Fudgy Small Batch Flourless Chocolate Cake

This is one of the simplest Small Flourless Chocolate Cake recipes you will ever try! It is incredibly fudgy, dense, and rich, with every bite delivering all the chocolate flavor you could want! Enjoy this 6-inch chocolate cake with a light dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar and some fresh berries.

8 Reasons You Will Love This Recipe

• It is baked in a 6-inch cake pan
• Wonderfully soft and fudgy in texture
• You need only eight ingredients, and one of them is optional
• The deep chocolate flavor in every bite
• A very easy recipe to make
• It is gluten-free
• Lovely for Valentine’s Day, a special birthday, or any day of the year
• A light sprinkle of powdered sugar or cocoa powder makes the perfect garnish.

This easy flourless chocolate cake is one of the most decadent desserts you can make, and a little goes a long way!

What You Will Need

To make this flourless chocolate cake, gather the following ingredients:

• Unsalted Butter. Use whatever brand you like. You only need 1/2 cup, or one stick.
• Dark Chocolate. The darker the better, and chocolate bars work better than chocolate chips. I used 6 ounces of Moser Roth 70% cocoa chocolate bars from ALDI.
• Espresso Powder. This optional ingredient gives the chocolate a slightly richer, bolder taste.
• Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract is my pick. You can also switch things up with a flavored extract. The best ones I have tried come from Heilala Vanilla.
• Salt. Only 1/4 teaspoon is needed.
• Eggs. You will need three large eggs at room temperature.
• Granulated Sugar. Pure cane sugar works too. This recipe uses 1/2 cup to add a little sweetness.
• Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. Because more chocolate is never a bad thing. This is what gives the cake its intense chocolate flavor.

For garnishes, you can use powdered sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder along with some fresh berries.

Substitutions

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Instead of Dutch process cocoa, you can use regular unsweetened cocoa or dark chocolate cocoa powder.

Extracts. Change up the flavor by using a flavored extract, such as chocolate espresso, in place of the vanilla.

I have not tested this recipe with egg, butter, or sugar substitutes.

Helpful Baking Tools

A few baking tools will make this very moist flourless chocolate cake easier to put together. Scroll through the carousel below for more!

• 6-inch Cake Pan. I prefer a 6 x 3-inch round cake pan. Fat Daddio’s makes my favorite ones. A 6 x 2-inch round pan will also work, but the cake will rise right up to the top.
• Heavy Bottom Saucepan. Used for melting the butter and chocolate together. I used my Cuisinart 4-quart saucepan.
• Mixing Bowls. These work well for both dry and wet ingredients.
• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer. Either one does the job. I prefer the stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
• Whisks and Spatulas. It is always handy to have a few of these while baking! I used my GIR spoonula to melt the chocolate and butter, and again to fold the melted mixture into the eggs and sugar. I love them, and they come in a ton of colors!

How to Make the Recipe

Here is a quick overview of how to make this flourless chocolate cake. For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card.

STEP 1. Prepare the pan well. I sprayed my 6-inch cake pan with Baker’s Joy, placed a circle of parchment paper inside, and then lightly sprayed the parchment again. Wrapping the outside of the pan with a cake strip is fine, but it is not required.

STEP 2. Melt the butter and chocolate together. A heavy-bottom saucepan works well here. Melt the chocolate and butter over low heat until smooth. Take the pan off the heat and right away stir in the espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt.

You can also melt the butter and chocolate together in a glass bowl in the microwave. Heat at 50-60% power for 1 minute, stirring until everything is melted.

STEP 3. Beat the eggs and sugar well. Use a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment for this part. The goal is a mixture that doubles in size, turns a very pale yellow, and becomes frothy and fluffy.

This takes about 5-6 minutes. The mixture should start to look like a meringue and leave ribbons behind when the whisk lifts out.

STEP 4. Fold in the chocolate and cocoa powder. Start by folding in only half the melted chocolate with a spatula, stopping when a few streaks of the whisked egg mixture still show. Do not use your hand mixer or stand mixer for this part.

Then fold in the rest of the chocolate along with the Dutch process cocoa powder. Stir gently until the batter is evenly combined.

The batter should look glossy and be on the thick side, yet still light enough to pour into the prepared 6-inch cake pan. To me, it tastes like a cross between brownie batter and chocolate frosting.

STEP 5. Bake the cake. Bake this small chocolate cake for 30-35 minutes at 350ºF. It is ready when the top looks slightly crusty, like a brownie, and the center no longer wobbles.

Keep in mind that a 6 x 2-inch pan will leave the cake almost level with the top. A 6 x 3-inch pan gives it a little more room.

STEP 6. Cool the cake, then invert. I suggest letting the flourless chocolate cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. It will settle and sink slightly as it cools.

You will flip the cake twice. Do this part carefully too. First, invert it onto a plate. Then flip it back onto the wire cooling rack so the top faces up again. Let it cool all the way.

STEP 7. Add your toppings. I kept things simple with a dusting of cocoa powder and fresh raspberries. If you prefer, sprinkle powdered sugar instead of cocoa.

FAQs

Can I use dark chocolate chips?

For this flourless chocolate cake, good quality dark chocolate bars (60% or higher) work best. Dark chocolate baking bars are also a good option. If chocolate chips are easier to find where you live, just make sure they are a good quality.

Can I use a 6-inch springform pan?

I suggest skipping the springform pan. I tested the recipe in one first, but it leaked a little while baking, so I switched to a regular 6-inch cake pan. If a 6-inch springform is all you have, cover the bottom with a layer or two of aluminum foil.

What’s better—a 6-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides or one with 3-inch sides?

I tried both, but I like the 3-inch tall sides better because they gave the cake more room to rise as it baked. If you only have a 6-inch round pan with 2-inch sides, expect the cake to come right up to the top. It will settle as it cools.

Mine did not spill, but if you are concerned about batter running over the sides, preheat your oven with a jelly roll pan on the rack where the cake will bake. That way any drips will be caught.

What should the cake batter look like?

The batter should look glossy and be on the thick side, yet still light enough to pour into the prepared 6-inch cake pan. Its texture should fall somewhere between brownie batter and chocolate frosting.

How will I know when my chocolate flourless cake is done?

The cake is ready when the top looks slightly crusty, like a brownie, and the center no longer wobbles.

Can this small chocolate flourless cake be made the day before?

Yes. Once the cake has cooled completely, you can store it in a tightly sealed container at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

How long will it keep for?

About five days at room temperature in a tightly sealed container.

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