Simple Flourless Chocolate Cake

Simple Flourless Chocolate Cake is made with both melted chocolate chips and cocoa powder, does not require any flour, has only 5 simple ingredients, and only takes a few minutes of prep. It is dense and deeply chocolatey. It does not contain any flour and you’ll never miss it.

Flourless chocolate cake is a super versatile cake. You can use it as part of a mousse layer cake or serve it with ice cream or whipped cream and berries. I’ve made this a dozen times for a dessert date night for two after the kids have gone to bed. It takes only a few minutes to mix and then it bakes for 30 minutes.

Choosing High-Quality Chocolate

Since this dessert is all about the chocolate, it is important to choose high-quality chocolate, both for the chocolate chips and for the cocoa powder. The two brands that are easy to find at many stores are Ghirardelli and Guittard. They are more expensive than store-brand versions, but well worth it. They are more expensive than store-brand versions, but well worth it. You can find these at your regular grocery store, Target, or Whole Foods.

I also use high-quality chocolate when making these Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies, or these Double Fudge Brownies. But if I'm making Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies or Small Batch Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, the quality of chocolate is not as important. In those recipes, I tend to use Nestle chocolate chips.

Dessert for Date Night at Home

We bake this cake quite often when we plan to do a date night at home after the kids are in bed. It's a great dessert to make because it feels a little more adult, and it's super quick to throw together. Serve it with whipped cream and berries or on its own.

It's also great if you're having friends over. Dust it with a little powdered sugar or cocoa powder and it feels fancy without any effort. It's super easy and can be made ahead, the best combo when having anyone over.

Recipe Origin: Inspired by Our Time in Spain

When we lived in Barcelona, we had this incredible chocolate cake at a bakery, called Foix de Sarrià. It was a chocolate layer cake that had five layers: a crispy crunchy chocolate bottom, a dense chocolate cake, a dense chocolate mousse, a lighter chocolate mousse, and a chocolate ganache.

When I learned how to make this flourless chocolate cake I thought it would be perfect for recreating the chocolate cake layer of the Sarrià layer cake. I've spent years trying to recreate that Sarrià cake ... and I'm almost there, just the crispy bottom layer to figure out. But I digress... the point is that this flourless chocolate cake can be used for a lot of different desserts, but it's also pretty great all on its own.

The best part about the cake is probably how simple and quick it is to put together, and how rich and chocolatey it is. It is great for date night and having friends or family over for an easy-to-put-together dessert. I will often make it ahead of time. This cake is my favorite go-to easy dessert that looks and tastes fancier than it is.

Spring Form Pan vs. Ceramic vs. Stainless Steel

I made this in a 9-inch round steel spring form pan and a square ceramic dish. I have not needed to adjust the baking time depending on the material used in the dish (ceramic vs. stainless steel), but keep in mind that you may need to adjust the baking time if using a significantly different-sized dish.

Gluten Free

There is no flour in this dish. To keep this dessert gluten-free, rather than butter and flour the baking dish, butter the baking dish and use cocoa powder to dust the inside of the dish.

Ingredients

Below are the ingredients needed to make this Simple Flourless Chocolate Cake.

• Butter: The butter will be melted with the chocolate chips.
• Cocoa Powder: Use high-quality cocoa powder like Ghirardelli or Guittard.
• Bittersweet Chocolate: Use high-quality bittersweet chocolate like Ghirardelli or Guittard.
• Granulated Sugar: Along with the chocolate chips, the sugar adds sweetness.
• Eggs: Use large eggs, pasture-raised if possible.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make A Simple Flourless Chocolate Cake

Below are the step-by-step instructions and photos for how to make a Simple Flourless Chocolate Cake.

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a springform pan and dust it with cocoa powder. Turn the pan upside down over the sink and tap the it lightly to shake off any excess cocoa powder.

Step 2. Add the butter and bittersweet chocolate chips to a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 1 minute, adding 30 seconds at 50% power as needed until the butter has melted and the chocolate chips have softened so that they can be stirred into the melted butter.

Step 3. Add the sugar and stir to combine. Check to make sure that the chocolate mixture has cooled to room temperature. Then add the eggs and cocoa powder and stir to combine, incorporating the eggs completely.

Step 5. Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan. Bake for 30 minutes until the cake has set and the edges start to lightly brown. Allow to cool, then dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder for a fancy (but simple) touch.

If you're looking for other flourless or chocolate recipes, you may love these:

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