How to make a flourless chocolate cake
Uncover how to make Venchi’s dark chocolate flourless cake and add this classic recipe to your repertoire. The success of this flourless chocolate cake depends on a few key tips:
Don’t overbake it: if you’re hoping for a moist cake, we recommend a 35-minute baking time. You can test if the cake is ready with a toothpick; if it comes out mostly clean, the cake can be taken out of the oven.
Bake in a steamy oven: to achieve a soft, fudgy texture, baking your cake in a steamy oven will be a significant help. All you will need is to fill a saucepan with boiling water and place it in the bottom of the oven. Then, put your cake batter into the tray above, quickly shutting the oven door to keep the steam trapped.
Ingredients
200g unsalted butter
200g 70% dark chocolate
6 large eggs
250g granulated sugar
70g cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
Instructions
Grease a 20cm cake tin with butter and cover the bottom with parchment paper. Do this step carefully so the baked cake will easily come out of the tin. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Prepare a double boiler by placing a medium saucepan with half-filled water on the stove and bringing it to a simmer. Break the dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl, and then put the bowl on top of the saucepan. Add butter to the chocolate, making sure to stir until both are melted and then set it aside to cool.
Put egg yolks into one bowl and egg whites in another. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks appear.
Add sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until the mixture is pale and airy. Use a sieve to add the cocoa powder and pinch of salt, then use a spatula to mix the ingredients gently.
Next, add the melted chocolate and gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter.
Pour the cake batter into the greased tin and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. Start checking the cake at the 25-minute mark to make sure you don’t overbake it. Once it’s risen and starting to crack around the edges, the cake is ready.
Keep the flourless cake in its tin and let it completely cool. Its sunken centre is perfect for decorating with whipped cream and fresh berries.
Nutrition Facts
per 1 serving of flourless cocoa cake (55g):
Calories 220kcal
Carbohydrates 9.5g
Sugars 4.9g
Fat 15g
Protein 3.3g
Is Flourless Chocolate Cake Gluten Free?
In theory, flourless chocolate cake should be gluten-free because it’s not made from flour, where the gluten protein is most found. If you’re entertaining or whipping up this decadent dessert for coeliacs, then make sure to check every ingredient’s label.
And if you are also wondering if chocolate is gluten-free, the answer is yes: pure dark, milk and white chocolate don’t contain gluten. We’ve chosen premium quality dark chocolate for this cake to ensure its flavour intensity is the perfect match for this recipe and keeps it gluten-free.
How to store this flourless chocolate torte
Storing this flourless chocolate torte is fuss-free. Despite popular thought, it’s best not to store unfrosted cake in the fridge as the cold temperatures can make the sugar and starch crystallize and can make the cake become stale and dry. Instead, keep it simple and store the chocolate cake on the kitchen counter at room temperature, either covered with aluminium foil or in an airtight container.