4-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake

Close-up slice of flourless chocolate cake with a cracked, airy top and dense fudgy center on a white plate.

4-Ingredient Flourless Chocolate Cake

This 4-ingredient flourless chocolate cake combines dark chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar for a rich, fudgy center and crackly top. The batter contains no flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, or baking soda; whipped egg whites provide the structure.

Recipe Developer-Estefania

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Ingredients

▢ 200 g dark chocolate chopped into small pieces
▢ 60 g unsalted butter
▢ 6 large eggs at room temperature, separated
▢ 100 g granulated sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170 °C fan. Line a 9 ½-inch (24 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
Place 200 g dark chocolate and 60 g unsalted butterin a heatproof bowl. Melt them over a double boiler, stirring until smooth, then let the mixture cool slightly.
Separate 6 large eggs between two mixing bowls. Beat the yolks until smooth, then slowly stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.
Beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add 100 g granulated sugar, beating until fully incorporated.
Stir one-third of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining whites without deflating them.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the flourless chocolate cake for 35–40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs.
Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes, then carefully transfer it to a wire rack. Cool completely for 2 hours.
Dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder, if desired, before slicing and serving.

Notes

Choose the chocolate carefully: Dark chocolate supplies the cake’s main flavor, so use one you enjoy eating on its own.

Cool the chocolate briefly: Adding very hot chocolate to the yolks can begin setting them and make the mixture uneven.

Protect the whipped air: Gentle folding preserves the air that gives this flourless batter its structure.

Wait before slicing: The full cooling time allows the center to set and helps the cake produce cleaner slices.

Nutrition