Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is the best flourless chocolate cake recipe! It’s made in one bowl, super fudgy and delicious topped with fresh berries. It’s naturally gluten free and so easy to make.

I love making traditional cakes into gluten free cakes (that you can never tell are gluten free by the way!) with different types of flour, but sometimes a flourless chocolate cake just needs to happen!

When you’re craving something rich and fudgy but still so easy to make, this recipe is for you. It’s made with just 5 basic ingredients plus salt and vanilla and takes a mere 10 minutes to put together.

This recipe makes just a one layer cake so it’s perfect for a small group. If you love this recipe, try my almond flour chocolate cake or chocolate peppermint cake next!

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Rich & decadent
• One bowl
• Naturally gluten free
• Dairy free friendly
• 5 key ingredients

How to make flourless chocolate cake

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and line an 8 inch round baking pan. Be sure to grease the sides really well. I like to use these parchment rounds to make things easier!

Weigh 6 ounces of your chocolate chips and add to a mixing bowl.

Add in the butter and melt in 25 second increments in the microwave, stirring between each, until fully melted. Add in the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Whisk well to combine.

Add in the cocoa powder and salt and mix until smooth. Transfer to your prepared pan.

Bake for 25-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean, 27 minutes is usually perfect in my oven but all ovens are different.

Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully flip onto a wire rack. The top of the cake is now the bottom. Let cool completely.

Serve with fresh berries and powdered sugar! I added a bit of cocoa powder to some whipped cream and used that as a frosting, but it is plenty delicious without any! Try my raspberry chocolate cake next!

Key ingredients

EGGS. Eggs are essential in a flourless chocolate cake! Well, most flourless recipes for that matter! They provide the structure to the cake and help it rise since we aren’t using any leavening agents.

BUTTER. Butter will add a nice richness to the cake. For a dairy free option, I suggest a vegan butter like Earth Balance.

CHOCOLATE CHIPS. We’ll melt 6 ounces of chocolate chips to give this cake a really rich flavor.

COCOA. Cocoa powder will not only add a chocolate flavor, but it will also help absorb some of the wet ingredients since we aren’t using any flour.

SUGAR. I used regular white sugar which I recommend here! It will help yield the lightest texture because white sugar doesn’t have as much moisture. This cake is already on the dense/rich side, so I suggest white sugar so it doesn’t get too dense.

Serving suggestions

Since flourless chocolate cake is already quite rich, almost like a flourless brownie, I don’t like to top it off with super sweet frosting like a buttercream.

Instead, I usually opt for fresh berries and a dusting of powdered sugar. For these photos, I mixed together a bit of cocoa powder with whipped cream for a light topping to balance the richness of the cake.

Ingredient swaps

DAIRY. You can easily make this cake dairy free by subbing the butter for dairy free/vegan butter like Earth Balance. For the best flavor and texture, I do not recommend oil here.

EGGS. Unfortunately, eggs are really essential in a flourless cake! They provide structure because of the protein in the egg white and also help the cake rise. Flourless recipes are very tough to do vegan, so please don’t try any egg substitutes in this recipe!

Frequently asked questions

What do flourless cakes use instead of flour?

Without flour, we need something to provide structure, so we use 3 large eggs. The protein from the whisked egg whites will mimic the effect of gluten, giving the cake a really fluffy, yet still somewhat dense and fudgy, texture.

Is flourless cake gluten free?

Yes! This cake has no flour and therefore no gluten. But don’t let that deter you if gluten free isn’t your thing because it just so happens to be my speciality!

How do I store chocolate cake?

Once prepared, this flourless chocolate cake will keep for about 3-5 days. I suggest storing it in the fridge to ensure maximum freshness. You can also freeze this cake! Once baked, allow to cool completely, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag. Let thaw before decorating/serving.

More chocolate recipes!

• Brownie Cookies
• Almond Flour Chocolate Cupcakes
• Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Vegan Chocolate Cake
• Oat Flour Brownies
• Gluten Free Snack Cake

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