I’m a huge fan of chocolate – the more decadent, deep and rich, the better. For a while, “Heaven, by Flourless Chocolate Cake” has been my favorite chocolate dessert and I’m so happy to share my simple recipe for this extraordinary end-result.
This cake/brownie is very versatile. Here, I dressed it up to look like a beautiful torte, drizzled with fresh ganache, and topped with raspberries and blackberries that are dusted with powdered sugar. I also love using this cake recipe for cupcakes and it tastes amazing, when served simply cut as brownies.
Go ahead and make this once, and I’m sure you’ll want to save and share this recipe to enjoy over and over again!
Below, I’m sharing how to make the best gluten-free cake that I make at home, along with my recipe for fresh chocolate ganache.
This is an update from a 2014 recipe post.
Heaven by Flourless Chocolate Cake topped with ganache and berries
Ingredients
Mili's Flourless Chocolate Cake/Brownies recipe
- 1 cup salted butter (two sticks)
- 18 ounces chocolate chips. The ratio I use is 1/3 bittersweet or dark, and 2/3 semisweet. one 12 oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chips and a 1/2 a bag of bittersweet or dark. Use the good stuff. Good chocolate=good chocolate dessert.
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Mili's Chocolate Ganache Recipe
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3 cups chocolate - chips or cut into pieces. My typical ratio is two cups semi sweet and one cup bittersweet or dark.
Instructions
Prepare how you'll bake the batch: tart pan, cake pan, brownie pan or cupcake liners.
- I used a tart pan, with a removable bottom and placed parchment paper around the sides and bottom. (You can also use a springform pan or aluminum cupcake liners.)Apply non-stick cooking spray to the parchment-covered areas and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Place the prepared cake pan in a baking sheet, for stability and ease of placing in the oven. (Both of these steps are not necessary when using cupcake liners.)
Make a chocolate sauce.
- Prepare a double broiler. Put about 1" of water in a small saucepan and place at medium-low heat. In a glass bowl that will fit at the top, place the two sticks of salted butter, 18oz. of chocolate, and 1/4 cup of water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from heat. Set a timer to allow this to cool for 10 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In a standing mixer, with a whisk attachment, place the 6 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, salt and pure vanilla extract in the bowl. Whisk at medium speed for 4 minutes. When the 4 minutes are up, your chocolate mixture should be cooled. Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture for one additional minute. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan or cupcake liners, and bake for between 15-35 minutes, depending on if you're making cupcakes, and the depth of the batter in the pan you're using.
- When you first take the cake out of the oven, it will be slightly cracked at the outer edge, and will rise above the pan.When it cools, the cake will sink. This is exactly what should happen. Once it's cooled, you can remove the cake from the pan and cover it in plastic wrap to refrigerate for one day, unless you are serving it the same day.If you'd like to decorate the flourless chocolate cake with fresh berries, so that it looks more like a torte, I recommend drizzling the top of the cake with fresh ganache.
Making Chocolate Ganache
- Place the chocolate chips or cut chocolate pieces in a large bowl.Heat the whipping cream in a saucepan, at medium heat, until small bubbles form around the edge of the cream.Pour the warm heavy cream over the chocolate. Allow to sit for about 30 seconds. Whisk the ingredients for about 2 minutes, by hand. The end result is gorgeous, glossy ganache. You can save the extra ganache in an sealed container and refrigerate for up to five days.
Finishing and decorating your cake
- After the ganache is drizzled, I placed fresh berries and dusted the entire cake with powdered sugar. It's easy to serve, and because it's so decadent, a little slice goes a long way.
Here’s what you’ll do:
Prepare your cake pan. I used a tart pan, with a removable bottom and placed parchment paper around the sides and bottom. (You can also use a springform pan or aluminum cupcake liners.)
Apply non-stick cooking spray to the parchment-covered areas and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Place the prepared cake pan in a baking sheet, for stability and ease of placing in the oven. (Both of these steps are not necessary when using cupcake liners.)
Prepare a double broiler. Put about 1″ of water in a small saucepan and place at medium-low heat. In a glass bowl that will fit at the top, place the two sticks of salted butter, 18oz. of chocolate, and 1/4 cup of water. Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
In a standing mixer, with a whisk attachment, place the 6 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, salt and pure vanilla extract in the bowl. Whisk at medium speed for 4 minutes. When the 4 minutes are up, your chocolate mixture should be cooled. Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture for one additional minute.
MILI’S MIXING TIP: Before locking the whisk attachment in place, I use it to moisten all of the ingredients in the standing mixer bowl together, before turing the machine on. The cocoa powder is very fine, and I don’t want to create a cloud of powder over my mixer.
Pour the mixture into your prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes.
When you first take the cake out of the oven, it will be slightly cracked at the outer edge, and will rise above the pan.
When it cools, the cake will sink. This is exactly what should happen. Once it’s cooled, you can remove the cake from the pan and cover it in plastic wrap to refrigerate for one day, unless you are serving it the same day.
If you’d like to decorate the flourless chocolate cake with fresh berries, so that it looks more like a torte, I recommend drizzling the top of the cake with fresh ganache.
Here’s my basic recipe for chocolate ganache:
Mili’s Sweets Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3 cups chocolate chips or cut pieces (I use 2 cups semi sweet and 1 cup bittersweet.)
Here’s what you’ll do:
Place the chocolate chips or cut chocolate pieces in a large bowl.
Heat the whipping cream in a saucepan, at medium heat, until small bubbles form around the edge of the cream.
Pour the warm heavy cream over the chocolate. Allow to sit for about 30 seconds. Whisk the ingredients for about 2 minutes, by hand. The end result is gorgeous, glossy ganache. You can save the extra ganache in an sealed container and refrigerate for up to five days.
After the ganache is drizzled, I placed rinsed and dried berries and dusted the entire cake with powdered sugar. It’s easy to serve, and because it’s so decadent, a little slice goes a long way.
Here’s how to make them as brownies: Line an 8″x 8″ baking ban with parchment paper. Apply with cooking spray and dust with unsweetened cocoa powder. Bake for 28 minutes.
* FLAVOR ALTERNATIVE: Flourless Chocolate-Espresso Cake* If you love the deep flavor of expresso as much as I do, substitute the 1/4 cup of water with 1/4 cup of freshly brewed espresso, when melting the chocolate and salted butter in a double broiler. Everything else in the recipe will remain the same.
Cupcakes will be the easiest way to prepare this recipe. Prepare the recipe as above and simply use aluminum liners in a cupcake pan. Bake for 18 minutes. I like to drizzle them with ganache and top with a fresh blackberry. Of course, you can frost and decorate, just as you would any other cupcake.
Enjoy!
Use this recipe with our graham cracker crust bottom to make a tart, for our S’mores Brownies. 
