Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cake

This Flourless Chocolate Cake is supremely fudge-like with deep chocolate flavor and inherently gluten-free. You’ll love how easily this cake comes together for no-fuss perfection. It’s simply a chocolate cake recipe that does not miss, plus it’s topped with chocolate ganache for the ultimate chocolate-lovers dream come true!

Chocolate cake, dang near any chocolate cake, is probably my most favorite dessert of all time. I’m used to making flour-based cakes, but wanted to set my sights on developing a flourless one. And here we have this sexy, tasty beauty. Every time I make it, it doesn’t last long at all. If you enjoy a good slice of chocolate cake, you’re gonna love this flourless chocolate cake version, y’all.

Flourless Chocolate Cake 🤩

This flourless chocolate cake has a fudge-like bite with heaps of flavor and plenty of chocolate essence. It’s perfectly sweet without any cloying going on, and topped with chocolate ganache to reign in on that full, decadent chocolate cake experience. If you’ve never had flourless chocolate cake before, let this one right here be your first. Minimal ingredients and so easy to bake up, too!

⇢ If you love chocolate desserts, you can’t miss my double chocolate bundt cake or this gluten-free chocolate cake…either one is a real good time!

Flourless Chocolate Cake Ingredients:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips: This cake has two chocolate-centered components, and chocolate chips is one of them.
• Butter: For richness and flavor, butter is key!
• Granulated sugar: We gotta have some sugar for sweetness.
• Brown sugar: This compliments the overall flavor with the touch of molasses.
• Instant espresso powder: Any great chocolate cake recipe should have this, imo. Coffee provides a depth of flavor that enhances and deepens chocolate notes, making it more pronounced. No, the cake will not taste like coffee at all, no worries. I keep this one stocked in my pantry! ☕️
• Salt: To help provide balance and bring out the flavor.
• Vanilla extract: The flavoring of vanilla essence in baking is unmatched.
• Eggs: Because this is a flourless chocolate cake, eggs are the backbone of this cake, y’all. With the absence of flour, eggs provide structure and a lift that mimics gluten which produces a fluffy lightness.
• Dutch-process cocoa powder: This type of cocoa powder is washed with an alkalizing agent that lessens the acidity of natural cocoa powder. Dutch process cocoa powder creates an even tastier chocolate product because it is more pure and allows the chocolate flavor to truly shine through.
• & for the ganache: semi-sweet chocolate chips + heavy whipping cream.

How To Make Flourless Chocolate Cake- sooo easy & just a few steps:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray an 8-inch round springform pan with baking spray or grease well with butter. You can use a regular round 8-inch cake pan, but a springform pan will make it much easier to remove the cake.
2. Melt chocolate chips & butter. Combine the chocolate chips and butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl and heat mixture in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.
3. Bring cake batter together. In the same bowl, add in the granulated sugar, brown sugar, espresso powder, salt, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk the mixture well to thoroughly combine. Then fold in the cocoa powder with a rubber spatula until the batter is just combined.
4. Bake. Pour cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake the cake for 25 minutes, until the cake is mostly set with the slightest jiggle in the center. Let cake cool completely in the pan before topping with ganache.
5. Heat chocolate chips & cream. Combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat mixture in 30 second intervals; stirring in between until well combined and smooth.
6. Top cake with ganache. Pour the ganache over the cooled chocolate cake while still in the pan. Use an offset spatula to spread the ganache to the cake edges. Let the ganache set on top of the cake, about 30 minutes or so. Then move the cake to a cake stand or large plate.
7. Serve. Garnish the flourless chocolate cake with raspberries, if desired. Then slice into wedges and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tips + Tricks, Notes & FAQs

You may have additional questions about this flourless chocolate cake recipe. Like other recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info:

• Butter replacement– Use melted coconut oil if you’d like.
• Granulated sugar sub– Coconut sugar would work well here, too.
• Can I make this cake dairy-free?– Sure thing, let’s do it…use your favorite dairy-free chocolate chips and vegan butter for the cake. And then swap the heavy cream for coconut cream and that should work nicely for the ganache.
• Can I make this cake vegan?– I haven’t tested this recipe in a vegan format. However, in addition to the above swaps, I think flax eggs might work here in place of regular eggs. Let us know if you tried making this recipe vegan!
• Decorating your flourless chocolate cake– Fresh raspberries on top is my go-to because the richness from the cake and then the tart, sweet raspberries…swoon. Although, you can garnish with other berries, shaved chocolate, a dusting of powdered sugar, or keep it plain…it’s still equally delicious!

How Do I Check For Doneness?

This is a great question! Because this cake is flourless (and fudgy), we can’t do the old toothpick-in-the-center-of-the-cake-check here. Instead, once you achieve the 25 minutes on the baking time, look for the cake to be mostly set with the slightest jiggle in the center when nudged.

Storing & Freezing Flourless Chocolate Cake:

• To store: Keep the cake covered in a cake dome or covered well with foil. It’ll keep on the counter at room temperature for 1-2 days. Alternatively, store it in the refrigerator. Note: this cake will harden in the fridge, so let it sit out for some time to come up to room temperature prior to serving.
• To freeze: This chocolate cake also freezes really well! Wrap well in plastic wrap, and then foil or a freezer-safe bag for best results. It’ll keep for a good couple of months if not longer. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

This Flourless Chocolate Cake is insanely good, friends. It’s a chocolate-filled dream that’s so fudgy and rich and decadent. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Other sweets you don’t wanna miss:

• Lemon Sweet Rolls
• Sweet Potato Pound Cake
• Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats
• Easy Apple Crisp
• Zucchini Cake w/ Cream Cheese Frosting

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