Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate (70-72% cacao), coarsely chopped
• 14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon dark rum or strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Cocoa powder, for dusting the pan

Prep the Pan and Melt the Chocolate

Preheat your oven to 350F. Thoroughly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Dust the inside with cocoa powder, then tap out any excess. Wrap the outside of the pan in a layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil; this is a safeguard against any potential leaks from the thin batter.

In a large, heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chopped chocolate and the butter together, stirring occasionally until smooth. Alternatively, you can do this in a microwave on 50% power in 30-second intervals. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Whip the Eggs and Combine

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the eggs and sugar on high speed for ~4-5 minutes. The mixture should become very pale, thick, and should roughly triple in volume. This step incorporates the air that gives the cake its initial lift.

With the mixer on low speed, slowly stream in the slightly cooled chocolate-butter mixture. Add the rum (or coffee), vanilla, and salt, and mix until just combined. Do not overmix and deflate the eggs.

Bake and Cool

Pour the batter into your prepared springform pan and smooth the top.

Bake for ~30-35 minutes. The cake is done when the edges are set and puffed, but the center still has a slight jiggle to it. A toothpick inserted about an inch from the edge should come out with moist, fudgy crumbs, not wet batter.

Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. As it cools, the center will sink and crack dramatically. This is supposed to happen. Once it is completely cool, you can run a thin knife around the edge and release the sides of the springform pan.

This cake is even better the next day, as the texture becomes denser and more fudgy as it rests. Dust with more cocoa powder or powdered sugar before serving.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is chocolate in its most elemental form. With no flour to get in the way, the result is something between a dense, fudgy brownie and a silky mousse. The most important thing to know is that the cake is supposed to dramatically rise and then fall in the center as it cools; this collapse is what creates its signature dense, moist texture.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Active Time35 minutes mins

Cooling Time2 hours hrs

Total Time2 hours hrs 55 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate 70-72% cacao, coarsely chopped
• 14 tablespoons 1 3/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon dark rum or strong brewed coffee
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• Cocoa powder for dusting the pan

Instructions

• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
• Dust the inside of the pan with the cocoa powder and tap out the excess.
• Wrap the outside of the pan with the heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a large bowl over simmering water until smooth.
• Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
• Whip the eggs and the sugar on high speed for 4-5 minutes until pale, thick, and tripled in volume.
• Stream the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture on low speed.
• Add the rum, the vanilla, and the salt, mixing just until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes until edges are set but center jiggles slightly.
• Let the cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
• Run a thin knife around the edge and release the springform pan.
• Dust with the cocoa powder before serving.

Notes

The center will sink and crack as it cools – this is normal.

The cake’s texture becomes denser and more fudgy after resting overnight.