Flourless Chocolate Cake

This flourless chocolate cake recipe is rich, dense, fudgy, and loaded with chocolate. Naturally gluten-free, this is the perfect dessert to entertain with or when you’re craving a decadent chocolate treat.

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This is the cake of all cakes, and in our home, one that gets made more often than we make brownies. Ziv loves this cake very much, so this is his perfect birthday cake. I’ve used some gluten-free wafers around the cake to dress it up a bit, but as you can see, it’s pretty straightforward

And, of course, this makes an excellent dessert for Valentine’s Day, New Year’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. My son made it for Mother’s Day a few years ago, and I made a heart shape for Valentine’s Day not long ago….. ah well, you know what I mean – it’s a cake of all cakes!!

Why make this cake?

• Its dense and rich chocolate flavor resembles mud cake or a brownie.
• It’s soft because there is no flour, and it’s loaded with chocolate, so a perfect treat for anyone craving chocolate.
• No-fuss recipe – The recipe doesn’t get any easier than a quick one-bowl cake. There is no need for electric mixers; if you choose to use a stand mixer, do so on medium speed. There is not much clean-up and only five ingredients to fetch.
• You don’t need any frosting, glazes, or decorations – While you can dress this cake up, you don’t need anything. Just a sprinkle of powdered sugar or cocoa powder – or leave it alone as I have below a cake with a lone strawberry on top.

Ingredients and substitutes

• Chocolate – The chocolate you use will determine how delicious this cake turns out. Get a chocolate bar from the supermarket, but pick one you would enjoy eating. NO cooking chocolate, and no compound chocolate. You can also use chocolate chips, but not baking chocolate.
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter so I can control the quantity of salt in my baked recipe, but if salted butter is all you have, feel free to use it. Just omit the salt in the recipe.
• Eggs – The eggs make up the volume. Otherwise, it’s just butter and chocolate! Remember, there is no flour in this cake, so the eggs are also the leavening.
• Vanilla – always use good-quality vanilla; a little goes a long way.
• Sugar – this recipe has white chocolate, and it does add sweetness. However, if you prefer, you can reduce it a little.
• Espresso or Coffee – You can use your favorite espresso, just 1/4 cup, or dissolve 1 teaspoon of coffee powder in 1/4 cup of water.

Step-by-step instructions: Flourless birthday cake

Torte

• Preheat the oven to 300°F/150 °C/Gas Mark 2. Spray with cooking spray and line a 9-inch round springform cake pan with parchment paper on the inside and wrap with aluminum foil on the outside
  Pro tip – The parchment on the inside is for easy removal, and the foil will prevent water from getting into the pan when baked in a water bath (similar to a cheesecake).
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl until all the chocolate has melted. Then, add the sugar and combine until all the sugar has almost dissolved.
  Pro tip – The heat in the chocolate will help dissolve the sugar, and the sugar will help cool the chocolate before the eggs go in.
• Next, add the eggs one at a time, making sure to incorporate each egg before you add the next.
  Pro tip – Adding eggs one at a time will emulsify with the butter better and incorporate easily.
• Finally, add the coffee/espresso mixture and vanilla extract.
  Pro tip – The color of your chocolate torte will depend on the chocolate you use. A higher percentage of cocoa will give a dark chocolate torte.

• Pour into the prepared baking pan. Place the pan in a baking tray on the center rack. Pour hot water on the outside of the pan – about 2 cups.
  Pro tip – The water outside the pan will create moisture in the oven, preventing the cake from drying out. So the cake essentially bakes in a wet steam oven rather than dry air.
• Bake for about 50 to 60 minutes. When done, the center should be almost set.
  Pro tip – It will continue to cook in the residual heat and will set further as it cools.
• Let cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then on the wire rack before you glaze. Do not remove it from the pan yet.
  Pro tip – The cake will be slightly puffed up when just baked, but it will sink as it cools.

Chocolate glaze (optional)

• Melt the chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl or a small saucepan and combine until smooth.
• Pour over the cake, gently swirl the pan, and encourage the glaze to coat the entire top surface. Leave the glaze to set for an hour.
  Pro tip – You can let the cake chill in the fridge for up to 2 days before you decorate with the wafer cigars.

Decorate

• Unmold the cake from the springform pan and transfer it to a cake stand or serving platter.
  Pro tip – If the cake is cooled, you may need to use an offset spatula around the cake. If chilled, dip the blade of a knife in hot water to make a clean separation from the pan
• Then place the wafer cigar rolls along the side, trimming them as necessary.
  Pro tip – If the chocolate around the cake has set, you may need to use some melted chocolate to stick the wafers to the cake.
• Of course, you can eat the cake without decorations, too!!

Creative variations

• Flourless raspberry birthday cake – Add fresh raspberries to the chocolate batter before baking. Alternatively, you can also drop dollops of raspberry filling into the batter before baking.
• Fresh berries – You can also use fresh mixed berries instead of just raspberries.
• Chocolate ganache – You can use dark or white chocolate ganache for the top of the torte.
• Coffee-flourless cake – Add espresso powder to the chocolate mixture.

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• Valentine Cookie – Giant Heart Torte

Frequently asked questions

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