This Best Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe is a gluten-free dessert for serious chocolate lovers. It’s made with only 7 ingredients and is the perfect make-ahead treat for any party!
{Note: this flourless chocolate cake recipe was originally published on June 6th, 2016. The post has been updated with new photos & text but the recipe itself has not changed}!
When people say that a dessert is “too fudgy” or “too chocolatey” I never, ever understand what they mean. I’m just like..ummmm???…then pass it over here!
This Best Flourless Chocolate Cake is truly a show-stopper. It has been one of my most requested recipes for years. This cake is pure chocolatey & fudgy goodness, and is a gluten-free dessert for serious chocolate lovers. It’s made with only 7 ingredients and is the perfect make-ahead treat for a special occasion!
How do you make Flourless Chocolate Cake?
This recipe consists of a few simple ingredients…but they come together beautifully to make a truly special dessert. Here are a few tips to making it turn out perfect every time!
1. Bake the Flourless chocolate Cake in a water bath!
Bake it in a water bath! In order to ensure that no water leaks into the cake, I always bake it in a pan that has no seems (e.g. I do NOT use a springform pan)…which makes it a bit trickier to remove…but a little parchment paper and a good amount of greasing and you’ll be OK! 😉
Why do you bake flourless chocolate cake in a water bath? (How does a water bath work)?
Now it’s time for another chemistry lesson (because I majored in chemistry in college, and then I was a chemistry teacher before I had kids)! Do you know why it’s beneficial to bake certain treats in a water bath? Water has a high “heat capacity,” which is the amount of heat needed to increase the temperature of an object by 1 degree Celsius.
The heat capacity of an object depends on the chemical makeup and mass of the substance. If an object has a higher heat capacity, it takes longer for it’s temperature to change. For example, aluminum has a heat capacity of 0.90 J/goC, while water has a heat capacity of 4.18 J/goC. This means that aluminum’s temperature will fluctuate with its surroundings over 4x faster than water.
So, how does this apply to baking? (Right, not all of you are chemistry nerds like me)! If you bake something in a water bath it helps maintain a constant temperature.
Once the water reaches a warm temperature, if anything causes your oven to shift in temperature at all (e.g. you open the door to check the cake), the water bath will hold that temperature without changing. It also delivers a more indirect source of heat to the flourless chocolate cake! This translates to a more evenly baked Flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake ! 🙂
A water bath adds moisture.
A water bath also adds moisture to the oven, keeping the flourless chocolate cake from drying out or cracking!
2. Chill the flourless chocolate cake
Something important to note about this Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe is that it needs to chill for a while. I usually make it the day before and let it chill overnight. The absolute minimum amount of chilling time I would give it is 6 hours.
3. Make-Ahead Dessert!
I love the fact that this recipe is best when served the next day! This means you can make it ahead and free yourself up to be able to focus on cooking other dishes the day of a special celebration or get together!
Flourless Chocolate Cake: Ingredients & Substitutions
I can honestly say I do NOT recommend making any substitutions in this recipe. It is absolute perfection as-is. But if you must, here are a few possible options.
- Chocolate. Listen up folks, the cake will be as good as the quality of chocolate used. My top choices in this recipe are Ghirardelli 60% dark chocolate, Guittard dark chocolate or any other high-quality variety. The darker chocolate used, the richer the cake will taste.
- Butter. I always use salted butter in baking, but you can use unsalted as well with great results! To make this cake dairy-free, a vegan butter substitute, like Earth’s Balance, can be used.
Shop Flourless Chocolate Cake Making Essentials!
cake pan // measuring cups // measuring spoons // mixing bowl // spatula // standing mixer // cake stand // cake server
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Flourless Chocolate Cake
This Flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake Recipe is a gluten-free dessert for serious chocolate lovers. It's made with only 7 ingredients and is the perfect make-ahead treat for any party!
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 18 oz (2 ¼ cups) bittersweet chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)*
- 1 cup salted butter
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease one 9” round cake pan (or glass pie plate) and set aside. (Note: I always cut a piece of parchment paper into a circle with “handles” and place it on the bottom of the pan. Then I grease the pan with the parchment paper in it).
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In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved and set aside.
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Melt the chocolate chips and pour into the bowl of a standing mixer.
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Cut the butter into 1 TBS pieces and beat it into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time.
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Mix in the warm sugar/water mixture until combined.
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Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time until completely smooth.
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Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
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Pour the batter into your prepared pan.
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Put the cake pan in a larger pan and fill the larger pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of your cake pan. Be very careful not to get water into the cake! I like to put the pan with the cake in it on the oven rack before pouring the water. That way I just have to slide it in and close the door!
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Bake cake in the water bath at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes. The center will still look wet, but the edge will look done.
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Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack.
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Chill cake overnight (or for at least 6 hours) in the pan!
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Carefully lift your parchment paper out of the pan and the cake with it. Put it on a serving plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar! Serve with fresh berries, ice cream, etc!
Recipe Notes
*I've had the best results with 60% or darker. My favorite is Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chips! Recipe adapted from here:.
*Nutritional information calculated based on the recipe yielding 12 servings, although it is very rich and I find it can definitely serve more!
We are heading to the Tetons today and I am beyond excited! We are going to have an absolute blast! You can follow our mountain adventures on Instagram this week! I will not be posting a recipe on Thursday (time to unwind and unplug)! 🙂 So I hope this piece of chocolate heaven can hold you over until another recipe comes your way next Monday! 🙂
Super important question for you…what do YOU request as your birthday dessert?
I am not a traditional cake person…I’d probably request fudgy brownies with peanut butter frosting! 🙂
This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine!
MarcyS
May 12, 2019 at 8:39 pmI made this 2 days ago for a dinner party. My friend is gluten-free and I wanted to make a special dessert for her. It was AWESOME!!!!! By mistake I purchased semi-sweet chocolate chips instead of the 60% cocoa. It was still incredibly tasty and not too sweet. My 9″ pie pan would not fit in my cake pan for the water bath. So I placed it inside a glass casserole dish. A little trickier getting it out, but it worked. What kind of pain did you use Laura?? I also made a raspberry sauce and drizzled it over the top of each slice of cake topped with whipped topping just before serving. Sorry, no pictures — we ate the evidence…. LOL!
Susan Stewart
May 6, 2019 at 10:42 pmCan this be made ahead and frozen?
Laura
May 7, 2019 at 4:59 amI always make it one day ahead and let it chill in the fridge overnight. How long are you wanting to freeze it?
Jason L DePaul
May 5, 2019 at 8:38 amHello! Let me start by saying that I have been a baker for many years and at some points in a professional sense. Many years ago I tried a chocolate cake at a restaurant that was just like this and I searched for and attempted many recipes to duplicate it and never found one… until I found this recipe. I’m now in love with this recipe and I have made it many times.
I have adjusted/converted the recipe down in size so that I use simply one 12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips. I bake it in an 8in aluminum cake pan with spray on pan release and parchment paper just as you suggested. I use a whip attachment on my KitchenAid to add the butter pats and slowly add in the hot sugar. I continue to whip while I’m adding the eggs and I have found that the batter gets a little airy which I like. It also seems to take an hour to bake at 300 degrees in the water bath because it ends up being taller. when it is completed I have found the best way to top it is with a Nutella chocolate ganache. Everybody loves it and I share with them your recipe 🙂 thank you for helping me find an answer to what I have been searching for for 30 years!!!
Laura
May 6, 2019 at 3:40 pmThank you so much Jason for your in-depth review!!! This is such a special recipe!!!
Deb
April 25, 2019 at 7:42 amWhat a gorgeous recipe! I’ve only just had a taste of the bits that fell off the side because I’m bringing it in to work for a friend’s birthday today, but so far, it’s delicious. I’m curious though how you were able to get such height out of your cake. The photos show something that’s several inches tall, and mine came out about an inch high, if that, using a 9″ pan. Did I need to whip more air into the mixture once the eggs were in? Also curious as to which stand mixer attachment you used to combine everything. I used the paddle, but I was wondering if maybe the whisk would’ve been better.
Laura
April 25, 2019 at 12:24 pmHey Deb! The cake being only 1″ high is odd, but really isn’t much shorter than my cake! (Photos make it look taller than it is)! I can’t remember if I baked this in an 8″ or 9″ pan! But it should rise a little more! I have used both the whisk and paddle attachments to make this cake!
Genevieve
April 23, 2019 at 3:20 pmShould the butter be room temperature or just cold out of the refrigerator?
Laura
April 24, 2019 at 7:40 amIt doesn’t matter because it gets melted!
Lanni
April 22, 2019 at 5:48 pmHi Laura, this sounds really good. I’m assuming the cake will feel really wobbly if it sets overnight in the fridge after baking, correct? So putting in a toothpick in the middle would just come out looking like it’s not done like most cakes since you mention this is like eating truffles. Would it be ok to use a 9″x9″ or 8″x8″ square glass pan vs a round pan?
Tiff
April 19, 2019 at 4:45 pmHi Laura, this recipe looks great! I’m just curious to know why adding the 1/2 cup of water with sugar and salt rather than mixing the sugar and salt into the melting chocolate? Thank you. Cheers!
Tara
April 20, 2019 at 7:17 pmYou want to have the sugar completely dissolved first so the best way to do it is to heat it with the water in the stovetop. I once did it without hearing it up first and just adding the water, then the sugar and I noticed the sugar didn’t mix in like it should-some areas looked gritty. I would definitely make it just like this recipe states.
Marcie
April 19, 2019 at 11:45 amHow long should I bake it if I use this recipe for cupcakes?
Laura
April 20, 2019 at 7:20 amHey Marcie! I have never made them into cupcakes, but I’d guess the baking time could be as much as half less as baking a full cake…you will just have to watch them very carefully! I will have to try to make it that way in the near future, and when I do I’ll report back!
Kitt
April 19, 2019 at 9:45 amthank you for the recipe. I have tried two different versions of a flourless chocolate cake and neither were what I was looking for, so I will try this one next… just one question.. have you ever made this cake and whipped the egg whites separately, and if so, was there a difference? I am aiming for upmost height, but wondering if it might mess with the chemistry of your particular recipe. thank you!
Laura
April 20, 2019 at 7:13 amHey Kitty! I have not whipped the egg whites, but doing so usually lead to a less-denese texture!
Kitt
April 23, 2019 at 7:16 amThank you so much for your reply… I was pressured for time and could not wait for your answer, so I did whip the egg whites and yes, definitely less dense and more height… it was more of a mousse-y texture, but I would have preferred it to be more dense! Definitely going to make again and follow the recipe as written (though using margarine as I needed it to be non-dairy)… everyone loved it anyway… I was the most critical and it was only the mousse-like texture that I would change!! Thank you for an awesome recipe!!
hannah
April 14, 2019 at 2:26 pmare chocolate chips or chocolate baking bars chopped up better to use for this recipe?
Laura
April 14, 2019 at 3:20 pmWhichever you prefer! As long as you use 18 oz!
hannah
April 15, 2019 at 4:20 pmThank you so much!!! Do recommend serving this cold or room temperature? I am really excited to make this recipe this week.
Tara
April 20, 2019 at 8:01 pmMy family and I ate it cold and at room temperature. My hubby prefers it room temperature because he says the chocolate is softer, rather than right out of the fridge it’s a little hard–but not like rock hard– I guess firmer might be a good way to describe it. I agree with him now that it is better not directly out of the fridge.
hannah
April 7, 2019 at 4:16 amcan this be done in an 8 inch pan? how should i adjust baking time if so?
Denise
April 22, 2019 at 10:19 amHey Hannah, I used an 8” pan Thursday, did not change any baking instructions for time or temp and it was just like eating a beautiful truffle. If anything I could have maybe reduced baking time by 5minutes.
Debra Goodwin
April 6, 2019 at 11:13 amThank you so much Laura.
Debra Goodwin
April 5, 2019 at 11:19 pmI want to make mini cupcakes for unleavened bread days in my church. Do I cook them at the same temperature and length of time as the regular size cake?
Laura
April 6, 2019 at 4:57 amWhat s great idea! Yes sand temperature but I’d guess you would need to lower baking time.
Jessica
March 31, 2019 at 10:18 pmDelicious recipe, but how in the world did any of you get into bake at 300 degrees? I just took it out after 40 minutes and it was like a bowl of pudding! Most other recipes on the internet say 375, so I turned my oven up in hopes it will start baking…
Laura
April 1, 2019 at 7:07 amHey Jessica! The cake sets in the refrigerator overnight If anyone else is reading this I do NOT recommend changing the oven temperature. The center will still look wet when the cake has finished cooking. The only part that will look set are the edges. I always recommend putting an oven thermometer in your oven to be sure it is baking at the correct temperature.
Terri
March 31, 2019 at 9:53 amOMGluttenfree!! That was amazing! Served it with little mason jars of whipped cream, caramel sauce, berry compote, and amari cherries and let folk top their own. Let me say…this crowd is normally about savory not sweet; but this time I saw them going back for seconds. And every one of them wants the recipe. So smooth and creamy, I could eat it for breakfast. (I won’t, but oh yum!)
Inga
March 30, 2019 at 12:24 pmLaura, do you have an idea as to what baking changes would need to be made for making little individual ones ? I would love to make cupcake size, but am not sure if I would need to lower the temp or cut the baking time or possibly both. Any help would be greatly appreciated !
Pam
March 23, 2019 at 3:40 pmThis cake is like eating chocolate truffles.
Decadent
I served with whipped cream and fresh raspberries..
Absolutely delicious.
I absolutely recommend this recipe.
Diane Carder
March 14, 2019 at 3:24 pmThis cake is over=the- top. I do many catering dinners and this one always gets rave reviews.
also it is gluten free. It never disappoints.
Laura
March 17, 2019 at 7:32 amThank you for letting me know you enjoy this recipe Diane! I’m so glad your clients do too!
Maddie
March 7, 2019 at 3:23 pmHi, what attachment do you recommend for the standing mixer? The whisk or the flat beater?
Theresa
March 6, 2019 at 10:21 amCould you use ghee in place of the butter?
Laura
March 6, 2019 at 3:24 pmHey Theresa! I have not tried it so I cannot give you a definitive answer, and the ingredients are a little pricey so I would hesitate to tell you to experiment in this case! Maybe search for a flourless cake recipe that uses ghee!
beverly Rivers
March 4, 2019 at 9:06 amtrying the flourless chocolate cake and you say line with parchment and grease pan.
What do you use for the “grease”. Thank you. My first attempt at gluten free.
Tara
April 20, 2019 at 7:13 pmI grease my pan and parchment paper with Pam spray.
Marianne Durham
March 3, 2019 at 1:33 pmThis was hands down the best flourless chocolate cake we’ve made. We topped with a dollop of whipped cream and strawberries/raspberries. It was a huge hit.