There’s something so elegant about the simplicity of this flourless chocolate cake recipe. Sometimes called a chocolate torte, it’s a Passover and Valentine’s Day staple for good reason—not to mention an ideal choice for gluten-free dinner parties. With just five ingredients, desserts don’t get much simpler, especially because this fudgy single-layer dark chocolate cake comes together in 45 minutes or less.
Total Time 45 minutes
Yield Makes one 8-inch cake (12-16 servings)
Ingredients
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
½ cup (4 oz.) fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup (149g) sugar
3 large eggs
½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus more for garnish
Coconut Lime Sorbet for serving (optional)
Preparation
Step 1
Place rack in center of oven; preheat oven to 375°F. Butter an 8-inch round cake pan, line bottom of pan with a round of parchment paper, and butter paper.
Step 2
Melt ½ cup (4 oz.) fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped and 8 Tbsp. (1 stick) unsalted butter in a double boiler or heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let mixing bowl touch water), stirring occasionally until smooth.
Step 3
Remove from heat and whisk in ¾ cup (150 g) sugar to combine. Add 3 large eggs and whisk until no streaks remain. Sift ½ cup (42 g) unsweetened cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour cake batter into prepared pan and bake until top has formed a thin crust, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate.
Step 4
Sift additional cocoa powder on top of cake and serve with sorbet if desired.
Do ahead: Cake can be baked 1 week ahead (let cake cool completely, then store in an airtight container at room temperature).
