It’s finally here, y’all- #monthofchocolate! I’m so excited that it might as well be Christmas morning. We’re starting this February fest of chocolate with a super-rich and decadent flourless chocolate cake, and I can promise you it will be enough to entice you to stick around all month long.

I started this #monthofchocolate thing a couple of years ago. February, to me, is synonymous with Valentine’s Day (which is synonymous with chocolate which is synonymous with delicious), and I just knew we needed to honor the month of love by featuring only chocolate-filled recipes. If you don’t like chocolate, these 28 days might be tough for you, but I’m almost certain there will be something to come along in the next few weeks that might make a believer of you. I dare you to stick around to find out.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

So we’re kicking the festivities off with this flourless chocolate cake. This is the kind of thing you make for your chocolate-loving boyfriend. I would bet it’s the kind of dessert that elicits marriage proposals or at least some kind of “my mom can’t make it like this” statement. It’s a super sexy dessert (and yes, dessert can absolutely be sexy), and it’s precisely the type of thing I’d recommend you cozy up to your boo thang with. This flourless chocolate cake is the type of dish that feels super fancy yet effortless all at the same time, something you can casually pull out of the oven and be all like, “Oh, this old thing?” Yeah, this is definitely the kind of dessert you need in your back pocket this month.

Making the Cake

To make this flourless chocolate cake, we start by melting chocolate. I recommend 70% chocolate for a dark, rich chocolate cake, but you can certainly use semisweet baking chocolate if you prefer a little extra sugar. Melt the chocolate with butter over low heat and then set it aside while you prep the other cake elements. Egg yolks are whisked together in a large bowl with sugar, espresso powder, vanilla, and salt. We whisk basically until our arm feels like it’s going to fall off, and then you’re probably done. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg yolks and then tend to your egg whites. Simply whip them in a clean mixing bowl until they’re thick and fluffy, and then fold those into the yolk mixture with a smidge of cocoa powder. Would you believe that is it? You’re done! Gently spoon the mixture into a prepared springform pan and bake until the cake has puffed and the center no longer jiggles.

Once the flourless chocolate cake is out of the oven, you can decorate it however you please. I’ve seen some versions of this cake topped with a chocolate whipped cream and others dusted with a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar or cocoa powder. I decided to top it with homemade truffles and little chocolate candies and nuts I had laying around, but no one will blame you if you simply serve this bad boy warm with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. It requires no decor because it has enough sass and appeal all on it’s own.

A Few Notes:

A few things to note about this recipe: first, the top will fall! This is apart of the deal. Don’t stress over cracks or sunken centers because this is all on purpose, okay? Basically, we incorporate air into the cake by whisking the egg yolks and whipping the egg whites. Eventually that air gets let out like a balloon with a hole in it and we’re left with a fudge-bottomed cake with a crackly meringue-like top. DREAMY. Second, don’t overwork this cake! Folding is super important here because we want to keep as much of that air in the cake as possible! Third, don’t be afraid to splurge on good chocolate here. The chocolate plays an important role in this flourless chocolate cake, so you want to use a bar that you enjoy the taste of.

I’m literally chomping at the bit to explore these #monthofchocolate recipes with you this February. I’ve got 5 (maybe 6) killer treats that will satisfy all of your chocolate-lover dreams, and I can’t wait to drool over them with you. Stay tuned and sign up on the main page of my site to get weekly recipes delivered straight to your inbox. I hope you enjoy this flourless chocolate cake, and if you try it let me know what you think! Happy Baking!

If you like this flourless chocolate cake you should check out:

Molten Caramel Chocolate Cakes

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Caramel Crumble Cake

Mint Chocolate Souffles

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 4 reviews

This flourless chocolate cake is a fudgy cake with a meringue top. It puffs, deflates, and is incredibly rich in flavor!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 35
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 8
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dark (I use 70%) chocolate
• ½ cup (113 gm) unsalted butter
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup (200 gm) sugar
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup cocoa powder

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9” springform pan.
2. In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring regularly until smooth.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla for two minutes. Set aside.
4. In a large clean bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Pour the chocolate and butter mixture into the egg yolks and fold to combine. Fold half of the stiff egg whites and the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture until just barely combined and then fold in the remaining egg whites. Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the oven about 30-35 minutes or until the center is no longer jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool some before garnishing and serving.