flourless chocolate cake with ganache

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Chocolate cake

Chocolate cake or chocolate gâteau (from French: gâteau au chocolat) is a cake flavored with melted chocolate, cocoa powder, or both.

History

Chocolate cake is made with chocolate. It can also include other ingredients.^[1] These include fudge, vanilla creme, and other sweeteners. The history of chocolate cake goes back to the 17th century, when cocoa powder from the Americas was added to traditional cake recipes.^[2] In 1828, Coenraad van Houten of the Netherlands developed a mechanical extraction method for extracting the fat from cacao liquor resulting in cacao butter and the partly defatted cacao, a compacted mass of solids that could be sold as it was “rock cacao” or ground into powder.^[3]

The processes transformed chocolate from an exclusive luxury to an inexpensive daily snack.^[3] A process for making silkier and smoother chocolate called conching was developed in 1879 by Rodolphe Lindt and made it easier to bake with chocolate, as it amalgamates smoothly and completely with cake batters.^[3] Until 1890 to 1900, chocolate recipes were mostly for chocolate drinks,^[3] and its presence in cakes was only in fillings and glazes.^[4] In 1886, American cooks began adding chocolate to the cake batter, to make the first chocolate cakes in the US.^[4]

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This easy Flourless Chocolate Cake with a silky chocolate ganache glaze is the BEST chocolate cake recipe. It is rich, decadent, and the perfect dessert for any celebration. The cake is gluten-free and super decadent.

flourless chocolate cake with ganache

Are you guys ready for this Flourless Chocolate Cake? It is 100% decadent and worth every single bite. If you are a chocolate lover, you are going to fall in love with this rich chocolate cake after one bite. It is so rich you probably only need a bite or two, but it’s SO good you will end up eating the entire piece…and you might even want another piece if you are like me.

And the best part? It is SO easy to make. It is a one layer cake topped with silky chocolate ganache. So there are no fussy layers, you don’t need special cake tools, and the decorating is very minimal.

I am normally not a big cake person, I am a cookie gal, but this cake from King Arthur Flour is my kind of cake! I make it all of the time.

The Best Flourless Chocolate Cake

I love this cake because it is SO easy to make and tastes SO gourmet. You guys are going to die when you make this cake because it tastes like a fancy restaurant or bakery dessert but it’s SO easy! Like almost as easy as a box mix. For reals. It is made in ONE bowl and you don’t need a mixer! So not only will you love the cake, but you will love the easy clean up too!

The ingredients are standard ingredients, nothing crazy. I bet you have them all in your kitchen right now!

The flourless chocolate cake is made of:

chocolate
butter
sugar
eggs
salt
vanilla extract
cocoa powder

Simple! I also add a chocolate ganache glaze to the cake because you can never have too much chocolate, but that is easy too. You only need chocolate and heavy cream.

How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cake

Bake the cake in an 8-inch round cake pan. Make sure you grease the pan with nonstick cooking AND line it with parchment paper. I also grease the parchment paper after it goes in the pan. You don’t want the cake to stick.
Make sure you use the best chocolate for the recipe so you get the best chocolate flavor. You can use chocolate chips or chopped up chocolate.
I use semi-sweet chocolate but if you like darker chocolate, bittersweet would work well too.
I use Dutch process cocoa because it gives the cake a deep, chocolate flavor.
I melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, but you can melt it on low in a pan using the stove top.
Don’t over bake the cake. You want it to be nice and fudgy. It is done when the center reads 200°F on an instant-read thermometer.
Let the cake cool completely before adding the chocolate ganache glaze.
After the cake is glazed, let the glaze set up before cutting. I like to put it in the refrigerator for a few hours so the glaze can set up.
Serve the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh raspberries. We also like to serve whipped cream or ice cream on the side balance out the rich chocolate cake.

Is this flourless chocolate cake gluten-free?

YES, there is no flour in the recipe. And don’t let the gluten-free part scare you if you normally don’t do gluten-free, this seriously is the BEST chocolate cake. I can’t say it enough.

This flourless cake, featuring both chocolate and cocoa, is rich, rich, RICH! A thick icing of chocolate ganache glaze takes it over the top. Depending on how you observe Passover, this cake can make a great addition to your Seder since it contains neither flour nor leavening; and of course, it’s also ideal for those looking to avoid gluten.

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips
8 tablespoons (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (43g) Dutch-process cocoa

flourless chocolate cake with ganache

Glaze

1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (113g) heavy cream

Instructions

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.
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.
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.
Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
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.
Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.
Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, 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.
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.
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.

What is an Earthquake Cake?

Because of the addition of whipped eggs whites, this cake rises to the top of the springform pan in the oven, then collapses when it comes out of the oven. The top will have cracks and fissures, just like the ground after an earthquake.

Instead of flour, the eggs provide the structure. When mixed with the melted chocolate and butter combo, the result is more fudgy than cakey. Folding in the whipped egg whites is reminiscent of making a souffle, so it’s no surprise that it rises in the oven, then cracks and falls. The photo above illustrates why some call it an earthquake cake!

flourless chocolate cake with ganache

Is This Cake Gluten-Free?

Yes, almost all flourless chocolate cakes are gluten-free. This cake recipe has only 7 ingredients and none contain gluten. The exception would be if a flourless chocolate cake had any add-ins or toppings that contained gluten.

What You’ll Love About This Recipe

It made in one bowl without a mixer meaning the clean up is super easy.
A perfect dessert for when you need something “fancy” but don’t have a lot of time.
The chocolate ganache topping made in the microwave.
The ganache can also used in lots of other recipes like this Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake
No special kitchen tools needed.
It’s just one layer – no assembly required!
You can decorate it with fresh berries, whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar to make it even more beautiful.
It’s a small cake, but so rich and it can easily serve twelve people.