Servings:

16

Yield:

1 (9-inch) cake

This dense, fudgy flourless chocolate cake is a chocolate lover's dream come true. The sensation is chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate — just a few bites and you'll be utterly satisfied. Since the body of the cake is made mostly with eggs, lots of butter, and a full pound of semisweet chocolate, a little bit goes a long way. This one-layer cake can easily serve a crowd and is perfect for a celebratory night with friends or family, like a New Year's Eve dinner party.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main ingredient in a flourless chocolate cake?

Chocolate, of course! But there's another key ingredient: Instead of using flour and a leavening agent like baking powder, a flourless cake usually gets a bit of height from beaten eggs. Fluffier soufflé-like cakes might start with a custardy chocolate batter and have you gently incorporate whipped egg whites right before baking. Here, we beat whole eggs with sugar until they're frothy, then fold them into a luscious, melty mixture of butter, chocolate, and coffee liqueur. Without the eggs and the time in the oven, this recipe might look something like a chocolate fudge. Some versions might also use a non-grain flour, such as almond meal.
How do you get flourless cake out of a pan?

Plating and serving this flourless chocolate cake is fairly simple. We recommend using a (well-greased) springform pan — great for more delicate cakes that might not release easily from a regular pan — that's been lined on the bottom with a parchment-paper round. Chilling the cake in the pan overnight ensures it sets up nicely. When you're ready to serve, undo the sides of the springform pan, then invert it to remove the bottom of the pan and peel off the parchment.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

This flourless cake is baked in a water bath in the oven, which it helps it stay moist and cook gently and evenly, making it less likely to crack. Note that the finished cake needs to chill overnight before serving, so factor that into your timing.

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Ingredients

1/2x

1x

2x

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Original recipe (1X) yields 16 servings

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 1/2 tablespoon softened butter
1 pound semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Kahlúa
8 large eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, for decoration

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using the 1/2 tablespoon butter, grease a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment round. Tightly cover the pan underneath and along the outer sides with foil and set in a roasting pan. Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil.
Combine the butter, chocolate, and Kahlúa in a metal bowl set over simmering water, or in the top of a double boiler. Melt the chocolate, stirring constantly, until smooth and creamy, about 5 minutes; reserve.
Meanwhile, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until frothy and almost doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Fold 1/3 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Repeat this process 2 more times until all of the egg mixture has been folded into the chocolate.
Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and add enough boiling water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the side of the springform. Bake until the cake has risen slightly and the edges are just beginning to set, about 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the roasting pan and cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the foil, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform side, invert the cake onto a large plate, and peel away the parchment paper from the bottom. Invert the cake onto another large plate or serving platter and garnish with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder immediately before serving.