Flourless Chocolate Cake with Meringue
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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).
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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
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- 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.
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Comments
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Hi,
Does the meringue have to be started over the water, or can it be done entirely in a mixer? I made it once before following your instructions and it was great, but I was just wondering if I needed to change baking time or anything like that if I tried making the topping a different way.
Thanks for the recipes!
Hi Matt, For this meringue, I’d stick to heating it over the water. Hope that helps!
This cake was awesome and relatively easy to make. It looked beautiful at first but then little drops appeared on the meringue…I think this is called weeping….I’ve read that it’s caused by too much heat or underbaking…..I’m confused can you clarify? Thanks!
Hi Ann, the weeping is typically a result of underbaking. Did you pile the meringue onto the cake when the cake was still hot? If so, it may have needed just another minute or two in the oven.
I’m making this to take to a dinner party on Saturday. We will arrive at 6:30pm and probably eat it at 8 pm. How early in the afternoon can I top with the meringue?
I think anytime after about 4:30 would be fine. Hope everyone enjoys!
Hi Jen,
Can I use Hershey’s Cocoa Powder???
Thank you!!
Sure – enjoy!
Could you use 6oz of semi-sweet dark chocolate chips to replace the chocolate?
Hi Mae, I’d recommend sticking with the solid chocolate here – chocolate chips are made with stabilizers to help them retain their shape when heated, so they’re not the best option for this. Sorry!
Hi
Could you make this in a mini cupcake pan?
I’d like to make bites. how long would you cook it? 10min?
thanks for all of your amazing recipes!!
joy
Sure, I think you could get away with making these in a mini cupcake pan. It’s really hard to say how long they’ll take to bake, but I’d start checking them at 10 minutes. Please LMK How they come out!
Hi Jenn, l was wondering if I have this right. Can l make the cake ahead and after it’s baked and cooled down, can l make the meringue and put it on top, then the curls, or do you have to bake? What l can’t seem to get in my head how to do the meringue after cake has already been baked. Please help.
Hi Rose, if you’d like to make the chocolate base ahead of time, you can do that up to two days ahead and refrigerate it (see the note at the bottom of the recipe for more guidance). If you plan to make the cake and meringue all at once, After you’ve removed the chocolate base from the oven, top it with the meringue and pop it back in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Hope that clarifies!
Hi Jenn! We have made this fantastic cake several times using a version I printed from your site in Feb 2021. It looks like since that time, the directions have changed to indicate that it needs to be stored in the refrigerator. I was hoping to make it for an upcoming party, without the meringue topping (similar to the other flourless chocolate cake recipe on your site), but I know I won’t have refrigerator space to store it. Do you think it will keep at room temp for 2 days without the topping or do you now believe it is necessary to keep it in the refrigerator? Also wondering if you think it would be possible to make it ahead of time and freeze it? Thanks so much for this simple but drool-worthy recipe!
Hi Noreen, As long as it doesn’t have the meringue topping, I think it should be okay for 2 days at room temperature. (And glad you like it!)
Delicious…although my springform pan leaked while the cake was baking! Managed to salvage it but I was wondering if you have a recommendation for a good springform pan as clearly I need a new one! Thanks.
PS I just pre-ordered your new cookbook. Congratulations! I am sure it will be a great success!
Thanks so much for ordering the book!! Glad you were able to salvage the cake despite some leakage. I really like this pan. Hope that helps. 🙂
Made this cake for Passover 2021 and I have a fussy family. Everyone loved it and looked sooo good on presentation. Cake was fudge like in texture and will definitely make it again.
Hi, for the same cake served with cream instead of meringue, you say to bake 32 to 35 mins. Thus, won’t an extra 12 to 15 mins baking here of the meringue overtake the cake itself? I’m not understanding the timing of the baking. I want the cake to remain moist and brownie chewy like.
Hi Samantha, I can see how you would think that, but the cake cools off a bit while you add the meringue, and the meringue topping absorbs a good amount of the heat when it goes back in the oven (it’s just 10 to 12 min), so it all works out. I assure you it will still be moist and fudgy. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it.