A flourless chocolate cake is one of those restaurant-style desserts that it’s tempting to think is too fussy to make at home. It’s naturally gluten free, and easy to whip one up at home any time.
I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about flourless chocolate cake. Not just anything should be able to call itself by the name. And it is a cake. It is not a brownie.
Brownies can be cakey or fudgy, but if you’ve made proper brownie, no one will describe it as light. A proper flourless chocolate cake, made with the right ingredients and method, should be both rich and light.
Although none of this is truly important, in the world of things that are actually important in life. But all of it is “important,” in the sense that I care about it and want to show you the right way, as ridiculous as I realize I sound. Fair enough?
Is it really flourless?
Unlike some other desserts that some like to call “flourless,” this decadent chocolate creation is actually without flour of any kind. There are no grains or anything ground into a flour-like powder at all used in the making of this cake.
If it calls for almond flour, it’s not flourless. Oats or oat flour? Again, not flourless. If you have some chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar and cocoa powder, you can have flourless chocolate cake.
Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, the quality of the chocolate and cocoa powder matters quite a lot. Use the best you can come by. Using Dutch-processed cocoa powder will make for a smoother, less acidic cake. And remember that the melted chocolate is the star of the show, so its quality will shine through as well.
If you’re looking for a flourless peanut butter creation, try my recipe for Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies, which are very lightly sweet and healthy enough to have for breakfast (really). For instant gratification, my Flourless Chocolate Mug Cake (made with nut butter) is also a great choice.
What pan, what method?
This recipe doesn’t call for a water bath or any other sort of fanciness. It’s not a cheesecake, but it’s going to fall and crack a bit after it’s baked. It’s meant to. I promise.
You can make the cake without beating the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter. Simply beat the sugar egg whites and eggs vigorously until pale yellow in color before whisking in the cocoa powder and the melted butter and chocolate. Your cake will be more dense and even more fudge-like.
The truth is, for flourless chocolate cake, cheesecake or virtually anything else, I hate using springform pans. I’ll do almost anything to avoid them.
They tend to leak, they’re confusing to assemble if you’re not really on your game (which is the top, which is the bottom, for crying out loud?), and they’re just crazy hard to clean. But for this cake, you’re best off using one. (I have a link to my favorite springform pan so far in my shop, if you’d like to check it out.)
If you don’t have a springform pan, though, just use a round cake pan. The sky will not fall. I do recommend that you chill the cake for at least an hour in the refrigerator before transferring it carefully to a serving dish—whether you use a springform pan or not. Once it’s chilled, the cake will become much more firm and stable.
Don’t panic (!)
If you’ve never made a flourless chocolate cake before, you may find its tendency to rise like a regular cake and then fall abruptly after it is removed from the oven rather alarming. No worries. That’s what it is meant to do.
If you do use a springform pan that is dark in color, start watching it closely at 20 minutes as it will have more of a tendency to burn. You’re less than an hour away from creating the ultimate restaurant-quality, naturally gluten free flourless chocolate cake in your very own kitchen.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Dairy-Free: If you’d like to make this cake without dairy, it’s relatively easy to find a dairy free dark chocolate. The only other dairy containing ingredient is the butter in this cake, and it can easily be replaced with Earth Balance buttery sticks. The cake may rise a bit and fall a bit more, due to the extra moisture, but it will still be rich and fudgy.
Egg Free and Vegan: Once this cake is dairy free, it’s a short step to making it vegan if you replace the eggs. However, that’s a tall order. There are not only three eggs, but two egg whites in the recipe. The two egg whites can possibly be replaced by aquafaba, although I haven’t experimented with that replacement.
Generally, my favorite replacement for whole eggs is one “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground chia seeds mixed with 1 tablespoon lukewarm water until it gels). But I generally only recommend replacing up to 2 eggs per recipe with chia eggs. It’s a risk, but if you’re vegan it might be worth it!
Chocolate-Free: Haha just kidding this is a rich chocolate cake. No making it without chocolate, silly!
Links:
Guide To Chocolate Varieties
Springform pan recommendations
Dutch-processed versus natural cocoa powders
HELLO! I’m Nicole! I make gluten-free food enjoyable & affordable. If they can make it with gluten, we can make it without. That’s a promise!
Comments are closed.
Can this be made in individual ramekins?
I’m afraid you’ll have to experiment, Ellen. I haven’t tested that!
I noticed that you used granulated sugar. I have a condition that doesn’t allow me to use white granulated sugar I have to use something like Agave Nectar as my sweetener. I also know you use 1/2 to 2/3 cup of agave in place of 1 cup of white sugar. This also requires you to decrease your liquid ingredients by the same ratio the only liquid you shouldn’t reduce is oil that should stay the same. This would then make it also good for diabetics as the glycemic index is low and won’t spike the sugar count. Is it possible to create this dessert using agave
As I’ve stated in other comments, Shirley, you can’t replace a granulated sweetener 1:1 with a liquid one. You’ll have to experiment!
Oh…I found the oven temp!
Thank you!
OMG I made the flour less chocolate cake today. It was DELICIOUS and so very easy to make. I had visitors coming and it smelt soo good when they walked in the door ad I was just about to take it out of the oven. I cannot wait to make it again. Oh how that had given my GF life a much needed boost having only been on it now for about 6 weeks. Oh what a treat.
Thankyou so very much for such a awesome recipe x
Looking forward to trying this one. We L-o-v-e-d the black beans & choc brownies – absolutely wonderful, and froze well too. They’re a keeper. Thanks so much.
I loooove those, too, Debra!
Looks amazing. I love how you are always experimenting. My cooking and baking are definitely always evolving too. Thanks for sharing your creative recipes!!
Just a question regarding the “dark chocolate.” With so many varieties on the market these days, is there a certain brand or % chocolate I should use? (I personally eat 85% dark chocolate, but think I read somewhere that in recipes we should use 600% chocolate). Or maybe, as someone said above, just “bittersweet”?
I personally like to use a chocolate that is 72%, but any of them will work. It’s really to taste, Coleen!
Hi Nicole,
I’m not a good baker/cook but would like to make this for my daughter that is GF/DF (butter should be fine) and as low sugar as possible. I’m hoping you can tell me the most basic way to make this. Can I do it in a 9X13 glass pan and just cut pcs out? Do I need to grease the pan first? With butter or oil? Is there any better substitute for the white sugar?? Thank you for the help. Hoping my daughter has something yummy for Easter dinner.
As I explained in the earlier comments, Lisa, I haven’t tested this recipe with any substitutions. You do need the sugar. I do not recommend a 9-inch x 13-inch pan, no. As I discuss in the recipe, if you don’t have a springform pan, use a round cake pan.
hello Nicole ,how far ahead could i make this cake eg in the morning ,for a dinner party many thanks in advance Love Carmen
You can definitely make this pretty far in advance, Carmen. It freezes really well, even.
I am allergic to eggs, will aquafaba (chickpea water) work as an egg replacement for this recipe? 😁
I haven’t tested this recipe with an egg substitution, Mitch. I’ve been working a bit with aquafaba, but I haven’t tested it in this recipe. Even if it did work, that won’t substitute for the egg yolks. I’m afraid that is a very big substitution in a cake like this, and I’m not too optimistic. Sorry!
Do you think you could substitute with organic cane sugar or some type of organic sugar or even maple sugar as a natural sweetener?
Yes…curious if I can use coconut sugar instead? We don’t buy white sugar. Also, what brand of cocoa powder is suggested??
I haven’t tried this recipe with any substitutions, Rachael, but generally coconut sugar is not a good replacement for granulated sugar, but for brown sugar. So I don’t recommend it here. I like Rodelle brand of Dutch-processed cocoa powder best.
Just want to let you know I’m so appreciative for all your recipes. You truly are an inspiration to people like myself and my family who have so many issues with IBS and colitis and sensitivity problems. So thank you and have a nice day ❤️
Hi Nicole, I have recently made this cake and I can attest to its deliciousness! I am impressed and grateful for your desire to make the best tasting food (not just “good for gluten-free”)! As someone who loves to bake and was feeling that I would no longer create delicious baked goods, you have proved that it is possible to still rock some awesome food! Thank you!
Hi Nicole, can cacao powder be substituted for unsweetened cocoa powder? I live in Aus and have never seen unsweetened cocoa powder.
Any cocoa powder that you buy that says 100% cocoa powder is unsweetened. The dutch stuff that aldi sells from time to time is awsome for cakes like this. Or Nestle cocoa powder is good too, it is unsweetened it just doesn’t actually advertise it. P.s. I live in Australia too.
Thanks Victoria :)
Can this be made with a butter substitute? I can’t do dairy
You can try using virgin coconut oil one for one, Julie, but I haven’t tried it so I’m not sure if it would work!
I had AWESOME success by replacing the butter with Earth Balance’s Soy Free baking sticks and nondairy chocolate chips. Top it with whipped coconut cream and it’s amazing!!
I made this last night but played with the proportions a bit and used 2 7″ springform pans since it is just the hubs and I. ;)
Here are my notes (in case it’s helpful):
12 oz chocolate (I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chips)
6 eggs (4 whites, 6 yolks)
1 cp Sugar
No chg to butter or cocoa
Baking time was nearly the same, but I started checking at 2. :)
Made a lovely dessert for us and one to share with the neighbors!
Thanks Nicole!!! You’re a RockStar in the Kitchen, GF or not!
Hugs,
Annette Coats
(aka. The Newbie)
This was absolutely delicious. Thanks so much for the fantastic recipe. We’re newbies to this lifestyle and are very thankful for everything you’re willing to share. Checked the book out at the library and have made just 2 recipes from it but hubs says you are a lifesaver. Looks like you have another believer…and another book (or both) sale. Thanks a million!
Do you have any calorie/carb/fat/fiber information? It is a pain having to be gluten free, dealing with a few other tummy issues and trying to count points with Weight Watchers. Love your recipes~
The best way is to enter the ingredients into an online point counter. Nicole doesn’t add this to her recipies but it’s easy to do yourself online.
If you have online tools, you can use the recipe builder tool and it will calculate your points based on the ingredients. I just did that with the lava cakes. I put a link in my description back to the blog post. (And I own the books, too…love this blog and what you do, Nicole. I have been giddy making things from GFOAS Bakes Bread! I never thought I could do a yeasty bread dough gluten free!)
If I wasn’t sick, I’d be making this for myself RIGHT NOW!
I love flourless chocolate cake! One place I worked as a pastry chef we would make these 10 at a time! That wasn’t as fun.. I bake mine in a solid, parchment lined pan in a water path at 300F with top of the pan covered in foil for many hours (3-4) until it looks set and the top is matte not glossy. Cool gently at room temp in the water bath for a couple hours and refrigerate. Once it’s chilled it turns right out of the pan and the consistency is like fudge. So good. Just thought an alternate baking option might interest you :)
Thanks so much for everything you do, you make being GF so much easier!!
I am totally going to make this for my 2 sweet Valentine’s tomorrow! I thought I had a stand-by recipe already but yours has more chocolate and I like the addition of the egg whites. Still think I’ll add the Frangelico to mine, but that’s only because I have some in the cupboard. Thank you for your witty sense of humor…it makes my day!
Oh by all means add some booze, Justice! Perhaps not for the children, but who am I to judge. :)
xoxo Nicole
Now I need to buy a springform pan!
Oh, no, Pam! You can totally make in a solid-sided pan, but maybe try a tart pan. The low sides will make it easier to get out of the pan. Springforms pans are so fussy!
xoxo Nicole
Oh no you didn’t! Now, I just need to make it look like PF Chiang’s Chocolate Dome Cake and my daughter will be over the moon!
this looks frickin’ awesome!!! Will have to try! <3
I have made flourless peanutbutter cookies but this is the first flourless chocolate cake recipe I’ve seen. Will have to try this one soon! Thans, Nicole!
I making this. I’ve made other flourless chocolate cakes but this one seems different enough (in a wonderful way) that I want to try again. yum yum yum
Ooh! I’ve been trying to figure out what I could make in my new heart-shaped springform pan. This looks like the winner! Thanks for the recipe! Love your blog! xoxo, Amy
A heart-shaped springform pan, huh, Amy? Go for it. Me? I’d line up someone who promises to clean that pan (oh the crevices when it’s heart-shaped!!) before making the cake. :)
xoxo Nicole
Oh, how I do enjoy your posts! The pictures are gorgeous, sure, very “pin-able” for those Pinterest addicts (just joined!) but I’m really here for the writing, Nicole. You crack me up! And we happen to share a severe dislike of dirtying too many dishes (not to mention the Cuisinart) and dropping expletives along with whatever falls in the floor. Thanks for laughs and this insane looking cake.
-Dana
That is one of the very many reasons that I so enjoy your virtual company, Dana. We speak each other’s unspoken language. :)
xoxo Nicole
I love flourless chocolate cake! I used to make it all the time. You’re right, it’s not too tricky, and it’s totally worth it.
You crack me up, Nicole. I echo your sentiments about cleaning springform pans…but alas, sometimes they are necessary. I’ve had a ton of requests for a flourless chocolate cake and have been on the search. I’m going to make your recipe. I like how it looks a bit less gummy and undercooked than most recipes I’ve seen. Lovely!
Mel! You’re here! If I had known you were coming, I might have cleaned the place up. I’d be so honored if you tried my humble little recipe. :)
xoxo Nicole
My Kitchenaid broke :( (it was my 17th birthday present) and I’m still waiting on our tax return to replace it, but THIS will be the first thing I make when I’m back on action.
Yep, this is the one. Thank you so much for all you do for us gf sweet lovers out here. You just made my Valentine happy!