Flourless Chocolate Cake
Rich, deep-dark flourless chocolate cake with chocolate-ganache glaze.
- Total time
- 1 hr 38 min
- Active time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 12, one 8" cake
- Difficulty
- Medium
Ingredients and Constraints
Ingredients
- Optional
- Optional
Ingredient watchpoints5 watchpoints
Short requirements and tradeoffs to check while gathering ingredients; detailed source notes stay expandable.
Chocolate Chips
1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips
The source ingredient row lists alternatives.
Details and source
Acceptable alternatives: Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Source: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Unsalted Butter
8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Espresso Powder
1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Pure Vanilla Extract
1 teaspoon King Arthur Pure Vanilla Extract, optional
The source row includes a form, size, temperature, preparation, or handling detail.
Details and source
Source: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Chocolate Chips
1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips
The source ingredient row lists alternatives.
Details and source
Acceptable alternatives: Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Source: Flourless Chocolate Cake
Additional ingredient notes
Method Timeline
Prep
ActivePrep
15 min
Prep time from the source recipe card.
Cook
ActiveCook
27 min
Cook time from the source recipe card.
Total
PassiveTotal
1 hr 38 min
Total time from the source recipe card.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a metal 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. See "tips," below.
Step 2
To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.
low heatStep 3
Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.
Step 4
Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.
Step 5
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Step 6
Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center.
Step 7
Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.
Step 8
Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or dull knife, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that's fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
Step 9
To make the glaze: Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until it's not quite at a simmer, but showing fine bubbles around the edge. Pour the cream over the chocolate, stir very briefly to combine, and let rest for 5 minutes. Stir again — at first slowly, then more vigorously — until the chocolate is completely melted and the glaze is smooth. If any bits of chocolate remain, reheat briefly in the microwave or over a burner, then stir until smooth.
Step 10
Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.
Learn More
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Why this works
Quick kitchen reasons behind the main choices.
Tips from our Bakers
If desired, garnish cake with 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a 350°F oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
Can you line your pan with wax paper instead of parchment? While wax paper shouldn't be exposed to direct oven heat, it's fine when used between cake batter and pan.
Recipe structure
Components and intermediate outputs created by the method.
Main recipe
Recipe card ingredients and steps.
12, one 8" cake
Batter
Source step 5 creates or uses batter.
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Source and Origin
Origin declaration
Adapted from source
Imported from the king-arthur-baking page for dev review.
Copy risk: Unchecked
Flourless Chocolate Cake
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