A mini flourless chocolate cake that's ultra chocolatey, fudgy, and over the top decadent. The perfect dessert for a special occasion!
This is no ordinary cake. It's a chocolate soufflé-like cake that rises in the oven thanks to the meringue, and then falls to form this dense, fudgy chocolate cake with a thick crackle top as it cools. The contrast in texture from the meringue crackle top and the fudgy center are enough to make you swoon the minute you take one bite. Though it is extremely easy to whip up, it's decadent enough to make for any special occasion!
For more chocolate cake recipes, try Chocolate Tiramisu Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake, Chocolate Espresso Cake, and Chocolate Sour Cream Pound Cake.
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Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate
- Butter
- Cocoa Powder
- Espresso Powder
- Vanilla
- Eggs
- Sugar
Step by Step Instructions
Though this cake seems fancy and complicated, all you really need to make it is a couple glass bowls, a pot of simmering water, a whisk, an electric hand-mixer, and a rubber spatula. Follow these simple steps and you'll have an indulgent dessert in no time!
STEP 1: Melt the chocolate & butter, then add dry ingredients. In a medium size bowl, add the chocolate and butter and place over a pot of simmering water. Stir frequently until fully melted and smooth. Once the chocolate, butter mixture is melted, remove the bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Set aside to cool.
STEP 2: Make the meringue. Meanwhile, in a separate medium size bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add in the sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
STEP 3: Mix in the egg yolks. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whisk in the egg yolks one at a time until fully combined.
STEP 4: Fold in the meringue. Lastly, gently fold in the meringue in 3 additions, careful not to over-mix, but mix just enough so there are no steaks of meringue left.
STEP 5: Bake. Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes or until it has risen up like a soufflé, formed cracks on the top, and has a very slight wobble.
STEP 6: Serve. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. As it cools it will fall and form more cracks. Gently remove the cake, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
FAQ
Yes! Since this cake is best eaten the day it is made, you might want to consider making it ahead of time. Follow the instructions all the way through to pouring the batter in the cake pan. Then, cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for a few hours or until ready to bake.
Since chocolate is the most important ingredient in this cake recipe, it is important to use a high-quality brand of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate. I used a combination of Guittard's semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate.
This cake is baked at 375 degrees F so it will rise quickly and form that beautiful & delicious thick crackle top!
This is normal! This cake relies on just whipped egg whites to help it rise in the oven, but as it cools it falls to form this dense, fudgy chocolate cake with a thick crackle top.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other cake recipes you'll love
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Mini Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 155 g 5.5 oz high-quality chocolate (semi-sweet or bittersweet)
- 75 g 5 ½ tablespoon salted butter
- 11 g 1 ½ tablespoon dutch process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 eggs, separated
- 100 g ½ cup granulated sugar
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a 6-inch cake pan with parchment paper, leaving the edges hanging over the sides for easy removal.Â
- In a medium size bowl, add the chocolate and butter and place over a pot of simmering water. Stir frequently until fully melted and smooth.Â
- Once the chocolate, butter mixture is melted, remove the bowl and whisk in the cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a separate medium size bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually add in the sugar. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.Â
- Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whisk in the egg yolks one at a time until fully combined.Â
- Lastly, gently fold in the meringue in 3 additions, careful not to over-mix, but mix just enough so there are no steaks of meringue left.Â
- Gently pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth out the top.Â
- Bake the cake for about 40 minutes or until it has risen up like a soufflé, formed cracks on the top, and has a very slight wobble.Â
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. As it cools it will fall and form more cracks.Â
- Gently remove the cake, then sprinkle with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Maria says
Hi what is the measurement for 100 grams of sugar?
Sloane says
Hi Maria,
Thanks for catching that! 100g of sugar is 1/2 cup. It's written in the recipe card now 🙂
Nicki says
This cake is absolutely amazing!! It isn't super difficult to make, and it doesn't take a lot of ingredients. I will definitely be making this again.
★★★★★
Becca says
This cake is so decadent and easy to make! It takes next to no time to prepare and the steps are super easy to follow. Definitely make this if you want to impress some dinner guests!!
★★★★★
Michelle Ficklin says
If you made the batter in advance and put it in the fridge, would you need to bring out and have it come to room temp before baking, or add additional baking time if you go directly from the fridge to heated oven?
Sloane says
I have not tested it this way, so I'm not positive - but I believe you can bake it straight from the fridge with the same baking time. However, the batter will not remain stable for more than a few hours in the fridge, so I do not recommend making it too far in advance.
Kylie says
This cake is just phenomenal. So easy and decadent
★★★★★
Mandira Ravindranath says
Just wanted to ask a question regarding the calories. The recipe says 403 per one slice- how many slices do we assume for the calculation?
Sloane says
There are 6 slices of cake, but of course you can cut bigger or smaller servings!