Flourless Chocolate Cake with Meringue
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
A rich, slab of flourless chocolate cake topped with a light meringue — this cake is as impressive as it is delicious.
A fudgy slab of flourless chocolate cake topped with a marshmallowy Swiss meringue—this Passover-friendly, gluten-free dessert is as impressive as it is easy to make. The cake portion is a one-bowl, five-ingredient recipe that you mix up with a whisk. While the cake bakes, you whip up a Swiss meringue, a type of meringue made by whisking sugar and egg whites in a bowl over simmering water before whipping them to stiff peaks. Once the base of the cake is baked, you swirl the meringue dramatically over top, then briefly bake the cake until the meringue peaks are lightly golden.
What you’ll need to make flourless chocolate cake with Meringue
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by melting the butter in the microwave.
Immediately add the chopped chocolate.
Stir until completely melted and smooth.
Add the sugar and whisk to combine.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time.
Then add the cocoa powder.
Whisk until smooth and thickened.
Transfer the batter to a buttered 9-inch springform pan.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until set.
While the cake is baking, make the meringue topping. Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or any other large heatproof bowl) and whisk to combine. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with 1/2-inch of simmering water, and whisk until the egg whites are very warm to the touch and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
Remove the bowl from the pan and attach it to the stand mixer. (Alternatively, a hand mixer can be used.) Fit the mixer with a very clean whisk attachment (or beaters if using a hand mixer).
Whisk on medium speed (or high if using a hand mixer) until the meringue is cooled, glossy and holds medium-firm peaks, about 5 to 6 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you lift the whisk out of the bowl and the meringue holds firm peaks that curl over.
Spoon the meringue over the hot cake, leaving a 1-inch border around the perimeter. Then use a small spoon to create dramatic swirls.
Place the cake back in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the meringue is lightly browned.
Let cool on a rack, then remove the sides of the springform pan and transfer to a serving platter.
Make-ahead note: The chocolate cake base may be made up to 2 days ahead of time, but wait until the day of serving to add the meringue (it is not necessary to heat the cake before adding the meringue topping).
You may also like
- Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- Double Chocolate Pavlova with Mascarpone Cream & Raspberries
- Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Pavlova
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Meringue
A rich, slab of flourless chocolate cake topped with a light meringue — this cake is as impressive as it is delicious.
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 5 large eggs
- ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted (see note)
For Meringue Topping
- 4 large egg whites
- ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup sugar
Instructions
- Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Generously butter a 9-inch springform pan.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave until foamy (watch carefully so that it doesn't boil and splatter). Add the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted and smooth. (If necessary, pop the bowl back into the microwave for 20 seconds to melt any remaining bits of chocolate.) Add the sugar and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Whisk in the cocoa powder, using a folding motion at first so it doesn't fly out of the bowl. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the cake is set.
- While the cake bakes, make the meringue topping. Bring ½-inch of water to a boil in a small sauce pan, then lower the heat so that the water just simmers. Combine the egg whites, cream of tartar, and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer (or any large heatproof bowl). Set the bowl over the pan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk gently for about 3 minutes, until the egg whites are hot to the touch and the sugar is dissolved. Remove the bowl from the pan and attach it to the stand mixer. (Alternatively, a hand mixer can be used.) Fit the mixer with the whisk attachment (or beaters if using a hand mixer) and whisk on medium speed (or high if using a hand mixer) until the meringue is cooled, glossy and stiff, 5 to 6 minutes. You'll know it's ready when you lift the whisk out of the bowl and the meringue holds a firm peak that curls over. Set aside until the cake is done.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, give the meringue a quick whisk, then pile it onto the the hot cake, leaving a 1-inch border around the perimeter (it may spread a little and you don't want it to touch the sides of the pan). Use a small spoon to swirl it into dramatic peaks.
- Place the cake back into the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the meringue peaks are lightly browned. Let the cake cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges, if necessary, to loosen any meringue that may have stuck to the sides. Carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. Transfer the cake to a platter and serve at room temperature. (Removing the base of the springform pan is optional: to do so, simply slide a large spatula underneath the cake and lift it off -- it is pretty sturdy.) To make neat slices through the meringue, wipe the knife clean between slices.
- Note: The chocolate cake base may be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Once cool, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator. Wait until a few hours before serving to add the meringue (it is not necessary to heat the cake before adding the meringue, but do let it come to room temperature).
- Note: The easiest way to sift the cocoa powder is to pass it through a fine mesh sieve when adding it to the cake batter.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 slice
- Calories: 343
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 11 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Sugar: 41 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 52 mg
- Cholesterol: 108 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Hello Jen! I am looking for a new Flourless Chocolate Cake for our Passover Seder and I found this one and your other flourless chocolate cake recipe with the almond flour. Which one is lighter and also your favorite?! Thank you for your perfect recipes!! XO
Hi Stacey, They are both light and wonderful but I’d opt for this one – it’s a million times easier.
Hi. Would love to make this, but do you think you could you sub the mayo for not or coconut oil? Thanks
Hi Lisa, I’m not sure I understand your question. Are you asking about a different recipe?
I would like to make this for Passover. Can I substitute vinegar for the cream of tartar?
Yep!
Thanks. I’ll let you know how it comes out.
Could this recipe be adapted to a mini cake pan? If so, any thoughts on baking time?
Hi Mary, what size cake pan are thinking of using for this?
Hi Jenn, do you think I could use unsweetened chocolate and add sugar to compensate? I would add 1 Tbs of sugar per ounce of chocolate. What do you think? Thanks 🤔
Hi Caroline, I think that should work!
Hello Jenn,
I have made this twice in the past and it turned wonderful (each time, it was gone within a day). However, I was wondering how long this will maintain its gorgeous taste on account of the meringue topping — I want to bake something as a gift for a former gluten-intolerant boss of mine and I was confused between this and your flourless chocolate cake with the chocolate ganache (which I’ve never made). Which one of the two would you recommend, accounting for a 12-24 hour gap between baking and serving of the cake?
Thank you so much !
Hi Malak, For this one, the meringue needs to be added on the day of serving. However, you could make this one without the meringue – it’s very good that way, too. The flourless chocolate cake with ganache can definitely be made a day or two ahead but it’s a project! Another option would be to use the ganache on this cake instead of the meringue. Hope that helps!
The first time, I made this cake in my friend’s kitchen, it came out PERFECTLY. The second time, at home — it’s in the oven now — and it’s rising unevenly with one huge puffy lump rising above the rest of the cake. I’m sure it will taste delicious still but any ideas why this happened? Did I not mix it evenly? (Tho I thought I did.) Or is it that my oven has uneven heat?
Hi Malakins, This doesn’t rise a huge amount, but if it did rise unevenly, it could be due to uneven mixing or your oven heating unevenly (like you said). How did it turn out?
Well, the lump kinda collapsed after I took it out of the oven and the top was just somewhat cracked. But tastewise, the cake was absolutely fabulous (husband gave it a 12/10 haha) so I’m not complaining. I’m putting it down to uneven mixing on my part since I baked your banana-toffee cake today and that turned out picture perfect. Thanks again for your wonderful recipes! I never used to have much luck with baking before but every. single. recipe from your site has been a success for me.
So glad it turned out nicely – thanks for the follow up! 🙂
Thank you, Jenn. Your site is the first one I check for inspiration and trustworthy recipes. This cake is another winner.
I made this recipe exactly as written, baking for 35 minutes (maybe could have taken it from the oven a couple of minutes earlier). It was quick and easy —
one bowl and a whisk. Because I needed to make it a day ahead, I skipped the meringue, and served it topped with whipped cream and fresh berries on the side. Everyone declared it delicious. Will definitely make again and again!
The chocolate cake was divine. This was the first meringue i’ve ever attempted and it wasn’t perfect but it wasnt bad either. I think I pulled it out a little too quickly because the tips of the meringue were beginning to burn. So the top was marshmellowy and gooey but the closer you got to the cake the texture was foam -like.
Some clues on what to do if the top begins to brown too quickly or what i’m looking for in terms of texture?
Hi Gayatri, The meringue on this is a bit more marshmallowy than your typical meringue. That said, if you think it was a bit underdone, next time you make it, I would adjust the oven rack to be one notch lower. That way, the tops of the meringue will brown more slowly allowing the inside to firm up a bit more. (Or you could completely forgo the meringue and just serve it topped with whipped cream :).
Hi Jenn… I plan on making this cake for my daughter’s birthday but she requested cream cheese frosting… Do you think that would work and can I refrigerate this cake? Thanks… Alice
Hi Alice, I think that would work. Yes, I’d store it in the fridge if you make it in advance, but bring it to room temp before serving. Happy birthday to your daughter!
Hi Jenn, my husband is allergic to egg yolks. Will the flourless cake work if I use just egg whites as opposed to whole eggs?
Hi Rosie, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure but I think you’ll miss the richness without the yolks. What about making a chocolate pavlova instead? This one is wonderful (and it only calls for egg whites). I make it every year for Passover.
Hi Jen I just love your recipes and tell everyone about your site!
Question regarding the flourless cake, if I used lactose free butter would it make any difference to the taste?
Also could I use Stevia as sweetener Thanks
So glad you enjoy the recipes Robyn, and thanks for spreading the word about the blog! Unfortunately, I don’t think the lactose free butter would work here. And regarding the Stevia, I’ve never worked with it, so I couldn’t say for sure. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!
So I went ahead and used lactose free butter, 1/2 the amount of sugar and some stevia and it turned out great!
Only thing is I baked with convection 35 minutes and it started to burn a bit around the edges. So I think you need to reduce the baking time if using a convection oven?
Yes, or reduce the oven temp by 25°F.
Can the leftover cake be frozen?
Hi Robyn, The cake can be frozen without the meringue topping.