The most chocolatey and fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe of your life! You will not believe how easy this cake is to put together. No water baths, no flipping the cake upside down, and it’s all made in one bowl. Top the whole cake with a silky chocolate ganache and you are on your way to fudgy cake heaven! Originally published May 5, 2020.
Table of Contents
- BEST flourless chocolate cake…really.
- What is a flourless chocolate cake?
- Why you’ll love flourless chocolate cake
- Easy flourless chocolate cake ingredients
- The best flourless chocolate cake frosting: ganache!
- Tools to use for flourless chocolate cake
- What to serve with flourless chocolate cake
- How to store and freeze this cake
- More like this flourless chocolate cake recipe:
- Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ganache Recipe
Happy Tuesday! How is everybody holding up lately? The days are all starting to blur together in quarantine. Lately I’ve been phoning it in, so to speak. You know when your kids are talking at you, and you’ve basically put on the recording that goes, “Uh-huh” “Okay” and “That’s cool” every few seconds? You don’t even have to look up most of the time, I’ve found. I’m getting pretty good at it.
But the joke was on me today. Valentine the 3 year old just said, “Blah blah blah.” and I said “Oh really, that’s cool.” And then about 5 seconds go by and my brain catches up to what she said:
“Playdough is really fun to put on your tongue.” WHAT NO IT’S NOT! Gah! This is what I get for half-momming it over here! I think I might be turning into an actual robot.
BEST flourless chocolate cake…really.
Today’s flourless chocolate cake recipe is from my cousin Misty! She is an insanely fabulous baker. (She ought to be, she is my Aunt Shirley’s daughter. Those of you who have been around here a while know all about the magic that comes from Aunt Shirley’s kitchen!)
Misty runs a legit bakery up in Albany, Oregon called Sugar Mama’s Sugar Shop. She makes the most amazing cakes, cookies, truffles, you name it! I’m seriously jealous that I don’t live near enough to buy her stuff on the regular. If you are in the area, check out her Facebook page and put in an order!!
But for the rest of us, we will have to make our own cake, and lucky for us today, Misty let me have one of her famous recipes. This flourless chocolate cake with ganache is INSANE my friends.
Featured Comment
“OMG this was delicious!!! Quite easy to make and definitely will impress anyone you serve it to! I topped with raspberries, which was delectable.” – Nathan
What is a flourless chocolate cake?
A flourless chocolate cake is based on eggs, chocolate, and cocoa powder: no flour in sight. This means it’s a great option for your gluten-free friends and family, as long as you use a gluten-free brand of chocolate chips, like Nestle (always check the package to be sure). It’s dense, fudgy, and rich, and absolutely no one will miss the flour!
Why you’ll love flourless chocolate cake
Here’s why this flourless cake recipe is so great:
- It’s made in one bowl in about 5 minutes (no mixer necessary!)
- You don’t have to do a water bath
- You don’t have to flip the cake
- It’s so stupid easy, your kid could whip it up for you. (As long as you don’t turn on the “Okay” and “uh huh” recording. They will be too mad at you.)
Easy flourless chocolate cake ingredients
The ingredients are simple and probably stuff you already have on hand! Jump to the recipe for full details.
- butter
- chocolate chips
- brown sugar
- white sugar
- salt
- vanilla
- cocoa powder
- eggs
Simple, right? I researched several different flourless chocolate cake recipes to see if Misty’s was like any of them. Some are similar, but none of them have as much butter as this recipe. This is why I like Misty. Butter is where it’s at and she knows it.
The result is a ridiculously fudgy specimen of chocolatey goodness.
What I did find in my research is that people on the interwebs really like to complicate their lives. Some recipes call for a fancy water bath or steam situation, and almost every single one I saw calls for flipping the baked cake onto a serving platter at the end. I don’t know about you, but cake flipping is always a little nerve-wracking! I like to avoid it when I can! Instead of a cake pan, I bake this flourless cake in an 8-inch springform pan. No nerve-wracking-flipping to stress about. (If all you have is a cake pan, then flip away, your cake will be great and it won’t fall apart on you IF you use parchment paper. Think positive!)
The best flourless chocolate cake frosting: ganache!
There’s really only one way to make this flourless chocolate cake even more over-the-top amazing: add a thick layer of ganache on top!
Ganache is just straight up cream mixed with some chocolate. (And throw in some butter at the end, because butter makes the world go round. Are you catching the theme here??) The result is a dreamy, silky chocolate sauce that will firm up to be sliceable at room temperature, but not so firm that it takes away from the soft fudgy bite of your flourless chocolate cake. It is truly the perfect compliment.
Tools to use for flourless chocolate cake
These are my favorite kitchen tools to use when I’m making Flourless Chocolate Cake. If you don’t have these, no big deal!
What to serve with flourless chocolate cake
In my opinion, the ganache topping is not optional. This is an ultra decadent cake, don’t wimp out on me here you guys. But if you want to go even further down the path to deliciousness, here are some ideas for what to serve with flourless chocolate cake:
- vanilla ice cream
- fresh whipped cream
- dust with powdered sugar
- dust with cocoa powder
- garnish with fresh berries (raspberries or strawberries)
- garnish with the raspberry sauce from this recipe
- serve with this Fresh Strawberry Topping
- drizzle with melted peanut butter
- top with toasted sliced almonds
- drizzle with caramel sauce
How to store and freeze this cake
Store this cake in the fridge. It’s very moist and fudgy and will stay much fresher refrigerated. If you’d like to freeze it, make sure that it’s wrapped tightly so it doesn’t get dry or freezer burned. When you’re ready to eat it, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator. You could also store individual slices for a wildly decadent treat anytime!
More like this flourless chocolate cake recipe:
- Sensationally Smooth Chocolate Cheesecake >> seriously the best chocolate cheesecake! It’s so smooth and creamy!
- The Best Chocolate Cake I’ve Ever Had >> no lie. Still true to this day!
- The Only Texas Sheet Cake You’ll Ever Need >> Everyone needs a perfect Texas sheet cake recipe! So fudgy
- My Mom’s Fudge >> my blog explodes every Christmas with people looking for this recipe. It’s a favorite!
- Absolutely The Best Brownie Recipe I Have Ever Made >> forever and always my favorite, brown butter ftw
- The Best Bakery Style Double Chocolate Chip Cookies >> these are indescribably rich, it’s insanity
- Mint Chocolate Brownies >> so ridiculously fudgy!
- Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake from A Farmgirl’s Dabbles
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting from Created by Diane
- German Chocolate Cake from The Recipe Rebel
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Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ganache
Ingredients
For the flourless cake
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup salted butter, (2 sticks)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa, sifted
For the ganache
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, along the bottom and up the sides.* Set aside.
- In a large microwaveable bowl, add 1 cup + 2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips and 1 cup salted butter. Microwave on high in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until it is mostly melted. Then stir it together until it is completely smooth. Be careful, chocolate scorches easily, so keep an eye on it.
- Add 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir until well combined.
- Add 3 large eggs to the bowl and beat with a spoon or whisk until combined.
- Use a strainer to sift 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder into the bowl. Mix just until combined and no further. Once all the cocoa streaks are gone, stop stirring, just like you would do for brownies.
- When the batter is all mixed together, pour it into the prepared springform pan (or see notes for how to make this in an 8-inch cake pan.)
- Bake at 325 for 30-32 minutes. This cake is best slightly under baked, just like brownies. The edges of this cake will rise a bit more than the center. The best way to test for doneness is to shake the pan. When the center of the cake wiggles the same amount as the edges, then you will know it’s done. If the center of the cake looks liquidy or sloshy, leave it in a few more minutes. You can do a toothpick test; look for wet crumbs, not a clean toothpick. The cake may still be just a little shiny in the center when you take it out, and that’s okay.
- Take the cake out of the oven. Place the cake near your warm oven, on top of it if possible. Just like cheesecake, the slower your cake cools down, the less likely it is to crack on top. The cake will continue setting up for a little while in the pan. Let the cake cool completely. (If you are using a cake pan and need to flip your cake, flip it onto your serving platter before adding the ganache. See note.)
- Make the ganache. In a small bowl, add 1/3 cup cream. Microwave the cream in 30 second increments, checking it frequently until you see small bubbles along the edge of the bowl. Do no let it boil.
- Add 2/3 cup chocolate chips but do not stir. Let it sit for about a minute to let the chocolate melt.
- Whisk the chocolate and cream together until completely smooth.
- Add in 2 tablespoons butter and stir until smooth.
- Pour the ganache over the cooled flourless cake.
- Cover the cake and chill in the fridge for about an hour to help the ganache set up. Or you can let it set up at room temperature for a couple hours.
- Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife and release the spring on the pan.
- Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar before serving. Or serve with whipped cream! Other topping ideas: Fresh raspberries or strawberries. Fresh whipped cream. Drizzle with melted peanut butter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Top with toasted sliced almonds. Sky is the limit here!
- You can store this cake covered on the counter for the first 24 hours. After that I would store well-covered in the fridge.
Would you make 2 for a crowd or would there be a way to double it and put in a 9×13?
Hm Heather I think I would just make two! I would be nervous about translating this to a larger pan. Let me know if you try it out and how it goes! If you don’t have two springform pans, follow the instructions in the notes for making the second one in a cake pan with parchment. I hope it works out and you love it! My brother just made this recently and told me how much he loves it 💕
Thank you! I’ve actually made it quite a few times and absolutely love it. It’s always a hit so it tends to be a go to for birthdays, etc. Do you know if anyone has ever tried in a muffin tin?
Would love to know if you can make this ahead of time and if so, do you refrigerate it or just leave it out overnight? Thanks!
Hi Aimee! You can definitely make this ahead of time and it’s fine to leave it on the counter, covered with plastic wrap or a cake dome. Enjoy!
I actually think it tastes better on the second or third day!
OMG this was delicious!!! Quite easy to make and definitely will impress anyone you serve it to! I know the serving size says 10, but it is incredibly rich and could easily serve 12 or 15.
I topped with raspberries, which was delectable.
Thanks Nathan!! This serves 10 Zacharias’. Maybe 12 to 15 lightweights. 😂
Have you made this in a 10inch spring form?
That’s all I have?
Hi there, while we haven’t tested this one in a 10 inch pan, you definitely can do it. You’ll just want to check several minutes earlier to see if it’s done and remember that it won’t rise as high as an 8 inch would. It should still be delicious :-) Enjoy!