Flourless Chocolate Cake

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: flourless chocolate cake

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 172kcal

Author: Megan Gilmore

This flourless chocolate cake has a fudgy texture, just like the classic, but it's made without butter. Instead, it has a sneaky serving of pumpkin and features melted 70% dark chocolate. But, you'd never guess what's inside just by tasting it! It's rich and impressive, yet easy to make, so it's one of my favorite desserts to bring to a party.

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Ingredients

4 ounces 70% dark chocolate (or similar)
¼ cup melted coconut oil (see notes for variations)
1 cup coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar)
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup cacao powder
4 large eggs
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease an 8" springform pan with cooking spray.
In a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate and coconut oil together, stirring until completely smooth. (You can use a double-boiler for this, or the microwave in 30-second intervals.) Set it aside to cool slightly.
In a large bowl, combine the coconut sugar, pumpkin, and cacao powder. Then add in the cooled chocolate and stir well. Stirring this together first should help cool down the chocolate, so it won't cook the eggs when you add them in.
Next, add the 4 large eggs to the bowl and mix again. Once it looks glossy and uniform, transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake at 350ºF until the center looks firm, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Watch the pan closely as you approach the 25 minute mark. As soon as the center rises and looks dry on top (not jiggly) remove it from the oven. Mine is usually done in 28 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan completely, or if you want to flip it out of the pan, I recommend doing that after only 10-15 minutes of cooling so it will release from the bottom of the springform pan easier. I like to line a plate with parchment paper first, then place it on top of the cake and flip it over.
Let the cake cool for at least 1 hour before serving for the easiest slicing. Serve with shaved chocolate on top, for a pretty presentation, or a sprinkle of cacao powder or powdered sugar, if you prefer.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 slices. This information is automatically calculated using an online ingredient database, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee. You can make smaller slices if you prefer!

Make Ahead Tip: You can make this cake up to 2 days in advance and store it tightly covered in the fridge until you're ready to serve. I recommend bringing it to room temperature on the counter for at least 1 hour for the best flavor. You can also freeze this cake, tightly covered, for up to 3 months.

Butter Variation: You can omit the pumpkin and coconut oil in this recipe and use a 4-ounce stick of butter instead. If you use salted butter, you can omit the salt in this recipe.

Egg-Free Options: Do not use a flax egg for this recipe. Check out my Vegan Chocolate Tart or Vegan Chocolate Pie instead.

Make it with NO refined sugar:

4 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup cacao powder
3/4 cup honey
4 eggs

Melt the baking chocolate with the coconut oil, then set it aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, cacao powder, honey, and eggs, and stir well. Add the cooled melted chocolate mixture, and mix again. Pour into a greased 8-inch springform pan and bake at 375ºF for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the center is firm. Cool completely, then slice and serve.

Nutrition