How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cake

With Passover and Easter coming up, you may be searching for a foolproof dessert for these high holidays. Well, look no further this is the perfect recipe to satisfy all chocolate lovers.

This is definitely not your normal fluffy chocolate cake and is not for the faint of heart as this chocolate cake is rich and decedent and an elegant dessert for any celebration.

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Why is Flourless Chocolate Cake good for Passover or Easter?

As flour is one of the ingredients that is forbidden during the 8 days of Passover, flourless cakes have become very popular in the last few years as it is easy to make and falls under accordance with the strict dietary guidelines for the holiday.

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Is Flourless Chocolate Cake vs. Torte

Flourless Chocolate Cake is more like a torte as the ingredients in a torte is much heavier in both texture and taste and require little to no flour, the use of ground nuts are typically used as a substitute. Since a torte doesn’t rise like a cake it tends to be much shorter than a cake. In some languages the word for cake is some varient of the word torte. In German “Torte” or “Torta” in Spanish or Italian. 

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What is in a Flourless Chocolate Cake?

A Flourless Chocolate Cake is made with a minimum amount of ingredients. Some recipes, include matzo meal or almond flour.

For this blog, my flourless chocolate cake is made of:

• Bittersweet chocolate chips        
• Water          
• Butter            
• ugar           
• Eggs         
• Salt          
• Vanilla extract          
• Semisweet chocolate chips        
• Heavy Cream

Pretty simple right! With a 10-15 minutes prep time. This cake by far looks impressive and is deeply rich, it is definitely not your average chocolate birthday cake. This cake will satisfy a true chocolatier palette.

If the cake does not have enough chocolate, the chocolate ganache glaze takes this cake over the top. With all these yummy ingredients, you won’t even notice flour is missing from the recipe.

The key to making the best Flourless Chocolate Cake is in the chocolate. Make sure to choose good quality baking chocolate. I recommend Ghirardelli, Baker’s or Hersey semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, I like to use both for this recipe.

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Does a Flourless Chocolate Cake need refrigerated?

Refrigeration is not necessary to be sure to keep it in a cool area in an airtight container if you are garnishing your cake with fresh fruit it should be refrigerated. Be sure to take it out of the fridge at least 2 hours prior to serving.

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Is Flourless Chocolate Cake gluten free?

Yes, Flourless Chocolate Cake is considered gluten free as the cake does not contain gluten which is the protein in wheat, barley and rye. 

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Tips to making your Flourless Chocolate Cake

• 60 % of cocoa is a great quality of chocolate to use for this cake. Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips are my absolute favorite, I like to combine it with semisweet chocolate chips for an overall nice smooth tasting cake and ganache

• Bake your cake in a water bath, this allows moisture to enter the oven and helps to keep your cake from drying out and cracking. Use a larger pan filled with water for baking. For example, if you are using a 9in round pan for your cake, I would use a 12 in a round pan or a roasting pan for my water bath as you don’t want the cake floating all over the place. 

• Use a regular round pan rather than a spring-form pan for baking this in the water bath to prevent water from leaking into the cake.

• Line your pan with parchment paper to make for easy removal. Also grease the parchment paper after it goes in the pan, so the cake doesn’t stick.

• Make dessert a day in advance, it’s even better when the cake has settled and chilled before serving.

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Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe 

Ingredients:

Cake      

• ½ cup water
• ¼ teaspoon salt 
• ¾ cup granualted sugar 
• 2 1/2 cups (20oz) Ghirardelli 60% Caco Chocolate premium baking chips
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

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Ganache:

1 cup (8 oz) semisweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup of heavy cream 

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease one 9 inch round cake pan and set aside. Be sure to use parchment paper.

• In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Stir until completely dissolved and set aside.

• Either in the top half of a double boiler or in a microwave oven melt the bittersweet chocolate. Pour the chocolate into the bowl of an electric mixer.

• Cut the butter into pieces and beat the butter into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time. Beat in the hot sugar-water. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix until everything is combined.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Have a pan larger than the cake pan ready, put the cake pan in the larger pan and fill the pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Be sure not to get any water into the cake batter.

• Bake cake in the water bath at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 45 minutes. The center will still look wet. Chill cake for 6-8 hours or overnight in the pan. Carefully lift your parchment paper with the cake out of the pan. 

• To make the glaze: combine semisweet chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until the cream is hot. Remove from the microwave and still until chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. 

• Pour ganache over the cake and allow ot  to set for a few hours before adding fresh fruit garnish. You can also add nuts to top and sides of cake. 

• Alternative toppings include whip cream or ice cream.

We hope you enjoy this recipe this holiday season.

Until next time, Happy Caking!