is fully to be expected. In fact, the sinking emphasises the cracking of the crust, making the cake even more stunning!
Finally, dust with some cocoa powder (or powdered sugar) and that’s it!
Is a flourless chocolate cake gluten free?
Yes, because the flourless chocolate cake doesn’t contain any flour, it’s naturally gluten free. So the next time someone tells you how “gluten free is bland and just meh”… show them this picture:
Do you have to refrigerate the flourless chocolate cake?
I don’t recommend refrigerating the flourless chocolate cake, as keeping baked goods in the fridge has the tendency of drying them out faster. In general, I only keep desserts that contain some sort of frosting, cream or similar in the fridge (things like the chocolate Swiss roll or the ultimate gluten free chocolate cake).
How long will a flourless chocolate cake last?
As far as baked goods go, this flourless chocolate cake stays moist and wonderful for a surprisingly long time – I found that it’s just as delicious 5 to 6 days later as the day it was baked (so long as it’s kept in a reasonably cool place in a closed container).
Of course, that’s assuming you won’t demolish it within a few hours… which is a very far-fetched assumption. I mean, how long could you possibly resist this:
The answer: not long at all. And I’m speaking from experience here.
Enjoy, friends! Because as far as chocolate desserts go… it doesn’t get much better than a fudgy, decadent flourless chocolate cake.
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6-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake (Gluten Free)
This flourless chocolate cake is every chocolate lover’s dream come true. It’s fudgy and chocolatey and basically tastes like a mix between a truffle and chocolate mousse. That is, it’s pretty much chocolate perfection – and super easy to make as well!
Ingredients
- 10 1/2 oz (300 g) dark chocolate, chopped (I love Guittard's 64% and 72% chocolate – you can use either, depending on how bitter-sweet you want the cake to be, but I definitely recommend using a chocolate with at least 60% cocoa solids)
- 1 1/4 stick (140 g) unsalted butter, cubed
- 8 medium eggs, separated
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (40 g) cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan with baking/greaseproof paper.
In a heat-proof bowl above a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
Add the 8 egg yolks to the melted chocolate add whisk well. Then, add the cocoa powder and salt, and mix until combined. At this stage, the batter will appear quite stiff and grainy because of the cocoa powder – that's okay.
Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer with the double beaters attachment, whisk the egg whites and sugar together until they form stiff peaks (a meringue).
Fold 1/3 of the meringue into the chocolate batter to loosen it up. Then, gently fold in the remaining 2/3 of the meringue, being careful not to lose too much of the air trapped in the whipped egg whites. The final chocolate cake batter will have the appearance of a chocolate mousse (see photos in post).
Transfer the cake batter into the prepared baking tin and smooth out the top.
Bake at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 30 minutes or until risen and a crackly crust has formed on top. If you insert a skewer or toothpick into the centre of the cake, it shouldn’t come out clean – instead, it should have some half-baked batter and moist crumbs attached.
Allow to cool in the springform pan for 5 - 10 minutes, then release it from the pan and allow to cool completely.
As the cake cools, it will sink and collapse slightly in the middle. Because it doesn’t contain any flour, it will naturally have less structure, so the sinking is fully to be expected. (In fact, it gives it even more character!)
Dust with some cocoa powder or powdered sugar, and serve. Enjoy!
The flourless chocolate cake keeps well in a closed container in a cool dry place for up to 5 - 6 days.
Looking for more delicious chocolate cakes?
You’re in the right place!
The Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
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56 thoughts on “6-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake”
Kat! Very delicious!! thank you!!
Now its my favourite chocolate cake!
I used sugar mascado – great taste!
OMG!!! Simple, quick and scrumptious!!! Thank you for a superb recipe! Love love it.
Light and airy!! I cut a bit of sugar out. Worked a treat x
I loved it!! I used 1/2 coconut sugar and 1/2 regular sugar instead of 1 cup regular sugar and turned out well!! I also used a 9 inch round cake pan and lined it with baking paper and turned out well and was easy to lift out of the pan to cool.
Can we substitute the sugar for xylitol/ sucralose or any other sugar substitute? If so, what would the quantity of the sugar substitute be?
Hi Fatima, unfortunately I’ve never tried to use these sugar substitutes in this recipe, so I really couldn’t say.
I love it!
Hey what would be weight of each egg? We get size 6 7 8 here. So not sure which ones to get
Hi Hina, I use UK medium/US large eggs, which on average weigh 60g (with shell).
hi, can I use a loaf pan instead of the springform pan? thank you 🙂
I don’t recommend it, as a loaf tin has a significantly smaller volume and might overflow.
Hi! I’ve made this and I loved it but I think I used too much of a dark chocolate (100%), it turned quite bitter for some, should I just add sugar? Or simply use 65-75%? Also, does this dry out while baking? Not sure if my cake was dry or what the texture should should be. Thanks!
It would be easiest if you used a 65-75% dark chocolate, as this is what the recipe was optimised for. The cake should be quite fudgy (yet also airy, not too dense) when baked. If yours was too dry, it’s probably because you used a 100% chocolate – it’s almost like you added more cocoa powder into the recipe, making it dry!
Hi! Would it be possible to add an extra egg white or remove an egg yolk? I have another recipe I’m making and it requires an egg yolk and I don’t want to let the other half go to waste…
I honestly couldn’t say with 100% certainty, since I haven’t tested it. That said, while I wouldn’t remove an egg yolk, I think adding an extra egg white should be fine.
Im quite surprised that this recipe does not include any vanilla extract. I’ve tried making flourless chocolate cake before but it turned out eggy in taste and wasn’t satisfying, i hope this is not the case with this recipe!
Hi Mobina, You can definitely add vanilla extract of vanilla bean paste to the recipe – but in my opinion, it really doesn’t need it due to the richness of the chocolate and cocoa powder.
Can one sub cacao powder?
I haven’t tried it myself, but it should work.
Any way i can make this eggless? 🙁
This recipe unfortunately relies on eggs for its structure, but I’m working on an eggless/vegan flourless chocolate cake recipe – it’s just not quite there yet!
Can I add flour for this?
As this is a flourless chocolate cake recipe, that would slightly defeat its purpose… as well as change the texture of the cake. I do have many other chocolate cake recipes on the blog, maybe check them out!
I have really good quality dark chocolate chips can I use this to sub for the bar? Grazi
I don’t think it will work as well as with chocolate, since chocolate chips contain additional ingredients that help them keep their shape even at high temperatures – so they melt in a different way to chocolate. You’ll probably still get delicious results but the texture and appearance will probably be different.
Hi Kat, Thank you! This cake is amazing. I used coconut sugar and it turned out great. Stay healthy and all the best from Berlin!
Hiiii, I’m making this cake bit the centre wont set. Anysuggestions?
Thank you in advance.
The centre is meant to remain slightly gooey/fudgy – it’s a wonderful combination of textures. It will set on cooling, enough to be able to slice it easily.
Made this dairy free. Brought it in to my office and it was a massive hit! Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Emma.
Please could you tell me how you made this dairy free. Much appreciated. Thank you
This recipe turned out beautifully!! I had to double the it because I needed to take two cakes someplace. It took a bit longer in my oven than stated in the recipe, probably because I had two of them in there at once. The only change I made was I added about 1/2 teaspoon of espresso powder in with the cocoa powder. The cakes are so good I can’t stand it. And thank you for the perfectly clear and descriptive directions, and for showing the ingredients IN GRAMS!!!!!! I love that!! A deceptively simple dessert for something that turns out so impressive. This one is going into the repertoire for sure.
Hi I would like to known if I could use coconut sugar in place of the white sugar when beating it with the egg whites?
I haven’t tried it, but based on previous experience from other recipes, it should work great! 🙂
So glad I found your site and can’t wait to try your recipe as I just had my first flourless cake and it was so good! What brands of chocolates do you recommend as far as bar or powder go? Is this a bakers secret or is it okay to ask? Thank you for sharing your craft.
No secret at all – I swear by Guittard chocolate and cocoa powder. But in general, any good quality chocolate (60%+ cocoa solids) you like the flavour of should work well! 🙂
Soooo good! This is gonna become my staple chocolate cake recipe!
Do you use Dutch process cocoa or natural for this recipe? Looks amazing!
I’ve used Dutch processed cocoa powder, I prefer the depth of flavour it gives to the cake!
Any ideas for making this for someone with an egg allergy? Aquafaba works as a meringue substitute. Maybe heavy cream standing in for egg yolks?
I would try making the cake with whipped aquafaba and an increased amount of butter to counteract the absence of the fattier/richer egg yolks.
Hi Kat. What a decadent cake! I have the same question… how much aquafaba should we use? And how much more butter to put?
I’m still working on my eggless/vegan flourless chocolate cake recipe, so unfortunately can’t help you with the aquafaba quantity – yet!
Thank you for this lovely recipe! I’ve made it once and loved it, but I have a couple questions for the second bake: One, should it be placed on the center rack of the oven, or the top third, to get that crispy top? Mine was delicious but not crispy when baked on the middle rack. Second, do you use sweetened or unsweetened chocolate? Thank you so much again!
Hi Shonna! I always bake it on the centre/middle rack. The “crispy” crackly top has to do with the whipping of the eggs, not the baking. So if you didn’t get the distinct top, just whip the eggs+sugar a bit longer next time. 🙂
Hi, is using less, eg. 4 eggs ok as well?
I would recommend just halving the whole recipe – changing only the number of eggs (and keeping all the other ingredient quantities the same) would mess with the texture, and I can’t guarantee that the results will be as delicious.
Hi! Can i substitute sugar with stevia or monk fruit or Any other sugar substitute?
Hi Cristina, I know the recipe works with an equal quantity of coconut sugar as a substitute. However, I don’t think stevia or monk sugar will give the same texture, as the cake relies on the whipped egg+sugar mixture for its lightness.
Hi,
Is it ok if I replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar? Thank you.
That’s perfectly fine – the cake might be slightly fudgier with brown sugar (which absorbs more moisture), but that’s never a problem when it comes to chocolate cake! 😉
Hello,
Is there any way to make this dairy free as well? I’m completely unfamiliar with dairy-free baking, and wanted to bake this for my friend who is both gluten and dairy free.
Hi there! You should be able to substitute butter with a margarine or coconut oil. 🙂
Hi, should the butter be room temp or not? Thanks
Hi Gee Ann, as the butter is melted together with the chocolate, the temperature of the butter isn’t important.
Hi do you think I can use keto sugar replacement like stevia or erythritol? Thanks!
Hi Nicole, I know the recipe works with an equal quantity of coconut sugar as a substitute. However, I don’t think stevia or erythritol will give the same texture, as the cake relies on the whipped egg+sugar mixture for its lightness.