Fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cake
This fudgy flourless chocolate cake is the most perfect mix of rich fudgy brownie and a crackly meringue crust. It’s rich and decadent but melts in the mouth. The cake rises high as it bakes, but then collapses into a crackle topped cake.
About this flourless chocolate cake
The batter of this cake looks and tastes like chocolate mousse. It’s a whipped batter made of egg whites, chocolate and butter, folded together super gently so the batter stays light and airy. In the oven the cake rises high because of all the air that’s been whipped into the egg whites. Then as it cools down it deflates and it leaves a crisp, thin crackily top, that looks similar to a brownie top but it’s crispier. Then inside the cake it’s as moist as anything.
Ingredients
The ingredients amounts are listed in the recipe card below but here is a run-through of the main ones with a few extra details.
- Chocolate: Good dark chocolate with 50% -60% cocoa makes a rich cake that is not too bitter.
- Butter: Melted butter brings moisture and flavor.
- Sugar + salt: Granulated white sugar for sweetness, salt to balance the sweetness.
- Eggs: Egg yolks add richness. Egg whites are whipped with the sugar until stiff peaks form and these bring lightness to the batter.
- Cocoa powder – Cocoa powder enhances the chocolate flavor more.
Method
- Melt together the chocolate and the butter and stir until glossy.
- Add the egg yolks to the chocolate one at a time, then the vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Whip the egg whites til foamy, then slowly whip in the sugar and keep whipping to you achieve stiff peaks.
- Fold the egg whites, slowly in increments into the chocolate mixture.
- Scoop the mixture into a prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of the spatula.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes.
- After baking, leave it to cool completely before removing it from the cake pan. It will deflate as it cools.
Serving and storing
Serve the cake with whipped cream and fresh fruit. Leftover cracked chocolate cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Cracked chocolate cake FAQ
Related recipes
Are you looking for another chocolate cake? Why not try a sourdough chocolate cake or this delicious 6-inch chocolate cake.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 220 g semi-sweet chocolate (50-60% cocoa)
- 113 g unsalted butter (plus more for greasing)
- 5 large eggs
- 3 Tbsp cocoa powder + 1 tsp for greasing
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 150 g granulated sugar
Instructions
- Grease the sides of a 9-inch/23cm springform round cake pan with butter and add in a teaspoon of cocoa powder. Tip the pan to the side and tap it, turning it round and round to cover the greased sides with cocoa powder. Tip the pan upside down and tap it to remove the excess powder. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- In a saucepan over low heat, melt together the chocolate and butter. Alternatively, place them in a microwave-proof bowl and microwave them together until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Let it cool slightly.
- Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Add the egg yolks to the chocolate mixture and the vanilla, cocoa powder, and salt. Stir it together until combined.
- Add the egg whites to a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on low-medium speed until the egg whites are foamy, then add a tablespoon of sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and keep whisking, adding the sugar in a tablespoon until the egg whites are thick and glossy with stiff peaks.
- Add 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and fold it through carefully with a rubber spatula. Continue with the remaining egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Take care not to beat the mix and lose the volume of the egg whites.
- Scoop the mixture into the greased pan and smooth the top with the back of the spatula.
- Place the cake in the oven and bake for approximately 40 minutes until the cake no longer wobbles when given a light shake.
- Place the cake in the pan on a cooling rack and leave it to cool completely before removing it from the pan. It will deflate as it cools.
