Chocolate Dessert

Flourless Chocolate Cake

A rich, dense chocolate cake made without flour using bittersweet chocolate, butter, cocoa powder, eggs, and sugar.

Makes one 8-inch cake About 45 minutes Gluten-Free Dessert
Printable flourless chocolate cake recipe card preview Download Printable Recipe Card (4 × 6)

Rich, Simple, and Flourless

This flourless chocolate cake is built on a simple mixture of melted bittersweet chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and cocoa powder.

The cake bakes in an 8-inch springform pan until the center reaches 200°F, then cools before being inverted and dusted with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Save the butter wrapper after melting the chocolate and butter — it is perfect for greasing the springform pan.

Equipment

  • 8-inch springform pan
  • Parchment paper
  • Metal mixing bowl
  • Pot for double boiler
  • Whisk or spatula
  • Cooling rack
  • Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter. Place a metal bowl with the butter and chocolate over a pot of boiling water. Once the chocolate starts to melt, remove the bowl from the heat and continue stirring until completely melted. Return to the heat as needed, but do not let the mixture get too hot. Save the butter wrapper.
  3. Add the sugar. Once melted, mix in the sugar.
  4. Cool slightly. If the chocolate mixture is too hot, let it cool a bit so the eggs do not scramble.
  5. Add the eggs. Add the eggs and mix until combined.
  6. Add the cocoa. Sift in the cocoa powder and mix together.
  7. Prepare the pan. Grease an 8-inch springform pan using the saved butter wrapper and line the bottom with parchment.
  8. Bake. Bake for roughly 25 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 200°F.
  9. Cool. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 10–20 minutes.
  10. Release and invert. Release the springform pan and invert the cake onto a cooling rack.
  11. Finish and serve. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.

Paul’s Notes

Don’t overheat the chocolate

Use gentle heat and remove the bowl once the chocolate begins to melt. Too much heat can make the mixture harder to work with.

Watch the egg step

Let the chocolate mixture cool slightly before adding the eggs so they mix in smoothly without scrambling.

Use temperature as your guide

Bake until the center reaches 200°F for a reliable finish.

Let It Cool Before Slicing

This cake needs a short rest after baking so it can set properly. Dust it just before serving for the cleanest presentation.

Cook with me

Want to learn this dessert hands-on?

Flourless chocolate cake is a great dessert to learn in class because it teaches gentle chocolate melting, temperature control, pan preparation, and how to bake a rich cake without flour. Ask about adding it to a private cooking class in Naperville or the surrounding Chicago suburbs.

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