Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Name: Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (divided); ½ cup butter; ¾ cup sugar; Pinch salt; 1 teaspoon instant coffee; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 3 eggs (room temperature); ½ cup cocoa powder; ½ cup heavy whipping cream

4.56 from 47 votes

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You’ll absolutely love this easy recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cake with a decadent chocolate ganache topping! It’s made without flour creating a dense and silky chocolate experience that you’ll be proud to serve for special occasions or to treat yourself any time of the year.

If you’d like to make something extra special for a true chocolate lover, then this Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache is the perfect recipe for you to try. This is an unabashedly decadent, rich, delightful chocolate cake. And it’s flourless!

A serving of flourless chocolate cake on a white plate with remainder of cake on a cake stand in background.

Now, if you’ve never had a flourless cake before, you may be surprised that it doesn’t look like a traditional cake. That’s because there’s no leavening in the recipe and, therefore, nothing (except the eggs) to give it any rise.

The result is a dense chocolate cake where the texture is similar to a very fudgy brownie but even better! You won’t even miss the flour. I promise. And this is a fantastic dessert for anyone following a gluten free diet.

Even though this is a small 8″ cake, because of its richness, it easily serves 12. You may add a little dollop of softly whipped cream if you like, but I typically serve it as is – especially when I’m serving real chocolate lovers!

Besides being just about the perfect chocolate dessert, it’s really quick and easy to make. You don’t even have to get out a mixer!

❤️ Why I Love This Recipe

It’s made in one bowl without a mixer meaning the clean up is super easy.
A perfect dessert for when you need something “fancy” but don’t have a lot of time.
The chocolate ganache topping is made in the microwave.
The ganache can also be used in lots of other recipes like this Chocolate Coconut Cheesecake
No special kitchen tools needed.
It’s just one layer – no assembly required!
You can decorate it with fresh berries, whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar to make it even more beautiful.
It’s a small cake, but so rich and it can easily serve twelve people.

🛒 Ingredient Notes

For the Cake

Semi-sweet chocolate chips (the slightly bitter flavor of semi sweet chocolate is one of the ways this cake is taken to the next level)
Room temperature eggs (provide stability to the cake layer while baking)
Butter (the main fat component in the cake and lends a richer flavor)
Sugar (white sugar balances the sweetness of the chocolate)
Salt (all baked goods need salt to balance the flavors)
Cocoa powder (another layer of chocolate flavor for the batter)
Instant coffee (coffee adds richness and is often used to enhance the flavor of chocolate)
Vanilla extract (lends warmth to the cake flavors)

For the Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate chips (one of the reasons ganache is dense is because of the melted chocolate that is suspended in the cream)
Heavy whipping cream (one of the essential ingredients in a ganache, cream holds the melted chocolate in suspension)

You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

🥄 How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8” round cake pan. Cut a circle of wax paper to fit bottom of the pan. Insert the wax paper and grease it as well.

Make the Cake

Chocolate chips and butter in a mixing bowl.

Place 1 cup of the chocolate chips and the butter in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds until the butter is melted.

Melted chocolate and butter in a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon.

Stir until the chocolate chips melt and combine with the butter.

Sugar, salt, coffee and vanilla added to the mixing bowl.

Stir in the sugar, salt, coffee, and vanilla.

A note about the coffee – I used one .07 ounce packet of instant coffee crystals in this recipe. The packets come five to a box for just about $1 and keep really well on the shelf. One packet is a teaspoon of instant coffee. If you want a more pronounced mocha flavor in your cake, you could use two packets but I think one is just perfect.

Mixture in mixing bowl with cocoa powder added.

Switch to a whisk and whisk in the eggs until the mixture is smooth. Add the cocoa powder and whisk again just until combined.

Spoon the batter into the pan. Bake for 25 minutes. The top will form a thin crust.

Flourless chocolate cake inverted on a cake stand.

Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cake from the pan with a sharp, thin knife. Invert onto a serving plate (note: the edges may crackle a bit). Allow the cake to cool completely before proceeding.

Make the Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a microwave safe mixing bowl.

To make the ganache, combine the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat until the cream is hot but not bubbling.

Finished ganache in a bowl with a spatula.

Stir until the chocolate chips melt and the mixture is very smooth. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, spreading just to the edges. Allow the ganache to set for several hours (refrigerated or not) until ready to serve.

A slice of cake on a white serving plate.

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Top with fresh berries and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Add a flavored homemade whipped cream on top (brandy is especially nice in whipped cream).
Sprinkle on some edible gold dust.
Drizzle on a little homemade berry coulis.

❗ Recipe Success Tips

Make sure the eggs are at room temperature. Mixing hot and cold ingredients can cause the texture to change.
Because this is a dense cake, it’s important not to overbake.
Be sure to sift the cocoa powder to remove any lumps.
When microwaving the ganache, cook in no more than 20 to 30 second intervals to prevent burning.
The better the chocolate, the better the taste of the finished cake. This is the time to splurge on high quality chocolate.

❓ Questions About Flourless Chocolate Cake

Why do you add coffee to a chocolate cake? Is that really necessary?

Coffee is a traditional flavor enhancer for chocolate desserts. It adds a layer of flavor and richness that compliments the chocolate very well. You can leave it out, but it’s so much better with it. (Note: my husband does not drink coffee. Ever. He thinks it’s vile. However, he loves chocolate desserts that have a tiny bit of coffee added.)

What’s the point of a flourless cake?

Besides being suitable for people who cannot, or choose not to, eat wheat flour, it’s just dang delicious. When making a cake without flour, there’s also no leavening other than eggs to give lift to the layer. The result is a dense, fudgy cake that is decadent and more satisfying to the palate than fluffy cake recipes.

Can you freeze this cake?

Yes. You’ll need to freeze the cake without its ganache topping. Make sure that the cake is completely cooled and cut it into slices. Wrap individual servings tightly in plastic wrap and add them to a freezer safe container. Store for up to three months. When you’re ready to serve, allow the cake to thaw, top with freshly made ganache, berries, or whipped cream (or all three!).

Questions? I’m happy to help!

If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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19 Comments

Randi says:

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Can you use Splenda in place of sugar ?

1. Lana Stuart says:
  
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  I haven’t tested this recipe using Splenda.
  
Gayle says:

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Perfect every time! This is our go to recipe for a quick and decadent dessert! 💟💟💟💟. Thanks for sharing!

1. Lana Stuart says:
  
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  You’re welcome, Gayle! Glad to know it’s a hit at your home.
  
Carol G. says:

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Have made several times and delicious every time. It is very rich so I always serve with homemade whipped cream.

Donna says:

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Oh my heavens! This is so divine, I am completely in love with this dessert! And I am not saying that as in, “this is good for a gluten free thing” I am saying it is awesome with zero qualifiers.
Add a little homemade ice cream and you have something completely irresistible.
I wish I could post s picture, we added a little mint and sliced strawberry, with the vanilla ice cream along side, it certainly looks as nice as any restaurant dessert.

1. Lana Stuart says:
  
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  Thanks, Donna! I’m so glad you liked it. It’s a favorite here as well.
  
Sharon says:

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Hi, this looks great! could you help me convert the 2 cups of chocolate chips to grams / ounces?

1. Lana Stuart says:
  
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  Here’s what I found on a quick Google search. “When measuring chocolate chips from ounces to cups, the easiest conversion to remember is that 1 cup of chocolate chips equals 6 ounces. This means that a 12-ounce bag of chocolate chips is the equivalent of 2 cups. Depending on the size of the chocolate chips, the weight might vary slightly between 5.9 ounces and 6.2 ounces of chocolate chips per cup, but these insignificant differences will not affect a recipe.”
  
  I found the information at https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-convert-ounces-of-chocolate-chips-to-cups/
  
Justin says:

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This recipe looks absolutely AMAZING!! I want to try it so so badly. Thanks for the suggestion, it looks amazing. Will try to make this with the girlfriend this weekend!

sue | theviewfromgreatisland says:

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I want to dig my fork right in!

Kathleen Pequignot says:

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Lana, this looks so delicious. I may have to try to create this instead of art journaling! :D

1. Lana Stuart says:
  
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  If you like chocolate, Kathleen, you’ll really enjoy this recipe! Make it and then draw it in your art journal :-)
  
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says:

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Lana, I was just reading a “tip” from one of the big food mags the other day saying not to attempt ganache with chocolate chips because it won’t turn out right because of the ingredient added to the chocolate to make the chips hold their shape. I said “Bah humbug” because I’ve done it many times! And your scrumptious looking photos prove that there is nothing wrong with the texture of this ganache!

1. Lana Stuart says:
  
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  Wow. Well, I’ve made ganache many, many times and always use chocolate chips. No problem at all as you can see from the photos above! What did they say you should use instead?
  
  1. Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says:
    
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    They said you must use chopped chocolate. Like I said, “Bah humbug!”
    
    1. Lana Stuart says:
      
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      I totally agree with you! Bah humbug.
      
Miss P says:

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Wow! That looks AMAZING!! I may have to break out the mixer!

Miss P

1. Lana Stuart says:
  
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  No mixer needed! Just a spoon and a whisk :-)