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Flourless Chocolate Cake

Making the BEST decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake at home is easier to do than you think! This recipe produces a super chocolatey cake with crispy, crackly edges and a fudgy interior!

If you came here looking for a decadent chocolate treat, you most definitely have come to the right place! This chocolate cake delivers on rich, decadent chocolate flavour and does not disappoint. All without a single, tiny molecule of flour. This grain-free, nut-free (yes, no almond flour here either), gluten-free beaut is made without any type of flour.

It’s hard to imagine a cake- with structure- that doesn’t have some type of flour to bring it together, but this one does. The secret to its structure? Eggs. Specifically, whipped egg whites. The secret is to whip egg whites until they form stiff peaks (i.e. make a meringue). This provides all the structure this cake needs and produces an end result that has a crackly exterior, with a fudgy interior.

flourless chocolate cake bite shot with a fudgy center

Ingredients in Flourless Chocolate Cake

  • Chocolate: good quality, chopped
  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Cream of tartar: optional. Helps to stabilize the whipped egg whites
  • Cocoa powder
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla extract
  • Salt

Tips for a successful Flourless Chocolate Cake

The most important element of this cake is getting the eggs right. The egg whites, more specifically. The egg whites need to be whipped until they form stiff peaks (like a meringue). If you are nervous of the idea of making a meringue, don’t be! I am here to tell you that it is actually easier to do than you think, provided you follow some important but simple tips. After trying and failing at several attempts in my earlier days in the kitchen, I have come to realize how taking some simple steps make all the difference in the world. So what are my tips for the egg whites that form stiff, glossy peaks?

To make a stable meringue:

  1. Let your egg whites come to room temperature before you begin whipping them! Simple, right? This was probably one of my downfalls in my earlier days in the kitchen as I used cold eggs and wondered why the recipe wasn’t working. Don’t be a young Cathy. Let them sit out for a bit before you begin.
  2. Ensure your bowl is super clean and dry.
  3. Use cream of tartar to help the eggs stabilize. Yup. It may be tempting to leave this out but I don’t recommend them. I credit this to having peaks that don’t deflate on me.
  4. Don’t add your sugar all at once. Slowly add the sugar as the egg whites are beaten. I do a tablespoon at a time to ensure the eggs don’t deflate.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with a crackly top

Simple right? If you follow these steps, your egg whites will be whipped to perfection and ready to be folded into the rest of the batter. When you mixing in the egg whites though, be sure to follow the directions to fold them in to the rest of the batter gently. You do not want to be vigorously mixing them in or they will deflate. You also don’t want to overmix for the same reason. Gently fold till they are well incorporated and then stop.

slice of Flourless Chocolate Cake with a fudgy center

If you follow these steps, you’re sure to end up with a beaut of a cake! Serve it up with some whipped cream or ice cream and sit back and enjoy the compliments! I dusted this cake with cocoa powder but you can also using icing sugar.

I hope you found the tips helpful and give this cake a try! Bon appetit!

-Cathy

slice of Flourless Chocolate Cake

You may also like:

Chocolate Kiss Cookies
Homemade Brownies
Oreo Brownies

flourless chocolate cake bite shot with a fudgy center

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Catherine
Making the BEST decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake at home is easier to do than you think! This recipe produces a super chocolatey cake with crispy, crackly edges and a fudgy interior!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12 servings
Calories 242 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups chocolate good quality, chopped
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar optional
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder + more for decorating
  • 3/4 cups sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven at 350F. Line a 9 inch springform baking pan with parchment paper. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks.
  • Place chocolate chips and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir then continue microwaving in 15 second intervals, stirring in between intervals until everything is melted.
  • Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat until foamy. You can do this in the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment. If using, add cream of tartar and beat on medium speed. With mixer still running, slowly add the sugar while continuing to beat until all the sugar is incorporated and the egg whites form stiff peaks.
  • To the chocolate mixture, add the egg yolks and vanilla extract and whisk to combine. Sift in the cocoa powder and salt and whisk to combine.
  • Using a spatula, fold in half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Add the remaining egg whites and fold until incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or the egg whites will flatten.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the middle has set. Remove from oven and allow it to cool completely in the tin before serving. Once cooled, the cake will sink a little and “crackle” on top. Sift cocoa powder over the cake before serving.

Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.

Nutrition

Calories: 242kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 5gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 79mgSodium: 94mgPotassium: 193mgFiber: 3gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 129IUCalcium: 35mgIron: 2mg

The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.

Keyword chocolate, decadent, gluten-free, grain-free
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5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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