Rich, fudgy, and delicious, this Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake is gluten-free and also kosher for passover! Made with almond flour and two kinds of chocolate, this lush cake is the perfect feels-fancy dessert that’s easy to make at home.
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Hey Internet, there’s just some days when you need chocolate. Apparently every day is that day for me, lol.
Most days, some banana ice cream with cacao powder or dates dipped in melted chocolate does it for me, but some days I need something with a bit more OOMPH.
And man, this vegan flourless chocolate cake has oomph in spades!
It is so decadent and fudgy and amazing, and there’s no flour, no baking powder, no baking soda, no oil, and no eggs.
But holy crap, is it good. It’s also super easy to make.
I mean, also, chocolate. Hi, hello, I love you.
It doesn’t make a huge portion, and I actually consider that a good thing since it’s so rich and decadent. However, it’s easily doubled if you need to make more.
This vegan flourless cake is like a brownie married a cake, and boy is it ever delicious.
And the raspberry sauce on top is optional, but the tartness of the raspberry cuts through the rich dark flavor of the chocolate and makes this an AMAZING dessert.
There are two kinds of chocolate in this cake and just a hint of coffee which brings out the chocolate flavor--not enough to taste the coffee, but just enough to boost the chocolatiness.
I had to experiment a little bit to get all the proportions correct, but I am confident that this is an awesome recipe and you need to try it!
Without further ado, let’s jump in.
What You’ll Need
Let’s start with the chocolate, because this is a CHOCOLATE cake.
If it’s one thing The Great British Baking Show has taught me, it’s that good chocolate cakes and brownies use real melted chocolate, not just cocoa powder. (This cake uses both!)
Here I’ve used 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate bars (chopped up). The bittersweet chocolate is rich and lush.
Not a fan of bittersweet chocolate? You can use dark chocolate or semisweet instead, just don’t change the amounts.
I’ve also used Dutch processed cocoa powder. Regular cocoa powder will work, but it’s not as rich and it’s a bit more acidic than Dutch processed. I’ve found that my cakes and brownies taste better with the Dutch processed stuff, but you do you.
And I mentioned earlier, there’s just a hint (only half a teaspoon!) of espresso powder in this recipe. It REALLY brings out the chocolate flavor, but it is optional. Finely ground coffee beans also work.
Oh and you need something to melt the solid chocolate with. I use solid coconut cream, which can be found in some canned coconut milks or definitely in canned coconut cream.
Some coconut cream brands have more of the good stuff than others. Native Forest, Thai Kitchen, and CocoGoods have all yielded good results for me.
You can also use vegan butter.
Alright, moving on.
This cake is flourless, but still needs substance. So, we use a blanched almond meal for that. The blanched stuff is a little more neutral in flavor than the unblanched stuff.
Almond meal in baking has gone fairly mainstream, and I am always able to find it in the baking aisle of Target, Walmart, local grocery stores, etc.
Next, you’ll need some sweetness. I used organic cane sugar. Coconut sugar should also work fine.
You can reduce the sugar in this recipe by up to 25% without messing up the ratios (I’ve tested it).
I recommend a solid sweetener like sugar over maple syrup or agave, as those may throw off your liquid to solid ratio too much and your cake may not set.
To bind everything together, I’m not using egg substitutes. I’m using tapioca starch mixed with non-dairy milk.
This is for two reasons: It’s another non-flour item to help set the cake, and it takes the place of the rising agent. There’s no baking powder or baking soda in this recipe and the cake isn’t going to “rise” but the tapioca will help set it.
I uh, accidentally left out my tapioca mixture on the counter when we first filmed the video. Suffice to say, the cake didn’t turn out so good and we had to refilm the whole thing! I felt so bad.
Instead of tapioca, you could also use cornstarch, arrowroot powder, potato starch, or even GF flour (or regular flour if you’re not even gluten-free)--that last one however would kinda ruin the whole vegan flourless chocolate cake idea, but it’d still be good.
Finally, it may seem a little counterintuitive, but a little pure vanilla extract gives this chocolate cake a delicious flavor. It balances out the chocolate.
Oh, and the optional raspberry sauce topping just consists of frozen raspberries (fresh will also work), a touch of water, a tablespoon of sugar (optional), and a squeeze of lemon. I’ll mention how to cook it down in the recipe instructions--but if you get impatient you can always mix a little cornstarch or arrowroot powder in water and stir it in to thicken it quickly.
Equipment
This recipe makes a smallish cake. The height of the cake depends on the diameter of your pan. I used a 6-inch springform pan and got a nice tall flourless cake.
If you use a very wide pan, like a 8 or 9”, your cake will probably take less time to cook. I recommend getting a 6” pan (it doesn’t have to be springform, I just find those easiest to get cakes out of cleanly).
It makes a nice size cake with smaller servings.
If you only have an 8 or 9” cake pan, you could A.) double the recipe and cook for the same amount of time; B.) not double the recipe and cook for less time (check it at 30 minutes instead of 40); or C.) bake it in a muffin pan, little ramekins, or a loaf pan! If you cook it in a muffin pan you should also check it after 30 minutes.
For the melting chocolate, I recommend gently melting chocolate over the stovetop. This gives the best texture.
You can use a double boiler if you have one. If not, use a small pot fitted with a glass or metal bowl that doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan and has a snug fit. That’s what I did since I don’t melt chocolate that often.
You can do this in the microwave if you need to--but check it and stir it every 30 seconds or so. It’s easy to burn it or separate it (often called “breaking” the chocolate), so I recommend doing it over the stove for more control.
Tips for Making My Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
- First, gather all your ingredients, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius), and prep your baking pan. I like to cut a circle of parchment paper to the size of the bottom of my pan and use coconut cream or cooking spray to adhere the parchment to the bottom. Then I use coconut cream or you can use cooking spray to grease the sides of the pan very well.
- Start a small pot of water (or the bottom half of your double boiler) on to simmer. Bring the water to a medium simmer and place the bowl or second half on top. Add the chopped chocolate and coconut cream or vegan butter and stir gently, frequently, for about 3-5 minutes until the chocolate is JUST melted. Slowly stir in the sugar with the heat still on, then remove from heat and add the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- While that’s cooking, whisk together the tapioca starch (or cornstarch/arrowroot/potato starch) and non-dairy milk and set it aside… but not so far aside that you forget it (ask me how I know).
- Add the vanilla extract and tapioca starch mixture to your melted chocolate and fold it in gently until barely combined.
- Now add in the almond meal, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Fold in until gently combined. Insert Schitt’s Creek joke here.
- Add the entire mixture to your lined/greased cake pan and smooth out the top with your spatula.
- Bake for 38-45 minutes or until a thin crust has formed on top. It will still be a lil’ soft to the touch but it will set.
- Speaking of which, let it cool in the cake pan for about 45 minutes. This helps the cake set up.
- Then run a butter knife around the inside edge to release any crumbs that might be holding onto the walls of the pan. If you didn’t use a spring form, use an upside down plate and carefully turn the whole thing over to release your cake. This is why I use a spring form. So easy!
- Optional Raspberry Sauce: While it cools, you can create the optional raspberry sauce. Add frozen or fresh raspberries to a pot with the water, and sugar. Heat over medium until the raspberries have thawed (if frozen) and started to break down. Keep stirring every few minutes to ensure it doesn’t burn. It should thicken into a drippy syrup like texture after about 15-20 minutes. If it starts to burn, add a little more water and turn down the heat. If you get impatient waiting for it to thicken (and I only say this because I often do), you can thicken it with a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry. Just mix ⅓ cup water with 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder and mix it in. When it’s done, remove from heat, mix in the lemon, and let it cool till it’s just warm to the touch (or cooler, your choice) and drizzle over a fat wedge of the chocolate cake.
- Finish off the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar (use a flour sifter or a tea strainer to get a gentle and even dusting), fresh raspberries/mint, and some of the raspberry sauce if you like, or you could make a quick ganache with melted chocolate and coconut milk.
- Store the leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days (gluten-free goods tend to last about that long) or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
More Easy Vegan Desserts
- Vegan Mug Brownie
- Smores
- Or if you want to get fancy: Smores Cookie Bake
- Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies (no chill)
- Pumpkin Pie Vegan Custard
- Vegan Tiramisu
- Matcha Pound Cake
- Lavender Nice Cream
- Apple Cake
- Mango Nice Cream
- Toasted Coconut Nice Cream
- Banana Bread
Want More Jewish Food?
Did you know I have an e-book with other Jewish recipes?
I grew up eating a ton of awesome Jewish foods. However, I haven't had many of them since going vegan 3 years ago. So I've set out to veganize my favorites!
My Plant-Based Jewish Recipes e-book is now available for purchase and has 50 vegan Jewish recipes perfect for Chanukah, Passover, Rosh Hashanah and more.
Purchase and immediately receive your e-book that you can read digitally or print out and make tons of delicious Jewish comfort food recipes such as latkes, kugel, knishes, lox (!), black and white cookies, babka, and more! This book contains over 30 exclusive recipes that will never be released on the blog.
If that wasn’t enough to convince you I’ve got one more thing to tell you about this book. Over the next year or so, I’ll be releasing new versions of the book with new recipes for each major Jewish holiday (think Hamantaschen for Purim and flourless cake for Passover) and if you’ve already purchased my Plant-Based Jewish Recipes e-book, you’ll automatically get an updated version free of charge. Yup.
Click here to purchase or read more about the book.
Anything Else?
As always, I hope you love this recipe–I know I do and so does Mr. Zardyplants.
- This vegan flourless chocolate cake is:
- Chocolaty
- Fudgy
- Sweet
- Warm
- Cozy
- Ultra perfect with that tart raspberry sauce on top
- And the perfect dessert for date night, impressing guests, or just an extra fun treat
- Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe or tag me @Zardyplants on Instagram so I can see your beautiful recreations! If you tag me on IG, I will share your post in my stories :)
Also, one quick request: if you love how this recipe looks or tastes, please leave me a 5-star rating and a nice comment–ratings help more people find my recipes which helps me keep providing them! Thank you!
<3 Liz
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Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 6” cake 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Rich, fudgy, and delicious, this Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake is gluten-free and also kosher for passover!
Ingredients
Cake
- 8 oz bittersweet chocolate (see note 2)
- ⅔ cup canned coconut cream (see note 3) or vegan butter
- 1 cup organic cane sugar (see note 4)
- ⅔ cup tapioca starch (see note 5)
- ½ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used almond)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup blanched almond meal
- ½ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder (see note 6)
- ½ tsp espresso powder, optional
Raspberry Sauce, optional
- 2 cups frozen or fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup water
- 1-2 tablespoon organic cane sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp arrowroot powder or cornstarch + ⅓ cup water
Instructions
- Prep: First, gather all your ingredients, preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (163 degrees Celsius), and prep your baking pan. I like to cut a circle of parchment paper to the size of the bottom of my pan and use coconut cream or cooking spray to adhere the parchment to the bottom. Then I use coconut cream or you can use cooking spray to grease the sides of the pan very well.
- Melt chocolate: Start a small pot of water (or the bottom half of your double boiler) on to simmer. Bring the water to a medium simmer and place the bowl or second half on top. Add the chopped chocolate and coconut cream or vegan butter and stir gently, frequently, for about 3-5 minutes until the chocolate is JUST melted. Slowly stir in the sugar with the heat still on, then remove from heat and add the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk it up: While that’s cooking, whisk together the tapioca starch (or cornstarch/arrowroot/potato starch) and non-dairy milk and set it aside… but not so far aside that you forget it (ask me how I know).
- Add other liquid ingredients: Add the vanilla extract and tapioca starch mixture to your melted chocolate and fold it in gently until barely combined.
- Add the dry ingredients (just fold it in!): Now add in the almond meal, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Fold in until gently combined. Insert Schitt’s Creek joke here.
- Fill the pan: Add the entire mixture to your lined/greased cake pan and smooth out the top with your spatula.
- Bake: Bake for 38-45 minutes or until a thin crust has formed on top. It will still be a lil’ soft to the touch but it will set.
- Chill out: Speaking of which, let it cool in the cake pan for about 45 minutes. This helps the cake set up.
- Set it free: Then run a butter knife around the inside edge to release any crumbs that might be holding onto the walls of the pan. If you didn’t use a spring form, use an upside down plate and carefully turn the whole thing over to release your cake. This is why I use a spring form. So easy!
- Optional Raspberry Sauce: While it cools, you can create the optional raspberry sauce. Add frozen or fresh raspberries to a pot with the water, and sugar. Heat over medium until the raspberries have thawed (if frozen) and started to break down. Keep stirring every few minutes to ensure it doesn’t burn. It should thicken into a drippy syrup like texture after about 15-20 minutes. If it starts to burn, add a little more water and turn down the heat. If you get impatient waiting for it to thicken (and I only say this because I often do), you can thicken it with a cornstarch or arrowroot slurry. Just mix ⅓ cup water with 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch or arrowroot powder and mix it in. When it’s done, remove from heat, mix in the lemon, and let it cool till it’s just warm to the touch (or cooler, your choice) and drizzle over a fat wedge of the chocolate cake.
- Garnish/decorate: Finish off the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar (use a flour sifter or a tea strainer to get a gentle and even dusting), fresh raspberries/mint, and some of the raspberry sauce if you like, or you could make a quick ganache with melted chocolate and coconut milk.
- Store: Store the leftover cake in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days (gluten-free goods tend to last about that long) or freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Note 1: This recipe makes a smallish cake. The height of the cake depends on the diameter of your pan. I used a 6-inch springform pan and got a nice tall flourless cake. If you use a very wide pan, like a 8 or 9” or a muffin tin, your cake will take less time to cook. I recommend getting a 6” pan (it doesn’t have to be springform, I just find those easiest to get cakes out of cleanly).
- Note 2: Here I’ve used 70% cacao bittersweet chocolate bars (chopped up). The bittersweet chocolate is rich and lush. Not a fan of bittersweet chocolate? You can use dark chocolate or semisweet instead, just don’t change the amount.
- Note 3: I use solid coconut cream, which can be found in some canned coconut milks or definitely in canned coconut cream. Some coconut cream brands have more of the good stuff than others. Native Forest, Thai Kitchen, and CocoGoods have all yielded good results for me. You can also use vegan butter.
- Note 4: Coconut sugar should also work fine. You can reduce the sugar in this recipe by up to 25% without messing up the ratios (I’ve tested it). I recommend a solid sweetener like sugar over maple syrup or agave, as those may throw off your liquid to solid ratio too much and your cake may not set.
- Note 5: To bind everything together, I’m using tapioca starch mixed with non-dairy milk. Instead of tapioca, you could also use cornstarch, arrowroot powder, potato starch, or even GF flour (or regular flour if you’re not even gluten-free)--that last one however would kinda ruin the whole vegan flourless chocolate cake idea, but it’d still be good.
- Note 6: Regular cocoa powder will work, but it’s not as rich and it’s a bit more acidic than Dutch processed. I’ve found that my cakes and brownies taste better with the Dutch processed stuff, but you do you.
- Note 7: For the melting chocolate, I recommend gently melting chocolate over the stovetop. This gives the best texture. You can use a double boiler if you have one. If not, use a small pot fitted with a glass or metal bowl that doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan and has a snug fit. You can do this in the microwave if you need to--but check it and stir it every 30 seconds or so. It’s easy to burn it or separate it, so I recommend doing it over the stove for more control.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American, Jewish
Keywords: Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Vegan Chocolate Cake, Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
Charlotte
Super tasty and not at all hard to make!!
★★★★★
ilse
I'm giving the vegan flourless chocolate cake five stars, even though I haven't tried it. But it absolutely makes me salivate, and I will make it soon for a special friend's birthday.
★★★★★
Esther Krup
The ultimate chocolate cake! I couldn't believe how easy it is!~
Susan Beth Kowalsky
Sooo good!!!
You can't go wrong with this cake.
★★★★★
Katrina
Would sugar substitutes like erythritol work instead of sugar?
💚 Liz
It should!
Kerry Reina
If all I have is a loaf pan, do I need to alter the recipe amounts ?
★★★★★
💚 Liz
I think it should. Be careful releasing it and make sure to not fill the pan more than half full.
Barbara
You could also use a parchment paper sling in the loaf pan to make removing the cake easier.
Judith Asher
Will this cake feed 10 people or do I have to double the recipe or use 2 pans. (This will only be one of several deserts). Judith
Avi Baron
There were other desserts, but with 8 for dinner there was still left over.
Nothing wrong with doubling the recipe though! Extra for breakfast the next day is always good.
Avi Baron
I made this for my family's second seder (Kosher for Pesach!) and it went over really well! Unknown to me someone else brought a different chocolate raspberry flourless cake (nonvegan) but this one had more slices eaten. :) Sign of a good recipe.
Notes - I used potato starch because I already had a bunch for Passover,
- There were 8 people present and about 5/8ths of the round cake was eaten (people free-cut their own size slice).
- I used a spring form pan which worked really well.
★★★★★
Sarah
This was delicious but totally fell apart when cut into. I baked it for 38 min and then in 3 min intervals after (so 44 min in total). It had a crusty layer on top but was soft and fudgy in the middle. I’d love to give it another go. Any suggestions for next time?
★★★★
💚 Liz
How long did you let it cool for? It should be totally cool before you cut into it. If it was cool, try increasing the tapioca.
Aaron Alter
Thank you for the recipe. I just purchased your e-book!
PniB
Hi :)
I am making these into cupcakes. I pray I cook them for the right amount of time ugh, fingers crossed. The batter is heavenly, In oven now. Wish me luck. It just seemed so much easier to use my parchment paper muffin paper holder thingies. lol. I'll keep you posted. If miraculously you see this right away lol, advise me please.
Thanks!
★★★★★
Liz Madsen
I hope they turn out great!
Angela Rocchi
This cake was such a huge hit for my the whole family-vegan and not. The texture and flavour were spot on and the raspberry sauce was a great accompaniment. I made the recipe x 1.5, used a 9.5in springform, and added about 5 more minutes baking time.
★★★★★