Gimme Some Oven

3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

My longtime favorite flourless cake recipe is decadently rich and delicious, naturally gluten-free, and easy to make in under 1 hour!

Trust me, this flourless chocolate cake recipe belongs in your dessert repertoire. ♡

I actually first shared this recipe here on Gimme Some Oven over a dozen years ago, and have probably made it at least a few dozen times ever since. It has turned into one of my back-pocket dessert recipes because it calls for 3 simple ingredients that I almost always keep stocked in my kitchen — eggs, butter and chocolate. It’s easy to prep and bake in under 1 hour. It’s naturally gluten-free. And who can argue with a decadent, fudgy, flourless chocolate cake?! People always adore this recipe!

After having made this cake so many times, I can vouch that this classic recipe welcomes fun ingredient twists as well. So if you feel like adding in a dash of cinnamon and cayenne, a spoonful of espresso powder, or a splash of bourbon, go for it! I’ve also made this cake using everything from the fanciest chocolate bars to store-brand semisweet chocolate chips and all have turned out to be absolutely delicious. Please just take a minute to read a few of my tried-and-true tips below (turns out the type of aluminum foil can make a big difference here!) so that your flourless chocolate cakes are a success each and every time.

Let’s make some cake!

3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Flourless Chocolate Cake Ingredients

Here are a few quick notes about the 3 flourless chocolate cake ingredients needed to make this recipe:

  • Dark or semisweet chocolate: I recommend using whatever good-quality chocolate bars or chocolate chips that you love best. You can opt for anything from semisweet to dark chocolate. Just keep in mind that whatever percentage of chocolate you use will decide the sweetness of this cake since we’re not adding in any extra sugar.
  • Eggs: You will need 8 large eggs for this cake, which we will whip until their volume has doubled to give the cake a lighter and fluffier cheesecake-type texture.
  • Salted butter: Finally, we will add two sticks of salted butter (cut into 16 pieces for easier melting) to heat with the melted chocolate. If you only have unsalted butter on hand, just add an extra 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt to the batter.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Supplies

These are the supplies I recommend using for this recipe:

  • 8-inch or 9-inch springform panEither size of springform pan will work for this recipe. I’m partial to my Norpro springform pans, which seem to be some of the most secure I’ve used when it comes to preventing leaks.
  • Heavy-duty aluminum foilThis is actually a critical component of this recipe! If possible, please use heavy-duty foil that is at least 12-inches wide to wrap the outside of springform pan. Using just one sheet of heavy-duty foil (instead of layering a few) ensures that there will be no gaps in the foil that could allow the hot water to accidentally seep into the batter while the cake is baking in the water bath.
  • Parchment paperI also recommend lining the bottom of the springform pan with parchment paper to help with easy removal from the pan. Simply place the pan on a sheet of parchment, trace around it, then cut to size.
  • Stand mixer or hand mixerIt’s definitely easiest to use an electric mixer — either a stand mixer or a hand mixer — to beat the eggs until they have doubled in size.

Recipe Tips

Detailed directions are included in the recipe box below for how to make flourless chocolate cake, but here are 5 important tips to keep in mind too:

  • Use one sheet of heavy-duty foil to wrap the pan. As mentioned above, I highly recommend using heavy-duty aluminum foil that is at least 12-inches wide so that you can use a single sheet (without gaps) to wrap the bottom and sides of the pan. This will help to prevent the hot water bath from accidentally seeping into the batter while the cake is cooking.
  • Keep a close eye on the chocolate while melting. As always, be sure to watch the chocolate carefully while heating it so that it does not accidentally burn.
  • Avoid over-mixing the batter. We want to preserve as many of the tiny foamy air bubbles in the whipped eggs as possible to help give the cake a lighter texture. So when folding the eggs into the chocolate batter, be very gentle and continue folding until the mixture is *just* combined and no egg streaks remain.
  • Don’t over-bake the cake. The center will still be every-so-slightly jiggly when you remove the cake from the oven, which is okay because the cake will continue to set as it cools. (We don’t want to use the toothpick test in this recipe, as it will not come out perfectly clean from the center of the hot cake.) If anything, it’s typically best to underbake rather than over-bake a flourless chocolate cake. Otherwise it can tend to be dry and crumbly.
  • Cool the cake completely before serving. That said, this cake is best served completely chilled. So be sure to set aside enough prep time to let the cake cool in the fridge for at least a few hours before serving. It should be deliciously dense, cool, and fudgy!

Recipe Variations

Here are a few fun variations that you’re welcome to try with this flourless chocolate cake recipe:

  • Add espresso powder. Add 1 teaspoon of espresso powder to the melted chocolate for a hint of coffee flavor.
  • Add chopped nuts. Add up to 1/2 cup of chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, etc) to the batter when mixing in the eggs.
  • Add spices or orange zest. Add a hint of spices (such as ground cinnamon or cayenne powder) or orange zest to the melted chocolate.
  • Add liqueur. Add a splash of your favorite liqueur to the batter.
  • Infuse fresh mint. Infuse a few sprigs of fresh mint into the melted chocolate for a few minutes, then remove and discard before continuing on with the recipe.

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

Looking for more chocolate cake recipes to try? Here are a few of our favorites:

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon

3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 73 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x

Description

A decadent, gluten-free flourless chocolate cake recipe with no added sugar necessary!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 large eggs, cold
  • 1 pound dark or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cut into 16 pieces
  • optional toppings: powdered sugar and berries

Instructions

  1. 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 and grease the sides of the pan. Center the pan on a large sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap the edges up around the sides of the pan. Repeat with a second sheet of foil. Set the pan in a large roasting pan, or any pan that’s larger than the springform. Bring a kettle or pot of water to boil.
  2. In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles. This usually takes about 5 minutes.
  3. 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). Take care not to overheat the chocolate – you only want to heat it enough so that the chocolate *just* melts. 
  4. 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. Do not overstir.
  5. 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 for 35-40 minutes, until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the edges of the pan. Carefully remove the springform pan from the water bath and set it on a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled. 
  6. About 30 minutes prior to serving, run a knife around the edges of the cake and carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. Carefully slip a spatula under the parchment to loosen and remove the pan base and transfer the cake to 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.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated. The total recipe time listed does not include the time needed to chill the cake completely, which can vary depending on your refrigerator.

 

Share this Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

456 comments on “3-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake”

  1. hola, cuantos gramos u onzas sería de mantequilla..? gracias

  2. This is so simple to make and so delicious! It was a hit at a party. Thanks!






  3. Amazing, only problem was that I had difficulty in removing the bottom of the spring form pan from the cake when I turned it over ( I did line with parchment) so I put the cake – pan bottom and all on the serving plate. I also gilded the Lilly, so to speak by topping with a rich chocolate glaze, it was for Christmas.






  4. This flourless chocolate cake was exactly the same I remember from high class restaurants. I can’t believe it turned out so well on my first try!
    But be careful about the size of your springform pan – the first time I made it I borrowed the spring form pan and it seemed pretty good size, maybe 9 inches. The cake was wonderful. Then when I bought one, they only had 10.25 inch pans, and I thought the cake was a little flat and dry. Haven’t tried the 8 inch pan.
    Getting all your pots and pans together and prepping to make this took at least 45 minutes for me, including wrapping the foil around the pan and creating a double boiler.
    Got lots of complements on this recipe – if you like chocolate, nothing beats it!!!






  5. Just tried this recipe for the first time, for our 4 year old who has celiac. It was a huge hit for everyone and so easy to make. I topped it with a chocolate ganache, but I think next time I may try a white chocolate raspberry ganache for some additional flavors. Thanks for an awesome and inexpensive GF recipe!

  6. Just made for husband’s bday cake.
    Only had 4 eggs so halved the recipe and put in a 6” pan and cooked longer. Delicious!

  7. This was easy to make, and so delicious! I used strawberries because that’s what I had on hand, and it was scrumptious!






  8. Made this today… So good. My pan was a bit smaller and I had a wee bit of batter left over. I used the leftover batter in the Belgian waffle maker and it was amazing.

  9. Is this comparable to the Chocolate sin cake from Ruth’s Chris steakhouse?

  10. Any adjustment needed for high altitude?

  11. Would this cake be okay to make the night before and eat the next night?

  12. I made this for hubby and myself for Valentine’s Day. It took me quite a bit more than 15 minutes of prep time. I had to cook it 10-15 minutes longer than the recipe suggests. But it turned out great. I served it topped with powdered sugar and raspberries and made some homemade coffee ice cream to serve on the side. The intense flavors of the bittersweet chocolate and the dark roasted coffee was a match made in heaven. We both loved it. I literally licked the plate!






  13. Absolutely delicious and so easy to whip up! I made it for my family this past Valentine’s Day (which was yesterday and I am looking forward to thirds!) The cake was gooey in the middle but the temp read what the recipe suggested so we just ate it anyway. It was even better the next day, cold from the fridge. I whipped some cream to go with it and served it with raspberries and blueberries. I want to buy smaller spring form pans just for this cake. I think they will be so cute and yummy!






  14. I’m curious. Does it have to be baked in a spring pan with foil? Can you use a bunch of tiny bundt molds with foil and do water thing??thanks

  15. I haven’t tried making it yet, I just wondered how it will taste with bittersweet chocolate and NO SUGAR.
    Won’t it be bitter tasting?

    My granddaughter has celiac and I’m excited to make it for her.

    • I’ve always made it with semi sweet myself…. also done a white choc version as well. It’s an incredibly rich dessert no matter how you make it ?

    • I made this today with dark chocolate for 1st time, no sugar. I’d recommend semi sweet if you don’t want too bitter, but still super easy and delicious recipe.

    • I made it with have bitter sweet and semi sweet and it was bitter so I also made a raspberry Cooley

  16. I’ve made flourless chocolate cakes numerous times and have never used the water bath, does it prevent a crackled top? what is the purpose?

    • Provides a uniform temperature around the cake pan so that the cake bakes more evenly. Important for a dense cake like this, without levening. Most ovens have hot spots, so the water bath works best.






    • Yes, it does, and keeps the eggs from drying out. They keep the cake’s texture very moist.

    • This was amazing. I halved the recipe and baked it in 5 small ramekins, which I sprayed with baking spray, and put into a water bath while baking. It was delicious warm out of the oven, like lava cake, and equally as delicious chilled.The key to getting it the right texture is to really whip the eggs so they double in volume and are very fluffy, and to gently fold in the chocolate and butter. Such and fast, easy, and delicious recipe to cure a chocolate craving! Thanks!

  17. Hi I dont have this pan and its lock down period. I have a thin cake tin and a steam oven. Is it possible to put this directly into a steam oven?

    Thank you. I’m looking forward to hearing back

    Heather

    • It’s not steam that’s important here, but rather the uniform temperature around the cake pan that the water bath provides. Without the water bath I’d maybe take a chance on a dry oven, or a convection oven. If you try steam, tell everyone how it turned out!

  18. has anyone tried a vegan alternative for butter? let me know what you did!!!

    • Good luck with that!






    • Hi! I did this recipe with vegan butter, it worked out well! I used the smart balance vegan butter spread and it tasted awesome. I did bake it for about 10 minutes longer than the recipe called for but that could have been my oven.






  19. Have you ever tried cutting this recipe in half? Curious if you think this would be successful, as I have limited ingredients.

    • I just cut the recipe in half and baked it in a Pam-sprayed pie dish (#quarantine), huge success!!






  20. I want to make this for my husband, who is on the Keto diet. Can you please tell me how many carbs are in a serving ? Thanks.

    kerry

    • You can calculate this by looking at the carb content of your chocolate since eggs and butter have no carbs.

    • It’s easy! Look up the carbs for all of the ingredients, then divide that total by how many slices you get out of one cake! Because your mileage may vary lol. If you want to get super fancy, calculate the circumference of your baking dish and get a number for carbs per inch! I also like to stay pretty low carb, and this is one of my little treats… in very skinny slices ;)

  21. My daughter is making this recipe who has celiac, and she is making it for an ice cream cake!!!

  22. This looks so yummy!






    • My cake came out with a HUGE layer of oil over the top from the butter. Not sure why, followed the recipe exactly. Anyone know why that happened?

  23. Super Delicious!❤
    Super Easy!❤
    I love it!???
    I have a gluten & lactose intolerance & I love this cake like mad!❤
    I use Callebaut Belgian chocolate! ?






  24. I revised with one pack of Lily’s sugar free choc, 3 ozs of peanut butter and 3/4 cup Splenda. It turned out great and is keto!






  25. I just followed your recipe very precisely; measuring with a scale, whisking the eggs for 5 minutes and folding with the melted chocolate/butter mix in 3 stages. Cooked in springform just like the recipe called. After 25 minutes, took it out and temp was 140. The top formed the crust like a brownie. But it was just so loose, jiggly like jello. I’m going to put it in the fridge over night but can’t imagine it really setting like in the photo. Did I do something wrong?

    • I have a photo of the finished “results” if looking at that would help “troubleshoot” my unsuccessful attempt!

    • David I just posted that the same thing happened to me. I’m not sure what happened.

    • Same here but I didn’t even get a crust on top. It did harden after cooling and in fridge. I suspect the foil didn’t completey keep water out of the pan and a little bit got in through bottom of spring pan. Really not sure though. Still a success I just think it was meant to have a different texture.

    • I always use large tinfoil on the outer side of my pan so no seeping in of water.

  26. Best and easiest recipe ever! I used dark chocolate but will use semi sweet next time.






  27. I’ve made this many times and it’s so rich and delicious! It’s a go-to for an easy, but show-stopping cake.

    Also, I admit that I feel ok eating it because in my mind it’s “healthy.” At least for cake!






  28. Absolutely delicious!






  29. I was really exited to try this, but with limited pots and pans during quarantine I had to mix it up. I made a half batch and cooked it in a cupcake tin without a water bath, and while they tasted good the texture was very eggy. Not sure if its because I didn’t use a water bath or something else, but it basically had the texture of just an omelette or just egg, which was disappointing, and the tops sunk in a solid amount.






  30. Can I reduce the recipe by .5? I know you can double or triple ect. recipes but will this recipe work if I reduce it?

  31. Do you wrap the entire pan in tin foil? Or just the sides? It looks so good btw.

  32. My whole family loves this cake! So rich and decadent! And, a small slice, diabetic friendly with raspberries and whipped cream :)






  33. Great recipe but the cooking time seriously needs to be updated. I see I’m not the only one in the comments who has had to bake it for wayyyyy longer. It recommends about 25 mins, but it’s taking about 50 for mine. Other than that cool recipe:)






  34. My favorite go-to dessert — I always keep one frozen, just in case of surprise company ?






  35. I followed all the directions but the cake was a bit liquidy when it came out of the oven even though my thermometer read 140. I put it back in for a few more minutes and took it out and still was. After cooling and refrigerating it hardened up, but I think the texture may have been off. Tasted amazing though. It reminded me a bit of what a chocolate cheesecake taste like. If anyone has any thoughts on what the mistake might have been please let me know. Thank you






    • I just took mine out of the oven after 25 min. Same thing like a pool of butter on top, however after 15 minutes on a cooling rack the liquid disappeared! Another 15 minutes and I will attempt to take it out of my cake pan (didn’t have springform).

  36. Just in case anyone is curious of the calories…

    I calculate that this is around 4436 calories
    If divided into 8 slices each is 554.

    This is with using SemiSweet morsels






  37. I made it for my sons birthday and was extremely good. I used half black chocolate half milk chocolate for a sweeter taste. Definitely i will cook it again ?

  38. Made this recipe with a friend and loved it!
    We used four 4-ounce Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate baking bars for the chocolate. Using a mixture of hand-picked black raspberries and store-bought red raspberries, we also made a homemade raspberry sauce from this recipe: https://www.tastesoflizzyt.com/easy-raspberry-sauce-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-13846
    The sweetness of the raspberry sauce was an amazing complement to the slight bitterness of the rich cake.
    We served it up with some vanilla pudding. It was a delicious, decadent dessert! We will be making this again.






  39. Mine is turning out not good. Butter lake on top of it, cake and muddy chocolate at 25 minutes. I followed the instructions to a T, aside from using a 10” pan and increasing all the ingredients by 25%. So, maybe don’t do that if you try it… I spooned of about 1/3 cup of butter and put the cake back for another 20 minutes, it hit the 140 degrees mark and looks right, and I think it is salvageable with fridge time, raspberries, and whipped cream. I mean, really, it’s not like it is gonna taste bad if it is a little butter-fried, right?

  40. Why is it he middle doesn’t always cook through unless I cook it longer and when I cook it longer the edges are dry






  41. Best ever, and I’ve tried lots of recipes. We live at 6200’ altitude and I made a temp reduction of 10 degrees and increased baking time by 5 minutes. I added grated orange rind because I like the flavor combo. Great recipe!!






  42. I have made this cake and have frozen some of it. After defrosting Can I reheat it and serve it with cream etc?
    If so, how long should I reheat?

    Regards

  43. This look so beautiful and yummy. I can’t wait to try this cake recipe. Thank you so much for the recipe.

  44. Absolutely delicious! Great recipe!

  45. This cake was excellent- I made it for my son for his 22nd birthday, and
    he loved it! He kept asking me if I was sure there was just the 3 ingredients
    ( that he can eat), in the recipe, Lol






  46. Hi! So I’ve tried baking this 2 times now and it takes much longer than 25 minutes to bake it all the way. Am I supposed to be baking it at 325 or is it supposed to be 425? Or if it is 325 why is it not baking fast enough?

  47. Made this yesterday on an afternoon when I was SERIOUSLY craving chocolate. I had some semisweet guittard chocolate in the pantry and just went for it. This is an extremely easy and quick cake to prep. I whisked the eggs for exactly 5 minutes in my kitchenaid mixer, while I melted the chocolate and butter in the microwave on 30 second intervals. I will say that it’s worth making sure everything is prepped to go before hand (your pans greased, oven heated, water boiled, etc) because the whipped/melting it so quick. I also think it may be worth doing the chocolate first so that it cools a bit while you whip the eggs before you combine. When I was folding it took a little while to combine, but got there eventually. I will also note that (like other comments have said) it took almost double the time to cook properly (until firm with a slight wobble). My bain marie sprung a leak but it didn’t seem to make a difference to the taste of the cake. So good! Will definitely make again.






  48. I didn’t get foil watertight, but did not harm the deliciousness of this cake! Was just for family, so a little timein the fridge and it was hardly noticable. Very happy with my 1st try!






  49. My friend made this for me for my birthday. It is SO delicious!! It seems like a lot of work (btw she made it with coconut oil and its delish). I just had a piece with some chardonnay and it was perfect!!!

  50. Great recipe, and easy to remember! I made it according to the directions (used semi-sweet chocolate chips), but my spring form pan is 9″. Though slightly thinner than the pictures, it turned out lovely and exactly what I was craving… although, I did have to wait to eat a piece as the cooling time is critical for the cake to set up… well worth it! Thanks, Ali.