Indulge in the decadent richness of this flourless chocolate cake that is both gluten-free and low in sugar. With a deep chocolate flavor and moist texture, this simple recipe will satisfy your sweet cravings without the guilt!
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Gluten-free - I can never resist this indulgent chocolate dessert. It is deceptively easy to make, not overly sweet and still retains some lightness due to the fluffy egg mixture. The richness of this flourless cake coupled with a good quality chocolate mixture, will satisfy your chocolate cravings.
A small slice will go a long way and will sure to be a crowd pleaser. The perfect decadent flourless chocolate cake and gluten-free dessert.
For chocolate lovers - this gluten-free cake does not disappoint! If you love chocolate desserts this chocolate torte is filled with simple ingredients and decadent chocolate flavor. Perfect for Christmas, New Years, Mother's Day and Valentine's Day with a swipe of strawberry frosting to top it off!
For more delicious perfect dessert recipes try some chocolate brownies like my Easy Fudgy Homemade Brownies and my No Bake Black Bean Chocolate Fudge Brownies. Or, whip up some Chocolate Fudge Tahini Cookies, Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies and Soft Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies With Chocolate Chips.
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Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bittersweet chocolate- dark chocolate bars or chips work well. Use good quality chocolate as you will taste the difference. I like Camino Fair Trade Organic Bittersweet Chocolate Chips. They're gluten-free, dairy free and nut free. Or swap for semi-sweet chocolate chips, for a less intense chocolate flavor.
- Eggs - eggs give much of the moisture and texture with some rise, without heavy cream. Whisk or beat eggs with whisk attachment until nice and fluffy with gentle soft peaks, adding a little airy lightness to the cake. No need for separate egg yolks or whipped egg whites to stiff peaks.
- Espresso powder - this elevates the chocolate and give the cake an intense chocolate flavor. The cake will not taste like coffee or mocha, rather it makes the chocolate shine. Espresso powder is brewed espresso dehydrated into crystals that dissolve in liquid. Leave it out of the recipe if you prefer but I encourage you to give it a try, you won’t regret it!
- Coconut palm sugar - adds a little sweetness and beautiful caramel notes.
- Coconut oil or ghee - adds delicious moistness to the cake. Try my homemade ghee recipe for a slight buttery flavor.
Note: that some chocolate chips contain stabilizers like soy lecithin which may prevent them from melting easily into a silky smooth consistency.
Expert Tips and Variations
- Serving variations - finish this rich chocolate cake with a dusting of cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder, chocolate ganache, fresh berries like fresh raspberries or other fresh fruit, coconut whipped cream or my Salted Caramel Nice Cream with Banana.
- Clean slices - this fudgy cake should be served in small pieces. Wipe a sharp knife between slices to remove moist crumbs.
- Prepared pan - if you don't have a springform pan, use a round cake pan or regular cake pan of the same dimension. Grease pan well and add parchment paper to bottom and sides to prevent sticking. Also, a small saucepan can be used to melt chocolate.
- Store - cover and store at room temperature for several days. If you don’t have a cake container, you can poke some toothpicks in the cake before covering with plastic wrap so that the cake doesn’t stick to the wrap.
- Freeze - in an airtight container for up to 3 months, longer than that and the flavor can diminish. Make sure to wrap the cake well so that it doesn’t absorb flavors from the freezer. It will take about 8 hours to thaw properly in the fridge.
How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.
- Generously oil the sides and bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with coconut oil, then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- Coarsely chop the bittersweet chocolate if using a bar, and place chocolate and coconut oil into a large heat-proof bowl over a double-boiler, stirring with a spatula until you have fully melted chocolate, about 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
- Beat eggs with a whisk or electric mixer on high speed while slowly adding the coconut sugar until fully incorporated. Add espresso powder and vanilla until well combined. Continue to whisk until the mixture is fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the volume has more than doubled, and the beaters create a ribbon effect when lifted from the egg mixture.
- Gently mix the egg mixture into the cooled chocolate, scooping up from the bottom of the bowl and sides of the bowl. Take care not to over mix as not to deflate the mixture.
Note: make sure chocolate is fully cooled to room temperature or you may end up with scrambled eggs in your chocolate.
- Pour batter into prepared springform pan and bake on middle rack for 40-45 minutes. The cake will rise in the pan, form a thin crust on top and be slightly firm, and will deflate when cooled.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pan completely.
- Once cooled, remove from springform pan and top with fresh fruit or dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Common Questions
I highly recommend using a springform pan, as it makes it much easier to remove the cake and place on a serving plate. If you only have a cake pan, grease the sides and bottom well and line with unbleached parchment paper on the bottom of the pan and sides, and grease the parchment. You don’t want this cake sticking! If you are using an 8-inch pan, increase cooking time by a few minutes.
Good quality bittersweet chocolate adds richness and depth to any recipe. Swapping for a lower quality dark chocolate or milk chocolate may not give that rich chocolate flavor, and there may be some added sugar depending on the chocolate you choose.
Maple syrup will bring added moisture, therefore, you will need to cook the cake for several minutes longer.
A small amount of espresso powder intensifies the flavor of the chocolate so I highly recommend it. A little won’t make the cake taste like coffee or mocha. Espresso powder is essentially instant espresso so you can swap it for instant coffee. The flavor may be more bitter and you’ll need more in the recipe to boost the chocolate flavor. Do not use regular coffee granules, they will not dissolve in your recipe.
More delicious recipes to try
Recipe
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 9-inch springform pan bottom lined with parchment paper
- 1 hand mixer or whisk
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee, (85 grams)
- 12 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate (bar or chips)
- 6 large free-range eggs
- ½ cup coconut palm sugar, (77 grams)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Raw cacao powder for dusting, optional
Instructions
- Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 300°F.
- Generously oil the sides and bottom of a 9” round springform pan with coconut oil or ghee, and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper on top of the coconut oil or ghee. To cut the round of parchment, just place the pan on the parchment paper, trace the pan with a pencil, then cut out the circle.
- Coarsely chop the bittersweet chocolate if using a bar, and place the chocolate and the coconut oil or ghee into a large heat-proof bowl over a double-boiler, stirring with a heat-proof spatula until fully melted, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from double-boiler and allow chocolate to fully cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Your chocolate will cool faster if you stir it occasionally.
- While chocolate is cooling, beat eggs with a whisk or electric mixer on high speed while slowly adding the coconut sugar until fully incorporated. Add the espresso powder and the vanilla until well combined and continue to whisk until the mixture is fluffy, about 8-10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the volume has more than doubled, and the beaters create a ribbon effect when lifted from the egg mixture.
- Gently mix the egg mixture into the cooled chocolate, scooping up from the bottom and along the sides of the bowl (make sure chocolate is fully cooled to room temperature or you may end up with scrambled eggs in your chocolate). Take care not to over mix as not to deflate the mixture.
- Pour batter into prepared springform pan and bake on middle rack for 40-45 minutes. The cake will rise in the pan, form a thin crust on top and be slightly firm, and will deflate when cooled.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool in the pan completely.
- Once cooled, remove from springform pan and dust with cocoa powder before serving.
Notes
- Cake can be made a day ahead, covered when cooled and store at room temperature.
- A springform pan works well because it makes it easy to remove the cake and place on a serving dish.
- If you choose to use another sweetener such as honey or maple syrup, you will have to cook the cake for several minutes longer due to the high moisture content in the liquid sweetener.
- The cake can be covered and stored at room temperature for several days. If you don’t have a cake container, you can poke some toothpicks in the cake before covering with plastic wrap so that the cake doesn’t stick to the wrap.
- It also freezes well in an airtight container for up to 3 months, longer than that and the flavor can diminish. Make sure to wrap the cake well so that it doesn’t absorb flavours from the freezer. It will take about 8 hours to thaw properly in the fridge.
Helen B
This cake is super decadent! I served it with extra berries and coconut whip cream. So yummy!
Jacqui Wilson
I'm so glad you like it. My family requests this cake recipe all the time!