This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
The best flourless cake recipe — easy to make with just 3 ingredients, and so irresistibly delicious!
This past Valentine’s Day, I decided to remake a golden oldie from the blog to share with my friends. Partly because it was super easy. Partly because it’s gluten-free. And partly because, well, it’s about as chocolatey as you can possibly get.
We’re talking about flourless chocolate cake, people!
I’m sure just about everyone has tried this heavenly dessert before. But if you’ve never tried making it, you’re missing out. Because with literally just three ingredients, it’s totally do-able. And just in case you have any questions about how to make it, I decided to snap some step-by-step photos time time around and update this recipe post so that you can see exactly how it’s done.
Fair warning though. Once you know how to make this cake, you’re pretty much going to want to make it all the time. :)
(Works for me, though!)
3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe | 1-Minute Video
For a little #tbt, here were the photos that I snapped of this flourless chocolate cake when I first posted it three years ago. They are still some of the top flourless chocolate cake photos on Google…crazy!
Three years later, I’m obviously on a white-background-white-plates-white-everything kick. Different berries. Same rich, uber-chocolatey, gluten-free, and crazy good flourless chocolate cake. And the same easy directions:
We begin with the rockstar ingredient — chocolate!!!
You can really use just about any chocolate that you’d like in this cake. I typically go with a really rich dark chocolate. But I’ve also made this over the years with a chili-spiced chocolate bars, salted chocolate, toffee chocolate, and even plain ol’ semisweet chocolate chips. They all work wonderfully. (I would just avoid white chocolate with this one.)
Go ahead and break it into smaller pieces for easier melting, and set aside.
Then it’s time to whisk those eggs. This is 10x easier with an electric mixer of some kind, but if you’re feeling extra strong, you can do it by hand. Basically they need to double in volume, so I usually mix them on high speed for about 5 minutes. They will also lighten in color and get nice and frothy.
While your mixer is running, add your chocolate and butter to a microwave-proof bowl, and heat in 30 second intervals (stirring in between each) until both are melted. You can also do this on the stove in a double-boiler if you prefer.
Then slowly fold about 1/3 of the egg mixture into the chocolate/butter mixture, and stir until combined. Repeat with another 1/3, and then the rest of the eggs until they are all combined. You want to be nice and gentle with this process, and stir the mixture until it is just combined. Avoid over-stirring, or those eggs will deflate!
Once your batter is ready, pour it in a springform pan that has been wrapped in two layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. The best way to do this is place the pan right in the middle of the foil, and then fold it up all around the edges of the pan. You want to be very careful that water cannot sneak inside the foil.
Place the springform pan inside some other larger pan (I just use my saute pan). And then slide it in the oven. Once it’s in there, take a tea pot or measuring cup full of boiling water and very carefully pour the water inside the outer pan so that it creates a “water bath” around the springform pan. You want the water to come about halfway up the sides of the springform. Please be very careful with this part — that water is h-o-t.
Then bake it for about 22-25 minutes, or until a very thin crust has formed on top of the pan. Remove the pan from the oven, once again being very very careful with that hot water, and set it on a wire rack to cool until it reaches room temperature. The pop it in the refrigerator until it has completely cooled. And then it’s ready to serve!
Clearly, I like to add to the famous 3-ingredients and top my flourless chocolate cake with some powdered sugar and berries. A chocolate ganache or whipped cream would be great too. Or it’s also fabulous just as it is.
So serve yourself up a slice, and enjoy every last bite. :)
A decadent, gluten-free flourless chocolate cake recipe with no added sugar necessary!
Ingredients
Scale
8 large eggs, cold
1 lb. dark, semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
optional toppings: powdered sugar and/or berries
Instructions
Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325°F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease the sides of the pan. (Be sure to grease the sides really well!) Wrap the outside of the pan with 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil and set it in a large roasting pan, or any pan that’s larger than the springform. Bring a kettle or pot of water to boil.
In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles. This usually takes about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter together. You can either do this in a double boiler on the stove (by placing the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl, set over a pan of almost-simmering water, and stirring until melted and smooth). Or you can do this in the microwave (by heating the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are melted and smooth). Then fold about a third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in half of the remaining egg foam, and then the last half of the foam, until the mixture is totally homogenous.
Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan on the oven rack and VERY carefully pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cake has risen slightly, the edges are just beginning to set, a thin-glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on the surface, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center reads 140° F, 22-25 minutes. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and set on a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until cool. (The cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
About 30 minutes prior to serving, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan, invert the cake onto a sheet of waxed paper, peel off the parchment paper, and reinvert the cake onto a serving platter. If desired, lightly dust the cake with powdered sugar and top with berries. To slice, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife, dipping the knife into a pitcher of hot water and wiping the blade before each cut.
That looks (and sounds) amazing! I have a friend who is allergic to gluten–I’m definitely going to share this recipe with her! Of course, she’s also allergic to soy BUT we’ve found a soy-free chocolate that is delicious…I’m thinking substitution! Thanks so much for sharing!
Can you further explain “Place the roasting pan on the oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.”?
Yep – it’s basically a water bath where you put the springform pan actually IN the water.
So you place the springform pan (wrapped in foil) in the roasting pan. Then fill the roasting pan (not the springform) with boiling water until it comes up to about the halfway point on the height of the springform pan. Then let it bake. And when it’s done, you’ll carefully remove the springform from the roasting pan that was filled with water.
Let me know if you have any more questions! Sorry – it’s a little weird and confusing, but works really well!
I am so excited about this recipe. I have a gluten-free friend and this would be the perfect dessert the next time she and her chocolate lovin’ hubby are over for dinner. Thanks for this post!
I made this recipe yesterday, but mine looked different. When you whipped your eggs, what did it look like after the 5 minutes? Mine looked like scrambled eggs with some air bubbles on top. Also, did your cake taste like a piece of chocolate fudge? Mine didn’t have any cake like texture at all and I think it might be due to the fact that I didn’t beat the eggs at a high enough speed.
Sharon —
If your eggs looked like scrambled eggs, it seems you didn’t separate the yolks from the whites and use only the whites.
Katie —
This recipe seems to call for the whole egg, not just the whites. You can see them in the picture.
delilah7777 —
You want to mix the eggs at the HIGHEST SPEED POSSIBLE with an electric mixer for 5 solid minutes, it will double (or triple) in mass just like the original recipe said! :)
I made this and had to throw it out. It was not sweet. I made it a second time adding over 1/2 cup of sugar and this time boyfriend said it was great and asked that I make it again…
Ann —
Did you happen to use unsweetened chocolate instead of dark chocolate? It’s not intended to be a super sweet cake but should be sweet enough with the correct chocolate.
oi – i tried this recipe but the water bath thing so did not work for me. I wrapped my springform pan in 3 layers of foil, but water still leaked into the cake batter and ruined the whole thing :(
I’ve never baked before, so this was my first cake EVER! I love the simplicity and like to stick with very few ingredients. I halfed the recipe and used Trader Joe’s semi-sweet choco chips. It was perfect! Thank you!
I’ve been looking for some gluten-free (and sugar-free)recipes for our church bake sale and this looks great. Do you know if it can be frozen, and how long it will keep? Hope you can answer cause I really hope to do this cake. TY
Will this cake be ok if it is not refrigerated overnight? I plan to make it early in the morning and keep it in the frig until around 8 at night thank you
the title drew my attention because i thought it’s a simple & quick recipe; yet the method got me thinking – go for the 7 ingredients easy bake cake is much better than this!
I agree that it looks like serious business to do it, but having tasted flourless chocolate cake, I would point out that it’s an entirely different, delicious experience. Like the world’s best brownie, or fudge in cake form!
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I am sharing your wonderful recipe tomorrow in my Gluten-Free Recipe RoundUp with a link back to your original post!
Have a terrific weekend!
Cathy from APeekIntoMyParadise.com
I love a simple flourless chocolate cake. I make a similar one that a friend/co-worker shared at a gathering almost 15 years ago, and it’s still a favorite of mine. Gorgeous, Ali!
Looks great! I posted a 4 ingredient flourless peanut butter cookie the other day on my blog! We all are on the same page it seems!!! :)
looks sooo amazing! Love the clicks too.. just amazing.
That looks (and sounds) amazing! I have a friend who is allergic to gluten–I’m definitely going to share this recipe with her! Of course, she’s also allergic to soy BUT we’ve found a soy-free chocolate that is delicious…I’m thinking substitution! Thanks so much for sharing!
Ooh, you had me at “3 ingredients” This looks amazing!
Can you further explain “Place the roasting pan on the oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan.”?
Hi Haley!
Yep – it’s basically a water bath where you put the springform pan actually IN the water.
So you place the springform pan (wrapped in foil) in the roasting pan. Then fill the roasting pan (not the springform) with boiling water until it comes up to about the halfway point on the height of the springform pan. Then let it bake. And when it’s done, you’ll carefully remove the springform from the roasting pan that was filled with water.
Let me know if you have any more questions! Sorry – it’s a little weird and confusing, but works really well!
Thanks,
~A
I am so excited about this recipe. I have a gluten-free friend and this would be the perfect dessert the next time she and her chocolate lovin’ hubby are over for dinner. Thanks for this post!
I will be trying this for sure!
This was amazing! I loved it with the strawberries.
Now that is a plate of beauty! :)
I made this recipe yesterday, but mine looked different. When you whipped your eggs, what did it look like after the 5 minutes? Mine looked like scrambled eggs with some air bubbles on top. Also, did your cake taste like a piece of chocolate fudge? Mine didn’t have any cake like texture at all and I think it might be due to the fact that I didn’t beat the eggs at a high enough speed.
If your eggs looked like scrambled eggs, it seems you didn’t separate the yolks from the whites and use only the whites.
This recipe seems to call for the whole egg, not just the whites. You can see them in the picture.
You want to mix the eggs at the HIGHEST SPEED POSSIBLE with an electric mixer for 5 solid minutes, it will double (or triple) in mass just like the original recipe said! :)
I made this and had to throw it out. It was not sweet. I made it a second time adding over 1/2 cup of sugar and this time boyfriend said it was great and asked that I make it again…
Did you happen to use unsweetened chocolate instead of dark chocolate? It’s not intended to be a super sweet cake but should be sweet enough with the correct chocolate.
oi – i tried this recipe but the water bath thing so did not work for me. I wrapped my springform pan in 3 layers of foil, but water still leaked into the cake batter and ruined the whole thing :(
I’ve never baked before, so this was my first cake EVER! I love the simplicity and like to stick with very few ingredients. I halfed the recipe and used Trader Joe’s semi-sweet choco chips. It was perfect! Thank you!
I just melted and mixed and baked,simple and easy ,turned out great!
Un salted butter is not gluten free!
Hi Paula, can you tell me where you got that from? I did some research and everything I read said it was gluten free. Is it a certain brand? Thanks!
Unsalted Butter just means its butter without salt in it, there is no gluten in butter (salted or unsalted)
un-salted butter is inherently gluten free as it’s just cream. Salted butter is also inherently gluten free as it’s just cream and salt, nothing else.
I’ve been looking for some gluten-free (and sugar-free)recipes for our church bake sale and this looks great. Do you know if it can be frozen, and how long it will keep? Hope you can answer cause I really hope to do this cake. TY
Will this cake be ok if it is not refrigerated overnight? I plan to make it early in the morning and keep it in the frig until around 8 at night thank you
It looks yummy and can’t wait to make it,
I recommend storing the cake in the refrigerator since it has eggs and butter in it.
~Ali
the title drew my attention because i thought it’s a simple & quick recipe; yet the method got me thinking – go for the 7 ingredients easy bake cake is much better than this!
I agree that it looks like serious business to do it, but having tasted flourless chocolate cake, I would point out that it’s an entirely different, delicious experience. Like the world’s best brownie, or fudge in cake form!
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I am sharing your wonderful recipe tomorrow in my Gluten-Free Recipe RoundUp with a link back to your original post!
Have a terrific weekend!
Cathy from APeekIntoMyParadise.com
im def trying this next week , thank u for sharing this rep
Now I have got to make this! It looks divine.
OMG! Gorgeous and decadent…and your Dad will want to try this one!
Get out of town! Just three ingredients to this beauty? Sold!
Beautiful cake! Can’t get enough of chocolate and raspberries!
My goodness, this looks SO amazing! Uber rich and chocolate-y. Perfection!
An amazing, decadent and delicious looking cake.The photographs are amazing as well!
This looks incredible and only 3 ingredients, thats amazing! Just pinned.
This looks amazing!! Love your photos – they’re making me hungry!
Do you have any calorie amount for this flourless chocolate cake? And the fat content? Thank you so much, Lynette
oh my gracious this looks divine Ali! Your photos make me drool! :)
Three ingredients?! HOLY SMOKES!! This cake looks great!
Ali, this looks amazing! I’m new here so I can’t wait to read all your posts! Xo
Wow, 3 ingredients. Amazing! Pinning!
Yum! I’m not the best at baking, but this looks easy to make. And only 3 ingredients? I think I could do this!:)
This is so stunning!! OMG I want it all.
This is too good to be true! Love the deep chocolate color going on!
So gorgeous, I just might dream of this cake tonight ;).
Definitely need to make this and share with my friends!! Is there a dairy free option? What could I use instead of butter?
https://lifeandcity.tumblr.com
I’m trying it now with Earth Balance soy “butter” but we won’t be tasting until tomorrow. I’ll let you know how it turns out!
What a beautiful cake! :)
How awesome! This looks absolutely incredible, without any sacrifice on flavor. How easy, too! :)
This cake looks and sounds completely amazing!
Oh I would love at least a little slice of this cake!
Just 3 ingredients?!?! I am in love! Beautiful pictures! Pinning
3 ingredients! this cake looks so moist and delicious!! It doesn’t get better than that!
I love a simple flourless chocolate cake. I make a similar one that a friend/co-worker shared at a gathering almost 15 years ago, and it’s still a favorite of mine. Gorgeous, Ali!
I’m totally down with any cake that is only 3 ingredients! This looks incredible!
Oh my! Three ingredients, this cake is a spectacle! Will add to the to do list!
Wow, this cake looks wonderful! I can’t wait to try this recipe :)
It isn’t even fair how absolutely gorgeous this i!!
Can’t wait to try this, but I don’t see the oven temp in the recipe. Am I missing something?