• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pretty. Simple. Sweet.
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Baking Course
  • About Me
  • Newsletter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Baking Course
  • About Me
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • Baking Course
    • About Me
    • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Quick

    Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake

    Published: Apr 13, 2014 · Modified: Oct 29, 2019 by Shiran · This post may contain affiliate links · 57 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    This is an amazing, intense chocolate fudge cake – fudgy, rich and super chocolatey. The texture is creamy, silky and truffle-like. It’s a chocolate lover’s dream!

    The ultimate flourless chocolate cake – fudgy and rich with only 5 ingredients!

    I’ve been married for 3 months, but only now that I’m back from my honeymoon, it’s starting to sink in. And babies? I mean they’re cute, but not so fast.

    So let’s get back to my honeymoon… If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook then you’ve seen a glance at the magical month I had in Australia. Australia always seemed to me like a place disconnected from the world we live in, and I had no idea what to expect from it. I dreamt about visiting there for years, but because it takes 24 hours to fly there (Ahhhh), I was waiting for the opportunity to go for an extended period. So when we decided on a 4-week vacation for our honeymoon, Australia was the frontrunner. Erez had other ideas in mind, but now that we’re married, he understands that when I’m happy, he’s happy, and that’s how we found ourselves in the marvelous land of Oz. I’ll share the highlights from our trip in a different post, because if I start talking about it now, we’ll never get to the chocolate cake. And trust me – we want to get to the chocolate cake.

    Flavor and Texture

    This flourless chocolate fudge cake is decadent and fudgy, with an intense chocolate flavor. The texture is similar to that of a creamy truffle or mousse. If you’re addicted to chocolate like me, then you’ll love this one. I made it yesterday and half the cake is already gone.

    How To Make This Chocolate Fudge Cake

    With Passover coming up next week, I was looking for the perfect gluten free dessert, and I think I’ve found it! It consists of only 6 ingredients: chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, instant coffee and water.

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email this recipe link to you, so you can come back to it later!

    The cake is quick to make, and even if something goes wrong (been there) or you mistakenly overbake it (been there too), it still turns out delicious.

    To make the cake, melt together chocolate, butter, instant coffee and water in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Take it out and stir. Repeat until the mixture is melted and smooth. In a separate mixer bowl, put the eggs and sugar and whisk for 5 minutes at high speed, until doubled in size, and the consistency is light and foamy. Fold the egg foam gently into the chocolate mixture in 2 additions until well combined.

    The baking time is quite short because we want the texture to be like fudge. It should be ready in about 25 minutes.

    How To Bake The Cake Using a Water Bath

    This cake is baked in a water bath, which gives it an exceptional texture. First, you’ll need to wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with a large piece of foil, then repeat with another piece, to ensure that water from the bath doesn’t seep into the cake. Then, bring a kettle of water to a boil. When the cake batter is ready, pour it into the cake pan, and place the cake pan inside a large roasting pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven, and pour enough boiling water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Be quick or the oven temperature would drop quickly. Watch this video or similar videos to get a better idea on how to do this.

    The ultimate flourless chocolate cake – fudgy and rich with only 5 ingredients!

    More Gluten Free Recipes:

    • Gluten Free Brownies
    • Chocolate Coconut Brownies 
    • Chocolate Almond Torte
    • Chocolate Fudge Cookies
    • Chocolate Truffles
    4.6 from 5 votes
    Print

    Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe

    YIELD 8 -inch cake

    Ingredients

    • 10 ½ oz./300 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate , roughly chopped
    • ¾ cup (1 and ½ sticks/180 g) unsalted butter
    • 3 tablespoons water
    • 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder or granules
    • 6 large eggs
    • ¼ cup (50 g/1.8 oz.) granulated sugar

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C degrees. Grease an 8-inch springform pan. Wrap the bottom and sides of the pan with one large piece of foil, then repeat with another piece. This will ensure that water from the bath doesn’t seep into the cake. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
    2. Put chocolate, butter, water and instant coffee in a large heat-proof bowl and microwave in 20-second increments, stirring between each, until melted.
    3. In a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk eggs and sugar at high speed until light and fluffy and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes.
    4. Using a spatula, fold half of egg foam into chocolate mixture (make sure the chocolate isn't too hot) until mixed. Fold in remaining foam until combined.
    5. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Place the pan inside a large roasting pan, and place in the oven, then pour enough boiling water from the kettle into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Be quick so that the oven temperature won't drop quickly. Bake for 25 minutes until the cake has risen slightly and the edges are just beginning to set. The center will look undone but it will set once the cake has cooled (similar to cheesecakes). Carefully remove the pan from the water and transfer to a wire rack. Let the cake cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight until completely set. Keep cake in the fridge for up to 5 days.

    More Quick

    • Homemade frozen peach sorbet made with real peaches.
      Peach Sorbet (no-churn)
    • Scoops of strawberry sorbet made with real frozen strawberries.
      Strawberry Sorbet (no-churn)
    • Almond Cherry Muffins
    • Chocolate Banana Muffins

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




    1. Winnie says

      April 13, 2014 at 5:10 pm

      מזל טובבבבבבבבבבב
      תהני מכל רגע, ואני מאחלת לך שתמיד תהיו מאושרים כמו עכשיו 🙂
      זה כייף להיות נשואה

      העוגה שלך מדהימההההההההה
      יש לי מתכון מאד דומה אז אני יודעת שהיא פשוט נהדרת. עשירה ופאגד’ית.
      והתמונות מעלפות!!
      שיהיה לך פסח נהדר

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 13, 2014 at 9:49 pm

        As always, thank you so much Winnie!

        Reply
    2. Angie (@angiesrecipess) says

      April 13, 2014 at 5:32 pm

      A pure indulgence! Your chocolate cake looks beyond delicious.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 13, 2014 at 9:49 pm

        Thanks Angie 🙂

        Reply
    3. Heather @ The Owl with the Goblet says

      April 13, 2014 at 11:16 pm

      This. Looks. Amazing. My hubby is a chocolate addict so I might just be trying this… very soon!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 14, 2014 at 8:26 am

        Thank you Heather! I’m a chocolate addict and this is one of my favorite cakes!

        Reply
    4. Jess says

      April 14, 2014 at 8:23 pm

      This cake looks amazing, Shiran! Love how easy the recipe is and how divine that slice of cake is..:)

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 15, 2014 at 12:41 pm

        Thanks Jess 🙂

        Reply
        • Gabriel Pollow says

          April 26, 2019 at 12:13 am

          Thank you for this recipe. I’m a chef at a farm to table restaurant and love to make sure I’m staying up on all the health needs of our current society. That being said, I’m not a baker by trade, but enjoy it This recipe has become my easy G.F. go to. Often I’ll make it, then top with dolce de leche, or homemade blueberry compote and fresh whip cream. People always love it! Again, thank you.

          Reply
    5. Kathi @ Deliciously Yum! says

      April 15, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      Oh my goodness. This cake is beyond beautiful!! I can’t believe 5 simple ingredients can create something this gorgeous and mouthwatering. Plus, I like how this cake is pretty much foolproof. Yum!
      Also, congratulations on being a newly married couple. So exciting. Can’t wait to hear and see more 🙂

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 16, 2014 at 7:04 am

        Thanks Kathi, that’s so sweet of you. It is indeed exciting 🙂
        You can’t go wrong with this cake. The ingredients are delicious and the cake is so simple to make!

        Reply
    6. Cindy @ Pick Fresh Foods says

      April 16, 2014 at 3:04 am

      A month on honeymoon! Wow, that has got to be amazing!! Probably just as amazing as this cake looks. It just looks perfect!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 16, 2014 at 6:59 am

        It was beyond amazing 🙂 And this cake..I make it again today because my friends begged me to!

        Reply
    7. therese says

      May 01, 2014 at 9:46 am

      Thanks for posting this amazing recipe I just made it and it’s absolutely amazing. … decadent. .. chocolatey… But 1 small problem. .. my cake came up with a dome… Not flat top like yours. Whew did I go wrong? I opened The oven to check at different intervals. Could that be the problem? Thanks once again!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 01, 2014 at 3:15 pm

        Hi Therese! I’m so glad to hear you loved this cake! Isn’t it amazing?! Thanks for taking the time to comment. The most common reason for high domes is uneven heat. the outside of the pan conducts heat faster than the inside, so while the sides of the cake set, the center continues to bake, therefore rise higher than the sides. The solutions are using baking strips for even baking, use a silicone pan (it conducts heat more even than metal pans), or bake the cake in a water bath (you can google it).
        You can also bake the cake at a lower temperature for a longer time, this also seems to help 🙂 Regardless, always try to minimize opening the oven door while baking. I hope that next time you’ll have a beautiful, flat cake! 🙂

        Reply
        • therese says

          May 02, 2014 at 11:32 pm

          Thanks for taking the time to share your experience! I did use a silicon mold… Hmm I somehow could not get a water bath exactly right because of sizing of my pans. Do you think a pan of hot water in the oven without the actual cake pan sitting in it helps? Is it just the moisture in the oven or something to do with the contact of water against the pan? Thanks in advance. Fyi the friend who ate the cake night last ate it clutching her chest!

          Reply
          • Shiran says

            May 03, 2014 at 4:19 pm

            While a water bath does affect the moistness of the cake, it also affects the temperature of the pan – which is the reason why it’s important to put the pan in the water bath. When in water, the pan’s temperature won’t get higher than the temperature of the water around it. If it’s a trouble for you, next time try to reduce the oven temperature and bake the cake for a longer time (it seems like you have a pretty good knowledge in baking :)). In my experience, even when I didn’t use a water bath, the cake turned out fine and pretty flat. Pay attention that you don’t overbake the cake. The center should be wobbly. Let me know if you need anything else 🙂 I’m glad I can help!

            Reply
    8. Keren says

      May 10, 2014 at 8:33 am

      This cake is dangerous… I brought it to the office and it was so good we just couldn’t stop until we finished it. Took us about 2 hours – is that a new record or what? 🙂

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 10, 2014 at 10:32 am

        I’m glad you liked it Keren! It’s very dangerous! When I made it – it was gone in less than 2 hours 😉

        Reply
    9. natasha says

      October 25, 2014 at 2:06 am

      Is this going to set. I baked for 35 minutes removed from oven after a while I put it back into the oven for 15 minutes – it is still like soup in the middle? It is now in the fridge, fingers crossed.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        October 25, 2014 at 6:44 am

        Hi Natasha 🙂 It shouldn’t look like soup, but the center should look wobbly. Overbaking will make the cake dry instead of fudgy. It’s similar to baking a cheesecake, it won’t look completely set. Once it’s refrigerated for a few hours, it should be set but moist.

        Reply
        • natasha says

          October 25, 2014 at 6:50 am

          Hi there, no it hasn’t set. Our oven is very hot (I reduce oven always for cake baking) so I cooked it initially at 130 and then increased the temperature when I could see it was not cooking. It tastes great. I will give it another go. Really easy and delicious – I will use a better quality chocolate next time as it is not as dark as your cake. Thanks for your reply.

          Reply
          • Shiran says

            October 25, 2014 at 9:36 am

            You’re welcome Natasha. Sorry to hear it didn’t set as it should, but I’m glad it tasted good 🙂 It sounds like it should have been more time in the oven. For next time, I have 2 tips for you. First, if you happen to have a thermometer, the cake will be ready once a thermometer inserted into the center of the cake reaches about 140F. Also, if your oven is very hot, I highly suggest using the water bath technique, which means placing the cake pan inside a large roasting pan and filling it with hot water (if you need more explanation about it, let me know). This method is often used to help delicate desserts retain moisture and reach an even temperature while baking. Good luck!

            Reply
    10. Judy says

      January 15, 2015 at 8:27 pm

      Any info on your garnish, beautiful! Love to make some.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        January 16, 2015 at 10:53 am

        Hi Judy 🙂 I bought the garnish in a random store, and I didn’t make it by myself. Sorry I couldn’t help you with that!

        Reply
    11. Glenn says

      February 22, 2015 at 9:30 pm

      Hi, I’m in the middle of making this and your recipe calls for 6 eggs and not egg whites. I whipped the whole eggs and sugar and after 10min it was foamy but not like egg whites would be. Is this correct?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        February 24, 2015 at 3:21 am

        Yes it is, Glenn. It should be light and pale in color, but it won’t look the same as whipped egg whites, so don’t worry about it. I hope you liked the cake!

        Reply
    12. Etta says

      February 28, 2015 at 12:00 am

      This looks delicious! Do you think it would be ok to eliminate the coffee? I have a strictly caffeine free diet, a bit of chocolate is ok, but coffee is definitely cheating!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        February 28, 2015 at 7:08 am

        Hi Etta 🙂 You can definitely omit the coffee, the cake is amazing even without it. It enhances the chocolate flavor, but doesn’t change the texture of the cake.

        Reply
    13. Jane says

      April 04, 2015 at 2:14 pm

      I didn’t have a springform pan. I buttered a cake pan and lined it with parchment paper. Will it safe to flip over the cake pan onto a plate without ruining the cake? Should I wait to do this until it is completely cool? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        April 04, 2015 at 2:26 pm

        Hi Jane! The cake is very fudgy and delicate so I wouldn’t recommend flipping it over, unless you freeze it first (and then thaw in the fridge).

        Reply
    14. Nola says

      May 07, 2015 at 9:07 am

      Glad you loved my country. Your cake has just been made in Oz and it was beautiful. Thank You!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 07, 2015 at 4:45 pm

        I LOVED your country! I talk about it all the time 🙂 Thank you so much for the sweet comment, Nola!

        Reply
    15. Ellen Sherrill says

      June 27, 2015 at 10:08 pm

      Hi Shiran, Would you happen to have any advice for baking this cake in high altitude?
      Thanks, Ellen

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        June 28, 2015 at 3:39 am

        Hi Ellen, since I haven’t tested it myself, I can’t say for sure. Here’s a good guide from King Arthur Flour on high-altitude baking. I hope this would help!

        Reply
    16. Priyanka says

      May 13, 2016 at 8:24 am

      Hi shiran, thanks for posting this recipe. I just tried it today in my pie tray(8 inches) but tray height wasn’t sufficient for whole batter so I filled the rest in muffin tins for lava cake. As for the pie tray cake, I somehow forgot to reduce the baking time. ???. So I got cooked throughout instead of wobley centre.I have still refrigerated just to experiment. I managed to tastes tiny bit and it’s undersweet for me, and I hope to serve it with dusted sugar. Fingers crossed. Let’s see how it turns out.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        May 14, 2016 at 6:22 am

        Hi Priyanka 🙂 The baking time is always a crucial part in fudgy chocolate cakes and brownies. I hope that it turned out fine for you! As for the sugar, the cake is not overly sweet, so you can add more sugar next time if you prefer.

        Reply
    17. Pamela says

      August 25, 2016 at 12:59 pm

      Do you know the best thing about this cake, it’s GLUTEN FREE. And it’s gf without having to MAKE it gf by using some bizarre weird flour like garbanzo bean or buckwheat or some other odd weird flour. You know, I still remember the first time I ever had a “flourless” chocolate cake at 28 years old and a boss brought one into the office and put it in the staff lunchroom. I had never seen let alone eaten one before. I couldn’t keep out of it. I didn’t want to make a pig of myself so I just kept taking the tiniest little slivers of cake all afternoon but I was SO hooked on it. This is almost 30 years before I was diagnosed and had to start this provoking gf diet. I can’t wait to make this cake. It looks like it will be JUST like the one I had that day. A cake like this is something I don’t make very often just for myself. Believe it or not I’m not really a chocolate person. I’ll take lemon or something else over chocolate most of the time (for one thing it ALWAYS makes me thirsty) but boy I sure couldn’t stay out of this cake. I’m actually really excited about giving this one a try.

      Reply
    18. Shirin says

      September 10, 2016 at 2:09 am

      Hi Shiran,

      Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe. Do you think I can make a two tier cake. Will the cake at the bottom sink with the weight of the cake on top?

      Thanks,
      Shirin

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        September 12, 2016 at 8:29 am

        Hi Shirin, since this cake is dense and moist and sinks in the center after baking, I don’t recommend it for a layer cake.

        Reply
    19. Nadia says

      October 01, 2016 at 8:44 pm

      Hi,

      Thanks for a great recipe! I made it yesterday for a dinner party. Cooled it in the fridge for approx 5 hours but it was still a little mushy in the middle & the slices weren’t as solid as the one in your picture, nor as high. But it tasted amazing!! Served it with vanilla ice cream. Any idea what I did wrong?

      Thanks again for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        October 05, 2016 at 5:59 am

        Hi Nadia. If it’s still mushy in the center you might want to bake it for longer. The short baking time yields a fudge-like cake, but if you want it more cake-y, add a few extra minutes. It should slightly sink in the middle, so don’t worry about it.

        Reply
    20. Candy says

      November 24, 2016 at 8:02 am

      how do I get it off of the springfoam pan bottom. I greased it and the cake looks beautiful but I can’t remove it without breaking it? any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        November 24, 2016 at 8:30 am

        Hi Candy, I suggest to place it in the fridge until completely chilled. The firmer it would be, the easier it is to release it . Next time you can line the bottom and even the sides of the pan with parchment paper.

        Reply
    21. Randi says

      March 18, 2018 at 7:35 am

      I was just wondering if this cake can be frozen?

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        March 18, 2018 at 7:38 am

        Yes Randi, it can be frozen for a month, just make sure to cover it well. Thaw it for several hours or overnight in the fridge before serving.

        Reply
    22. Simone says

      June 10, 2018 at 1:33 pm

      Hi Shiran! Your recipe looks amazing! But I have a problem… Can I use less butter in the recipe? What can I use instead of it? Please help! I am really stuck 🙁

      Reply
    23. Nomie says

      October 21, 2018 at 4:46 am

      Hi Shiran,

      I’ve had so much success with your recipes – but this is the first one that hasn’t worked for me 🙁
      Mine was dense and looks like it was half the height of your finished version.

      The eggs whipped up nicely, so the mixture had volume and it looked as it should.
      I put it in a water bath for 25 mins at the right temp.

      What do you think happened?
      It’s edible, but it’s more like a dense brownie.

      Hope you can help!

      Thanks,
      Nomie

      Reply
    24. Shreya says

      November 22, 2018 at 6:21 pm

      Oh dear me! This cake is amazing! I purely baked it thinking ” oh year right, this isn’t going to work’ – but OMG it did and it did so well. I made it for my colleagues , and they have just dived in. One of my colleagues (who is a chocoholic – like she needs Dr Phil to sit down with her and talk about this addiction), she keep swaying people and telling them it is not good, coz she wants it all for herself! haha. But seriously, thanks for this amazing fail proof recipe. My boss can’t tell me to do any work today, she’s too busy eating cake 😉 – Best Friyay ever!

      Reply
    25. Poonam says

      July 11, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      I tried it the exact method as mentioned…but made it in two different moulds…and it turned out to be excellent….and in 25 mins…..am super happy

      Reply
    26. Mika says

      January 17, 2020 at 6:55 pm

      I do not want to rate this as I haven’t made it yet. It seems like there are a lot of eggs in this cake. Can you taste them in the baked product? I am not fond of the taste of eggs. I don’t care for lemon bars because I can taste all those eggs in them. I don’t want to make this if it will be like that. Thank you. It does look amazing.

      Reply
      • Shiran says

        January 29, 2020 at 2:31 am

        You won’t taste the eggs in the final product. It’s very chocolatey!

        Reply
    27. Jene says

      August 08, 2020 at 3:47 pm

      Curious if this can be modified for a 9″ springform pan – which is 25% bigger. Perhaps increasing the ingredients by 25% (or simply reducing the baking time due to increased surface area) would work! Love your recipes! Keep up the good work!

      Reply
    28. Ali says

      August 03, 2021 at 8:25 am

      Hi Shiraz,
      Could I bake this in a loaf pan and if so, what size and how long? I need to make a fire engine cake for my grandson and he loves chocolate.
      Thanks. Ali.

      Reply
      • Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says

        August 05, 2021 at 5:11 am

        Hi Ali! Yes, you can! It will just take a bit of measurement adjustment. I recommend checking out my article on how to convert cake pan sizes 🙂

        Reply
    29. Colleen McMahon says

      December 18, 2021 at 5:32 am

      Hi! How would I convert this recipe to muffins? I’m sure the cooking time would change for smaller portions such as muffins……..?

      Reply
      • Talia @ Pretty. Simple. Sweet. says

        December 20, 2021 at 7:23 am

        Hi Colleen, I recommend checking out my article on how to convert cake pan sizes 🙂 In terms of baking time, they’ll probably take around 20 minutes or so to bake full size cupcakes, but it will depend on your oven. Check them after 12-14 minutes and monitor 🙂 Good luck!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Stephanie! Join me in my kitchen, where we’ll be making simple and classic desserts and learning the science of baking along the way.

    More about me →

    Find A Recipe

    Recent Popular Recipes

    • 11 Cookies and cream oreo desserts with 6 different desserts showcased.
      11 Oreo Cookie Desserts You’ll Love
    • Moist lemon poppy seed scone broken in half to show its texture, topped with icing and styled with fresh citrus.
      Lemon Poppy Seed Cream Scones
    • Orange Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
      Orange Chocolate Rolls
    • Orange Cream cheese frosting swirled in a bowl with an orange slice and frosted cupcakes on the side.
      Orange Cream Cheese Frosting
    Shop King Arthur Baking for all your baking needs!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Website Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Testimonial Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • About Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 Pretty. Simple. Sweet.