Small Flourless Chocolate Cake baked to share

This is one of the easiest Small Flourless Chocolate Cake recipes you will ever make! It is especially fudgy, dense, and rich, with each bite giving you all the chocolate flavor you can handle! Enjoy this 6-inch chocolate cake with a simple sprinkling of cocoa powder or powdered sugar topped with fresh berries.

8 Reasons You may like This method

• It's made in a 6-inch cake pan
• Ultra soft and fudgy in texture
• You only need eight ingredients, and one of them is optional
• The rich chocolate flavor in each bite
• A very straightforward to mix recipe
• It's gluten-free
• A strong match for enjoying for Valentine's Day, a special birthday, or any day of the year
• A simple sprinkling of powdered sugar or cocoa powder is the perfect garnish.

This easy flourless chocolate cake recipe is one of the most rich desserts you can make—a little goes a long way!

What goes in

To make this chocolate flourless cake recipe, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Unsalted Butter. Use your favorite brand. Only 1/2 cup or one stick is needed.
• Dark Chocolate. The darker, the better, and bars of chocolate are preferred over 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 more robust flavor.
• Vanilla Extract. Pure vanilla extract is preferred. You can also mix things up by using a flavored extract. The best ones I've seen are from Heilala Vanilla.
• Salt. Just 1/4 teaspoon is needed.
• Eggs. You'll need three large eggs at room temperature.
• Granulated Sugar. You can also use pure cane sugar. 1/2 cup is used in this method to help give it a little sweetness
• Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. Because more chocolate is never a bad thing. This gives the chocolate that intense flavor.

You can use powdered sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder topped with some fresh berries for garnishes.

Substitutions

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. In place of the dutch process cocoa powder, you can use regular unsweetened cocoa powder or dark chocolate cocoa powder.

Extracts. Mix up the flavors a little by using a flavored extract like chocolate espresso instead of vanilla extract.

I did not test this method using egg, butter, or sugar substitutes.

Helpful Baking Tools

Try a few baking tools when making this especially tender flourless chocolate cake. Scroll through the carousel below for more!

• 6-inch Cake Pan. My preference is to use a 6 x 3-inch round cake pan. Fat Daddio's makes the best ones. This will also work if you only have a 6 x 2-inch round cake pan. Just note the cake will come right up to the top.
• Heavy Bottom Saucepan. Used for melting the unsalted butter and chocolate together. I used my Cuisinart 4-quart saucepan.
• Mixing Bowls. It works well for dry ingredients and wet ones.
• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer. Either one will work well. My preference is the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Whisks and Spatulas. Always good to have a few of these on hand while baking! I used my GIR spoonula to melt the chocolate and butter together and then again when folding in the melted mixture with the eggs and sugar. Enjoy them, and they come in a ton of colors!

How it comes together

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

STEP 1. Prepare the pan well. I sprayed my 6-inch cake pan with Baker's Joy, added a circle of parchment paper, and then lightly resprayed the parchment paper. Adding a cake-baking strip to the outside of the pan is okay to use but not required.

STEP 2. Melt the unsalted butter and chocolate together. A heavy-bottom saucepan is good to use here. The chocolate and butter should be melted over low heat until it's nice and smooth. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the espresso powder, vanilla extract, and salt.

You can also use a glass bowl to microwave the butter and chocolate together. Microwave at 50-60% power for 1 minute, stirring until it's melted.

STEP 3. Beat the eggs and sugar well. Use your hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment for this part. You ultimately want this mixture to double in size, be very pale yellow in color, and be frothy and airy in texture.

This takes about 5-6 minutes. The mixture should start to look like a meringue that leaves a ribbon effect from the whisk attachment.

STEP 4. Fold in the chocolate and cocoa powder. To start, only fold half the melted chocolate mixture with a spatula until only a few streaks of the whisked egg mixture are visible. Do not use your hand mixer or stand mixer for this part.

Then you will fold in the rest along with the dutch process cocoa powder. Stir gently until the chocolate cake batter is well combined.

The batter should be shiny in appearance and on the thicker side but still light and easy to pour into the prepared 6-inch cake pan. The consistency reminds me of a mix between brownie batter and chocolate frosting.

STEP 5. Bake the cake. The recommended bake time for this small chocolate cake recipe is 30-35 minutes at 350ºF. The cake will be ready when it has a slightly crusty top—like brownies—and the center no longer jiggles.

Remember, if you use a 6 x 2-inch cake pan, the cake will come up almost to the top. A 6 x 3-inch cake pan will give your cake just a little bit more room.

STEP 6. Cool the cake, then invert. Try letting the chocolate flourless cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes. The cake will settle and sink some as it cools.

For inverting the cake, you will do this twice. Do this carefully too. First, invert it onto a plate. Then invert it back onto the wire cooling rack so the top faces back up again. Let it finish cooling completely.

STEP 7. Add your toppings. I chose to keep this simple with a dusting of some cocoa powder and fresh raspberries. Instead of cocoa powder, you can sprinkle some powdered sugar.

Questions on this bake

Can Use dark chocolate chips?

Good quality bars of dark chocolate (60% or greater) are truly preferred for this chocolate flourless cake recipe. Dark chocolate baking bars are also good to use. If chocolate chips are easier to find in your area, ensure they are good quality.

Can Use a 6-inch springform pan?

Try not using a springform pan. I initially tested this method using one but discovered mine leaked a little during baking, so I switched to a regular 6-inch cake pan. If a 6-inch springform pan is all you have, Try covering 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 prefer the 3-inch tall sides because it gave my cake a little more space as it baked. If you have only a 6-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides, know that this will come right up to the top of the cake pan. As it cools, however, it will settle.

Mine did not do this, but if you are worried about the batter spilling over the sides, preheat your oven with a jelly roll pan on the oven rack you plan to bake your cake on. This will catch any possible drips.

What should the cake batter look like?

The batter should be shiny in appearance and on the thicker side but still light and easy to pour into the prepared 6-inch cake pan. The consistency should be a mix between brownie batter and chocolate frosting.

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

The cake will be ready when it has a slightly crusty top to it—like brownies—and the center no longer jiggles.

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

Yes. After 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.

Enjoy More Flavorful Small Batch Dessert Recipes!

Chocolate Brownie Ice Cream

Mini Strawberry Sheet Cake

Individual No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecakes

Small Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake