Flourless Chocolate Cake
This is my go-to dessert recipe whenever I'm having guests. Everyone loves it. And the best part is- the recipe is inherently gluten-free. No substitutions. In fact, this is the same flourless cake I've been making for years. It never contained flour. The only thing I've tweaked post-celiac diagnosis is adding more coffee and vanilla.
Dear vegans- I'm often asked if this recipe can be veganized- made without eggs and butter. While a butter sub might work- I'm sorry to say that the recipe really relies on the eggs for structure and rise- and no vegan egg substitute is going to replace eight eggs.
The good news is that I have developed a technically "flourless" vegan chocolate cake recipe that is fudgy, rich and delicious. So scoot on over to my Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe.
The good news is that I have developed a technically "flourless" vegan chocolate cake recipe that is fudgy, rich and delicious. So scoot on over to my Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Gluten-Free Flourless Chocolate Cake
Dense, sexy chocolate deliciousness on a plate. This is such an easy recipe, especially if you use a food processor to do the work. Serve this to non-gluten-free folks with no apologies. None. Zip. Nada. And for gluten-free folks? Hand out seconds (we deserve it).
16 oz. Belgian dark chocolate
1 cup organic light brown sugar
1/2 cup organic white cane sugar
3/4 cup very hot strong coffee
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
8 large organic free-range happy eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla extract- yes, a tablespoon!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 10-inch Springform pan by lining the bottom with buttered parchment. Note: Using a smaller cake pan will result in a longer baking time; adjust accordingly and keep an eye on the edges; if it browns too much while the center is still wet, wrap edges in foil; or if you are using a smaller pan, try placing it inside a warm water bath as Dorie Greenspan suggests.
Break up the dark chocolate into pieces and pour the chocolate into the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until the chocolate breaks up into small bits. Add the sugar. Pulse until the chocolate and sugar turns into an even, sandy grain.
Pour the hot water or coffee slowly into the feed tube as you pulse again. Pulse until the chocolate is melted. Magic!
Add the butter pieces and the cocoa powder, and pulse to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, and process till smooth. The batter will be liquid and creamy.
Note for cooks across the pond: One stick of butter here equals 8 tablespoons, or one half cup, 4 oz.
Pour the batter into the lined Springform pan. Wrap the outside of the whole pan with a big piece of foil. Bake at 350 degrees F in the center of the oven, till puffed and cracked and lovely - about 55 to 65 minutes. Note - it took an hour plus 15 minutes here at high altitude. Use a wooden toothpick to check the center of the cake; pick should emerge clean, with maybe a crumb.
Place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool. The cake will deflate. Don't worry!
When cooled a bit, press down on it gently with a spatula to make it even, if you wish. Or not.
When the cake is completely cooled, cover, and chill it for three hours (up to eight hours) until serving. Release the cake from the pan. Slice and serve.
Serve slices with drizzled chocolate sauce or a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Add a few fresh berries or mint leaves to the plate, if you like.
Makes 12 - 15 slices. It is rich.
More gluten-free dark chocolate recipes:
Dark Goddess Cake
75 comments:
This looks devastatingly good, even in my post-holiday over-desserted languor.
Weatherwise, ours is as strange as yours--I've seen more sun in January than we sometimes have all winter.
Darn you and your decadent dessert photo... :)
Looks wonderful, Karina. I don't have a problem with gluten, but your photos always look so good that I often forget you don't use flour. :)
And weather... ugh. I live in northern Michigan, and I might actually have to MOW my lawn! It's never been this warm. Truth be told, I miss the snow...
omigod i am so making this for the weekend. goddess indeed!
Can you please beam me a slice? You know, in your gluten-free teletransporter? Thank you!
I must be psychic. I had a dream about chocolate last night. In it I was trying to describe to someone how scrumptious chocolate is. If this cake would have been available to me in my dream, no explanation would have been necessary.
Thanks, Karina.
:)
I don't have a large enough food processor to try this recipe and I doubt it will work in the blender but, for future reference, I was wondering:
1) How does this compare to your dark goddess cake?
2) If you think it is possible to make this recipe by hand?
3) Could this be made dairy-free with oil or some other substitution for the butter (smart balance contains corn so that is not OK but there is a shortening that is safe)?
4) What are your thoughts on beating the egg whites and then adding in the yellows and then adding that mixture? I know you mentioned using this technique in gf baking.
Thanks!
~M
I have been looking for a good chocolate cake or brownie recipe ... and this one looks utterly incredible! I can't wait to try it!!!
Jess
The photo is beautiful! I'm on my way to the grocery store! Excellent recipe and thank you for sharing!
So, this is the lowcal version ;)
I am going to gain weight from this one. That cake looks wonderful and I can see a chocolate cakefest in my near future.
Wow, This looks like ooey-goooey fun. Sexy food for those long winter nights. Keep cooking sister!
I make a cake that's similar to this, only I used the semi-sweet baking bars, and I serve it with raspberries and fresh whipped cream. Everyone loves it! Now I'll have to try your version!
Karina, the cake sounds wonderful! I can't wait to try it. I have a flourless chocolate cake recipe from "Gourmet" magazine that is amazing but a lot more work than yours. As for the falling and unevenness, the "Gourmet" recipe tells you to press down the top as evenly as you can, and then invert the cake on a cardboard round or bottom of a tartpan. That way when it's flipped over, you get a perfectly flat cake, if it matters to you. I've been waiting for your recipe...
Thank you!
Carol
You're trying to make me fat, aren't you?
;)
Sychronicity! I have been sitting on a flourless chocolate cake recipe that I want to share since last weekend. I made it for a party and it was divine! Now I will have to make your version and compare. :)
Karina, can you use this comment instead? The blogger account is dead, and I'm worried the url might show porn!
I made this today! We have a two year old with celiac and need to bring a treat for a birthday party tomorrow so she won't be left out. All went well with the mixing, the cake rose and cracked nicely. The kids and I set the timer for the 3 hr chill time and patiently waited for it to beep.
We unveiled and.. it was raw.
I have since scooped it up and placed the goo into a well-greased loaf pan. It's been baking for 30 minutes and looks like it is finally firming up.
What is up with that?
xoxo
steph
looks yum--do you think you could use a different sweetner other than cane?
Do you have to use a spring form pan for this chocolate recipe or could I use a square or rectangle pan?
Thanks Lucette, Shawn, Gaile, ByTheBay, Kathy, Jess, An Occasional Chocolate!
Mare, Sheri and Garrett ~ A little indulgence is good for the soul. ;-)
Fanny and Shannon ~ Cool. Link back when you post about it. I like the ease of this version.
Carol - Thanks for sharing the flattening tip with our readers.
Hi Michelle ~
The main difference between this recipe and my Dark Goddess Cake is: this is closer to a classic French flourless chocolate cake recipe [no flour at all].
Using the processor saves time and effort [I love Bobby Flay's postmodern technique here]. Can you do it another way? Sure. There are recipes all over the blogosphere that do it in a more classic way.
I would not use oil. As for margarine. Well. I wouldn't. Tough to make this dairy-free. My opinion? The flavor really relies on: butter/sugar/chocolate.
You can certainly separate the eggs, etc.. As I mentioned, I didn't.
Take care!
Hi Womom!
Your guess is as good as mine.
Could be:
your cake pan was smaller than mine
your oven at 350 degrees is cooler than mine
your eggs were larger than mine
your altitude affected the baking time
Hi Allergic Girl!
I would not sub the sugar in this particular recipe - this recipe relies on the sugar for structure. If you are allergic to cane, how about using beet or palm sugar?
Hi Anon!
I have only used a Springform pan for my flourless chocolate cakes, so I cannot answer from experience.
If you line the pan with buttered parchment...maybe. But I honestly don't know.
I made the cake earlier today. I halved the recipe, as my hubby and I don't need to eat the entire cake! I baked it in a square glass pan with a 2 qt capacity. I lined the pan with buttered parchment paper and baked it exactly 55 minutes (on the shores of Lake Erie, so no high altitude here!). It turned out AMAZING. Thanks!
I made the cake earlier today. I halved the recipe, as my hubby and I don't need to eat the entire cake! I baked it in a square glass pan with a 2 qt capacity. I lined the pan with buttered parchment paper and baked it exactly 55 minutes (on the shores of Lake Erie, so no high altitude here!). It turned out AMAZING. Thanks!
Thanks, Jo! I'm happy to know this recipe halves well. Excellent!
I made this cake yesterday for my older daughter's birthday, plus a white cake with whipped creme for the frosting (her favorite) (before yesterday, that is). Sifted confectioner's sugar over the top and cut into slivers. It is dee-vine! A cross between a brownie and fudge, deliciously decadent and rich. For me, as a single woman, better than sex. :-)
I love your web site, visit it every day. Today's hints and things-that-work-for-you are fabulous! Thank you for all you do, you brighten my world.
Thank YOU, Susan - for your kind words. I'm glad the cake turned out for your daughter's birthday. Yay.
[And, yeah. It *is* one sexy cake!]
;-)
This was a total hit at my party on Saturday night. But TEN servings?? I used a 9" springform and cut this into 24 pieces! Ok, alright, I may have had more than one piece, but I can't confirm or deny anything.
Sage ~ Very cool.
We had hearty eaters here, I admit. Okay. You can probably get at least 12 slices from this recipe. But who's counting?
;-)
Thanks for this recipe - it's in the oven as I type and smells fabulous!
Hi Karina: I have a general dessert question and this was the most recent post so I posted here. My apartment billing had a major flood last week, including damage to my unit. The service and maintenance men have been really wonderful, stopping by every day since. Early tomorrow morning, we will be the first unit to get new carpeting and possibly kitchen floor! I want to bake a treat for them to show my gratitude. Do you have any specific recipe recommendations? Thank you!
Hi Emily! Fab. Enjoy!
Dear ~M,
You can't go wrong with chocolate. This cake would be perfect. The Coconut Carrot Cake is a fave, too. Either cake can be served to gluten-eaters without apology.
Glad to hear things are back to normal! Whew.
:-)
Hey Karina- was searching for some good Chocolate cake recipes on the blogosphere and found yours. The pic looks so good, i just hope my cake turns out to be as sexy as yours.Thanks-Casey
Casey - My pleasure. Enjoy!
I made this last night for my gluten-free sweetie and I think he might possibly love me more today than he did the day before :) I used vanilla flavored coffee (I love my Senseo pod machine!) and topped it with whipped topping that I mixed a little cherry flavoring into. I sliced it into 12 slices, topped with the cherry whipped topping, sprinkled powdered sugar and cocoa on top and wowza. We had multiple chocogasams!
Love your site and all the great recipes. He's gluten-free (by choice, not b/c of celiac) and I'm working on it. You have such great tips for we non-gluten free goddesses!!
Hi Allison!
I'm so glad. Thank you!
What a fab idea - to use vanilla coffee. Thanks for sharing!
:-)
This looks incredible but I'm wondering if it's something I can make ahead and freeze for a couple days? Has anyone tried that?
Would a 7-cup Cuisinart be large enough to work for this recipe? Also, would it work to bake this ahead of time - would you freeze it or let it sit out on the counter for a day or so?
Hi Erica!
You can freeze the cake, yes. But it will not be a pretty as it was. It shrinks a bit in freezing.
So, one thing you could do - when it is still a bit warm from the oven, turn it out upside down on a flat plate and press it down all around to flatten the cake evenly. Allow it to cool completely.
Then wrap it very well with plastic wrap, then foil - and freeze it on a carboard surface or something that will keep it flat.
When you defrost it, unwrap it first.
If it looks a little plain [I imagine it will] jazz it up before serving by frosting it with a fudge frosting, or sprinkling it liberally with powdered cocoa, or powdered sugar, or drizzle slices with chocolate sauce. Add berries.
Serve slightly chilled.
I hope it works out for you!
Karina
Hi Anon - I think it might be too small - we have an 11-cup size and it really gets full when you process all the chocolate and add the liquid and eggs.
You could do the chocolate melting part in the Cuisinart; then pour the liquid chocolate into a large mixing bowl. Use a beater to proceed with the rest of the mixing.
Hope that helps!
Karina
Hi Karina,
Practically everyone serves some version of flourless chocolate cake for Passover; I want mine to be slightly different. Do you think it would work to make it minty or cinnamon-y? I'm also interested in making mint or cinnamon brownies. Do you have suggestions as to the right kind of mint (is it peppermint) and how much to add? How much cinnamon would you add? Thanks!
Hi ~M!
Oh! You beat me to it! ;-) [I am working on some mint-chocolate and cinnamon-chocolate recipes.] I would start with one teaspoon peppermint extract added to the cake batter [don't use spearmint]. That would be a hint of mint without overwhelming the chocolate. You might also want to up the sugar by two tablespoons [so the mint flavor is detectable]. I'd do the same for cinnamon - I usually add a teaspoon to chocolate cake or brownie recipes [and I usually don't add extra sugar].
Happy Passover!
Karina
Hi, I've just dicovered your web page and I love it~! I've been doing a bit of researching into gluten-free foods because I've found I'm gluten intolerant. Anyways, I'd like to ask how much butter there is in a stick of butter. In the country I live in, they don't seem to sell sticks of butter, you see. Otherwise, this looks like a wonderful recipe and I look forwards to trying it out~ =^^=
Hi Kaze!
One stick of butter here equals 8 tablespoons, or one half cup.
Sorry, I don't know the metric measurements off-hand.
You might try Google search for a conversion chart for cups and ounces - there are many on-line.
Good luck and welcome to living gluten-free!
Karina
Hi I was wondering if I can make this in white choc?
Ta Dee
Hi Dee,
Hmmm. Why not?
Omit the cocoa powder. And use high quality white chocolate instead of the Belgian dark.
Please post back your results. I'd be interested...
Karina
This looks like a cake which my friends and I consumed at Bobby Flay's restaurant in Las Vegas (Mesa Grill). Could it be???? If so, it was the BEST cake I had eaten in many moons!!!!!
Nancy
Hi there! I just wanted to finally take a minute to let you know that my fiance and I are regular readers of your gluten free blog and we have tried several of the recipes...however - you're a far better cook than we are! He has recently been diagnosed with Celiac's Disease and we enjoy your blog! Have you heard of anywhere to order a GF wedding cake? Thanks a ton for the inspiration!
Hi Nancy!
It just might be close. I used his technique, and my ingredients... Try it and let me know!
Hey Maggie!
You might consider joining the GFG Google Group (look for the link in the side bar). Several brides-to-be are discussing gluten-free wedding cakes, and sharing resources.
Congrats! :)
Karina
Any comment about large vs. extra-large eggs? I am going to half the recipe, so that would mean 4 large eggs. I was thinking to use 3 extra large eggs plus 1 yolk instead. My son is egg-white sensitive, so it is also an excuse to reduce the egg whites a tad. Or, should I just use 3 extra-large eggs? Or 4, but less water?
Hi Frances!
Extra large eggs have more of the white, generally- so if you're avoiding the whites- here's what I'd do- I'd use 4 yolks - large or extra large. And add 2 teaspoons baking powder.
Good luck!
Karina
Has anyone tried this with coconut oil instead of butter? I have a feeling you could get away with it. The flavour is good, and the texture is closer to butter than any other oil . . . I'm going to try it.
Hello Karina,
My name is Kathy, and I have been gluten free for over a decade. My eldest daughter is now gluten free as well.
You have excellent taste, lovely recipes and your precise directions suit my cooking style.
I just made this cake for Thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit. I substituted goat butter for regular, as we don't do dairy or soy. It was great. I recommend it.
Lastly, I want to thank you for all your diligent and creative work...it is art.
Chow,
Kathy E
Hello
This cake looks so tempting, I want to try it for my son's birthday party.
Just one question: would the coconut oit substitute butter OK in this recipe as we also go dairy and soy free.
Thank you in advance.
Irina.
Hi Irina,
I have not personally used coconut oil in this recipe. Some readers have mentioned it (did you read through the comments above?).
Is there a vegan margarine you can do? I might try half vegan margarine, half coconut oil. But I'm concerned the oil will make the cake too oily.
Maybe use less oil than the butter called for?
If you have baked with coconut oil before, and liked it, I'd follow my instincts and go with what has worked in the past.
If the batter seems too oily, you could always add a half cup of GF flour or almond meal.
Hey, wanted to let you know I tried this recipe and it turned out wonderfully. Okay, I can't really say that I made it, I bought the ingredients, chopped up the chocolate and promptly gave up; dear mom took pity on her kitchen-challenged daughter and made it for her. It was incredible and better than any decadent cake I have had. FYI, tastes fantastic super cold.
"...better than any decadent cake I have had..."
I can't ask for a better review than that, My Friend.
Major props to your Mom! :)
Karina
I'm excited to have a good-looking recipe for my gluten-free friend. Will come back for more recipes, and refer.
Thanks
To God be all glory,
Lisa of Longbourn
I'm usually pretty tentative about making something to serve to others that I haven't given a test run, not because I worry so much about the taste (especially if it's one of your creations, Karina!), but because I'm not the world's most fabulous in the cuisine department. I do OK, but not great. Even so...when I needed something yummy to take to a dinner for our French students living in the language dorm, I made this cake. Don't know what I was worried about!! When I saw the students (and my fellow faculty members!) scraping the leftover bits off of the spatula and the bottom of the springform pan, I knew it must've been OK!! Thanks again, Karina, for making cooking without gluten so easy, so fun, and so doggone delicious!
Drdebell- Sweet. I'm glad it passed the French students test. ;)
Karina
I just made this cake for a dinner tonight, and while I haven't cut into it yet, the bits I stole off the baking paper when I opened it out were amazing!
It sunk in the middle, as promised, and I filled the depresssion with whole strawberries, then drizzled chocolate over the whole thing. My mother in law is drooling over it as we speak, it looks incredible!
Would be interested to hear how it turned out for those who tried a non-dairy version, as I'm a bit lactose intolerant too...
I made this cake for my (gluten free) husband's birthday last night and it was a total hit with everyone. No one else was gluten free besides him yet several people wanted the recipe and everyone loved it. I made it one day in advance and refrigerated it for at least 24 hours and it was great. To the hot water I added 2 double shots of decaf espresso which was awesome. Served it with lightly sweetened whip cream, raspberries and of course - birthday candles. I was amazed at this food processor technique - so easy. I've made things like this before but always on the stovetop/double boiler which makes a lot of dishes and takes a LOT longer - this new technique was the best part for me! THANK YOU!!!
Haha, well thanks for the awesome recipe!!
It's so good that I've made it a few times, and everyone always loves it! =)
i was wondering if it would be possible to substitute the semi sweet chocolate for milk chocolate, or maybe half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate, just because a lot of people find semi sweet chocolate a bit too rich. just wanted to know if this is possible, thanks
Thanks, Melis and Hungry Monkey- your versions sound scrumptious.
Hey Alison- I'm so glad. You made my day, Sweetie. ;)
Hi Anon- I don't see why not? The milk chocolate will be softer and less intense, so I might add *some* dark to give it more flavor- like you mentioned- a mix.
Let us know how it turns out.
Karina
Just one more note of praise! I made this for a friend's birthday yesterday. She's weeding the gluten out of her diet as she suspects she may be sensitive.
It was simply divine. Served fresh strawberries it was really lovely. One of the guests (who has no allergies of any kind) asked to take a piece home!
It made a wonderful birthday cake.
Thanks for sharing your journey.
Sara
Hi~ I made this cake today and it seems to have turned out quite well. The blender I borrowed to use wasn't big enough, so I ended up making the cake in a saucepan and beating the egg whites in the bender then adding it to the mix. I suppose that's one of the perils of being an impoverished uni student, haha. The cake had a meringue-like crust on it when it came out of the oven. I think it may have been because I didn't quite mix the egg whites in as well as I should have. Would I be right? In any case, if I make this cake again I will either look for a bigger blender, a larger saucepan or a nice big mixing bowl to mix everything up in!
I'm going to bring the cake to my PBL (Problem Based Learning) tutorial tomorrow for an early birthday celebration. I hope they like it!
A friend of mine just served this cake when she hosted this month's book group party and it was fabulous! I can highly recommend it. :-)
Regards,
Dawn
I just found your site and I love it! I was diagnosed with Celiac earlier this week and I wanted to find yummy food to eat. And wa-la here you are, with yummy food.
I used a picture of your chocolate cake on my blog...I linked it back to you....so my Celiac readers can check out your recipes.
I am trying to stay away from refined sugars (as well as being GF). What do you think about supplementing the sugar portion of the flourless chocolate cake recipe for agave nectar? I saw your sugar substitute section and have been using that for advice but I am not sure its possible with a recipe that calls for so little dry ingredients? What do you think?
Can I make this recipe without Coffee?
Sara- Aw, thank you so much!
Panthera-Felis- I'm not sure- it's possible. Incorporating egg whites *can* be tricky.
Dawn- Glad it passed muster with the reading group. Those readers can be tough. ;)
Hi Sassy Mom- Welcome to living gluten-free. ;)
vogtforvogt- I have no idea if a liquid sweetener would work because you're right- so much of the structure comes from the sugar (there's so little dry ingredients). It might turn out okay- more like a baked pudding. But it would def be an experiment.
Sassy Mom- Sure, you can leave out the coffee; it will change the flavor a little. Use hot water instead.
Karina
I made the cake for xmas and everyone loved it! I used agave (sub for cane), date sugar (sub for brown along with molasses) and a tablespoon of molasses instead of cane and brown sugar. I also used unsweetened carob instead of dark because I dont really care for dark chocolate. Everyone loved it! Thanks!!!
Hi Karina,
Thanks for your blog and for all the great recipes! I have been living without gluten (and casein) for 7 months and it is changing my life. It's not hard at all to live without gluten and cow's milk -- the benefits far outweigh the problems :)
Gluten free baking is not easy, though... I was very happy to find this great recipe -- easy and indulgent! I made it for my sister's birthday today and everyone enjoyed it. Instead of chocolate sauce, I served it with a reapberry/cherry coulis, which had a fresh taste and looked good next to the dark cake.
I made this cake for a dinner party where one of the participants had gluten allergies, and it turned out fabulous! Added fresh raspberries around the top edge it looked and tasted perfect! Thanx Karina!!!!
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