Flourless Chocolate Cake – This dense, perfectly rich chocolate cake is gluten free, dairy free, and naturally sweetened, but has all the indulgent decadence you’re looking for on a special occasion. Pro tip: don’t skip the raspberry sauce!
This, dear reader, is what chocolate dreams are made of.
Flourless chocolate cakes are very no-fuss, but they feel really indulgent and a little bit fancy, which makes them perfect for dinner parties or holidays. They stand on their own beautifully, but there are also a TON of ways you could serve this to take it to the next level:
- With fresh raspberry sauce (see below!)
- Diced strawberries
- Whipped coconut cream or whipped cream
- Shaved chocolate
- A pinch of coarse sea salt
- Toasted almonds or hazelnuts
- Vegan caramel sauce
- A sprinkle of powdered sugar
- Coconut (especially toasted coconut)
However you plan to serve it, trust me that a thin little slice goes a long way. And the final result will be close-your-eyes good.
Notes on the Recipe:
This is a dense cake. It won’t rise, and it’ll be very fudgy and rich (somewhere between fudge and a brownie). That’s the beauty of this cake. It’s a little bit different, and it’s SO GOOD. Don’t panic if it doesn’t puff up in the oven. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to be.
It freeze like a dream! You can slice and freeze this cake with no trouble, which means it’s great for making ahead of time (or pulling out a single slice on a day when it would hit the spot). Similarly, you can make the raspberry sauce ahead of time. You can freeze it, or refrigerate it.
Tips for getting your cake out of the pan. You can certainly use a spring-form pan for this. I only own a 10″ pan from my cheesecake making days (which is too wide for this cake), but I make do with an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan and have no problems.
The trick is to use parchment paper. First, grease your pan (or spray it with nonstick spray). Cut two long strips of parchment and make an “X” on the bottom of the pan. Fold them over the edge of the pan a bit so they don’t flop right into your batter. Then, layer in a circle that’s been cut to fit the bottom of your pan (I just trace the pan on parchment and cut it out) and pour in your batter. When the cake has cooled a few minutes on a cooling rack, you’ll use the “X” strips as handles to lift the cake out.
To review: spray/grease pan > place an “X” of parchment strips and fold the ends over the edge of the pan > place a circle of parchment cut to fit bottom of pan on top of the “X” > pour in batter. It’s my formula for perfect cakes every time–for this cake or any cake!
Love chocolate? Might I also suggest…
Useful for this recipe: Parchment paper // 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan OR a 9-inch springform pan // cooling rack // fine mesh strainer // cocoa powder
- 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate
- 8 Tbsp (1/2 cup) coconut oil (can sub butter, or vegan butter)
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 (10oz) package of frozen raspberries, slightly thawed (or 10oz fresh raspberries)
- 2-3 Tbsp honey
- juice of ½ a lemon
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Prepare your pan. Grease an 8 or 9 inch springform pan, or grease an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan. If using a cake pan instead of a springform, cut two long strips of parchment paper and make an "X" on the bottom of the pan. Fold them over the edge of the pan a bit so they don't flop right into your batter. Then, layer in a circle that's been cut to fit the bottom of your pan (I just trace the pan on parchment and cut it out). When the cake has cooled a few minutes on a cooling rack, you'll use the "X" strips as handles to lift the cake out.
- Next make your batter. Melt chocolate and coconut oil (or butter) together over low heat in a medium saucepan until completely smooth. While the chocolate is melting, whisk eggs together in a bowl until they are slightly lighter in color. (When you lift your whisk up, the eggs should fall in a thin stream instead of in clumps--this is called the "ribbon test")
- When the chocolate is melted, remove from heat. Stir in syrup, then slowly whisk in the eggs. Stir in vanilla and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder (to avoid lumps) using a sifter or fine mesh sieve and stir to just combine.
- Pour into your prepared pan, gently shake the pan back and forth a bit to settle the batter, and transfer to the oven.
- Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the middle is just set. (if using a 9 inch pan, you'll want to check it at 15 minutes as it may cook slightly faster)
- Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the pan before transferring out of the pan and onto a cooling rack.
- If you've used a springform pan, you'll open the ring and allow the cake to finish cooling on the cooling rack that way. If you've used the parchment trick, use the "handles" you made with the parchment to gently lift the cake out and transfer to a cooling rack.
- Place raspberries, honey, and lemon juice in a blender. Puree until smooth, adding a few tablespoons of water if needed.
- Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds and refrigerate until ready to serve!
I tried this recipe and loved it. Found the taste a bit bitter for me though. What would you suggest gfor next time? Should I add more maple? Use a dufferent chocolate to melt?
I will be trying the dirty risotto next!
It’s definitely on the darker side. You can try using semi-sweet chocolate instead of unsweetened next time which will give it a sweeter taste. Adding more syrup would probably mess with the consistency, but you’ll be safe using semi-sweet chocolate instead!
Emily dearest, my coworker made this cake for me for my birthday after I gave her the recipe. You are a goddess! It’s so good! I hadn’t tried it before she made it, but knew that if it came from you, it would be delicious. Thank you, once again, for having fantastic recipes that are things I can eat!
Oh, this makes me SO SO HAPPY!!! I wish *I* could have been the one to make it for you, but I’m so glad you got to enjoy it. LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU!!!
I wish you could’ve been the one to make it for me as well, but alas, we live in different states. Luff you!