This rich and dense vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake is also gluten-free for a decadent dessert nearly everyone can enjoy. Made with just 7 simple ingredients for a quick and easy sweet treat.
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Before my blogging days, I spent many years as a baker.
Among my most notable jobs, was the cake maker at a popular dessert restaurant here in Portland. There I learned how to make the perfect meringues, chiffon cakes, Italian buttercreams, and French gateaus. These recipes were all traditional (non-vegan, that is) and so I spent a lot of time justifying my decision to work in an environment that was at complete odds with my deepest values.
I told myself that someday, after I understood the technique and had enough financial freedom to be a bit choosey about where I worked, I would take everything I learned from my time in the food service industry and veganize it.
I've worked on this goal over the past 6 years of blogging, veganizing desserts such as creme brûlées, pots de creme, baccone dolces, and so much more. Every time I perfect one of these delicate desserts that rely so much on eggs, I feel immense satisfaction that I am making dreams come true.
But I'm not done veganizing. And so today I bring you this vegan flourless chocolate cake.
Recipe Video
Ingredients & Substitutions
This flourless chocolate cake is another classic dessert I made a lot in the various bakeries I worked in. Traditionally, rather than relying on flour for the structure, this cake relies on eggs. This technique gives the cake a delicate structure that is incredibly rich and decadent, more similar to a brownie than a cake.
Here is everything you need.
- Dark Vegan Chocolate - You can use either chocolate bars or chocolate chips.
- Vegan Butter - Look for a high-quality non-hydrogenated vegan butter. I recommend either EarthBalance orMiyoko’s.
- Granulated Sugar - Check out my guide to vegan sugars and alternative sugar replacements.
- Chickpea Flour - I love the chickpea flour because it has serious binding powder, similar to that of eggs which gives the cake it's structure. It also is completely flavorless* meaning it won't affect the taste of the cake itself. I've tried this cake with other egg replacers without the same success.
- Non-Dairy Milk - I recommend something thick, creamy, and neutral in flavor. Soy, cashew, or macadamia nut milk are the ones I prefer.
- Cocoa Powder - I prefer Dutch as it is a bit smoother and less acidic but regular cocoa powder works as well.
- Baking Soda
*IMPORTANT - while cooked chickpea flour is completely flavorless, raw chickpea flour has a potently unpleasant taste. That means you won't want to be licking the spatula for this recipe.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One - Chop and Melt the Chocolate
Roughly chop your chocolate and place it in a metal bowl with the vegan butter. GENTLY melt your chocolate and butter over medium-low heat. This can be done in a double boiler or with a metal bowl placed over a pot of steaming water that has been removed from the heat.
Stir the chocolate/butter mixture with a spatula, taking careful effort not to over mix.
Step Two - Make the Chickpea Egg
Whisk together chickpea flour and soy milk until you have a thick gooey paste. Make sure the chickpea mixture is evenly hydrated throughout. This is best done in a small blender.
Step Three - Make the Batter
Once the chocolate and butter are melted, stir in sugar until it is dissolved. Add the chickpea egg, stirring with a spatula to combine. Fold in cocoa powder and baking soda until a uniform batter is achieved.
Be careful not to agitate the chocolate by over-mixing.
Step Four - Bake
Transfer the batter to a prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
Do not open the oven door before 35 minutes of baking or the cake will fall. Check the cake at 35 minutes and give it a gentle shake. To know the cake is ready, the cake should not be wobbly and a thin top crust will have formed.
Serving and Storing
Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing it. Because this cake lacks the same structure that flour gives the cake, it could fall apart if removed too early from pan. Serve the cake chilled with fresh berries and powdered sugar.
Leftover cake can be wrapped tightly and stored in the refrigerator. Eat leftover cake within 5 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Make sure not to over-mix your chocolate. This can agitate the chocolate, causing it to clump and lose its shine.
- When making the chickpea flour egg, mix the chickpea flour and soy milk completely. This is best done by using a small blender.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet. The more you mix, the more deflated your cake will be.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake is baking or it may fall. Check the cake at 35 minutes and give it a gentle shake. To know the cake is ready, the cake should not be wobbly and a thin top crust will have formed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use something other than chickpea flour?
Unfortunately no. Chickpea flour has serious binding powder, similar to that of eggs, which gives the cake it's structure. It also is completely flavorless* meaning it won't affect the taste of the cake itself. I've tried this cake with other egg replacers without success.
More Vegan Cake Recipes
Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 4 ounces vegan dark chocolate, chopped
- 6 tablespoon vegan butter
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoon chickpea flour
- ½ cup soy or cashew milk
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½-3/4 cup fresh raspberries
- powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 F. Generously spray a 6" cake pan and set aside.
- In a double boiler, gently melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally.
- While chocolate melts, whisk together chickpea flour and soy milk until a thick gooey paste has formed. Make sure the chickpea mixture is evenly hydrated throughout.
- Once the chocolate and butter are melted, stir in sugar until it is dissolved. Add chickpea/milk mixture, stirring with a spatula to combine. Fold in cocoa powder and baking soda until a uniform batter is achieved.
- Transfer batter to the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a thin crust has formed and cake doesn't wobble when gently shaken.
- Remove from the oven and let set up in the pan for 30 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dust with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries to serve.
Video
Notes
- Make sure not to over-mix your chocolate. This can agitate the chocolate, causing it to clump and lose its shine.
- When making the chickpea flour egg, mix the chickpea flour and soy milk completely. This is best done by using a small blender.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet. The more you mix, the more deflated your cake will be.
- Do not eat this batter raw. Chickpea flour has an unpleasant raw taste that goes away completely once it is baked.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake is baking or it may fall. Check the cake at 35 minutes and give it a gentle shake. To know the cake is ready, the cake should not be wobbly and a thin top crust will have formed.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Tessa says
Hi! Do you think I could add raspberries or any other berries to the batter? Thanks
Sarah McMinn says
I don't recommend it. The batter doesn't have a lot of structure and the berries would weigh it down.
Candace says
Hi! My chickpea mixture was very watery- like a thin pancake batter. And my cake came out very watery at the 40 minute mark even though it had a nice thick crust and didn't seem to wobble, and I let it set for 45 minutes. Do you think I needed more chickpea flour? Or more cooking time?
Worry not, however, it didn't go to waste! it was so delicious, we ate it like a pudding with fruits, it was so so so good, I can't wait to try it again.
Sarah McMinn says
Yes, it should have been thicker; like the consistency of whipped eggs.
Payal Lodha says
Hi! I tried this cake, do you know why it came out crumbly? I used the same ingredients!
Sarah McMinn says
I would need a little more information to troubleshoot this with you.
Desiree says
Holy moly is this FANTASTIC!! I can’t believe how easy this was. I added vanilla and salt to the recipe. I’m amazed that there aren’t more 5 star reviews on this. Try it. You won’t be disappointed. Hats off to Sarah for creating such a wonderful recipe!!
Lita says
Have you tried making the cake with aquafaba to create the thin crust? I am just curious what would happen if some aquafaba were added.
Sarah says
I haven't tried that. Curious if anyone else has..
Karen says
Can this recipe be frozen by chance? I need to make ahead for Boxing Day.
Sarah says
Unfortunately I don't think this cake will freeze very well. But if you give it a try, let us know how it goes.
Lua says
Hello, thanks for posting this lovely recipe, cant wait to make it. My husband has to keep away from sugar and can only have xylitol. I would swap the regular sugar in this recipe and should work just fine, but what if I use 100% chocolate to melt, would I have to adjust the amount of xylitol? And how would that affect the rest of the recipe and amounts for each ingredient?
Thank you so much for any help you might be able to send my way!
Sarah says
This would require quite a lot of trial and error to figure out so I don't want to throw out any amounts - especially because I'm unfamiliar baking with xylitol. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Sylvie says
Could I get away with making two of these and then layering them? Or would that fall apart? I don't know how to adjust the size of the pan or baking time if I were to double the batter. I'd like to make something twice the size though.
Sarah says
They are too tender to stack. I think you could double the batch and bake it in a 9 or 10" cake pan. Just add a little extra bake time for the extra batter.
Orly says
This recipe was amazing! Super fugdy and delicious. I switched out the chickpea flour for oat flour and it worked great. Can't wait to make this again!
Kathryn says
I live in the mountains at 6,035 feet. Traditional cakes fall without high altitude adjustments. What, if any, adjustments should I make to this recipe to work at high altitude?
Ellen says
I need to serve 16. Would tripling the recipe and using a 10” pan work? Have you tried a water bath?
Sarah says
It might be a little harder time getting the cake to keep it's structure since it's such a delicate cake, but it might work just fine! Just adjust the baking times accordingly.
Aexandra Dib says
Hi! I made this and hadn't read the note about the chickpea flour tasting strong and added a bunch of maple syrup to mask it Whoops! It tasted delicious anyway!
Question - I want to make it again, but only have almond flour - do you think that would work? Thanks!
Andrea says
I made this for Thanksgiving and it received rave reviews from everyone! I'm the only veggie (transitioning to vegan) and we have at least three family members with celiac disease. To find such a crowd pleasing desert recipe was so exciting. My very un- vegan father has already requested another one soon! I followed the directions to the letter and served with a simple and easy homemade raspberry sauce. 10/10 will make again and again! Thank you for sharing!!!
Breanna Martin says
Hi,
Just a couple of questions.
I will be baking this cake for my bday soon but i only have a 8inch cake pan not a 6inch, how do i alternate the recipe for a 8inch cake pan? As well what would be a good substitute for chick pea flour? I would prefer to use something i already have, would GF flour work?
Thanks
Sarah says
Hey Breanna, do you have a 9" pan? If so, I would double the recipe. 8" is a little tricker because you'll want something between 50% and 100% increase to the recipe. If you only have an 8" pan though, I would recommend increasing the recipe by 50% and it will be a little bit shorter. Unfortunately, this recipe relies on the chickpea flour for the egg replacer. Traditionally flourless chocolate cake is held together by eggs and is custard like. Substituting the chickpea flour with GF flour would change the texture and taste too much.
Emily says
Could I use coconut flour instead of chickpea flour? I have some lying around and would love to put it to use!
Sarah says
No, the chickpea flour when mixed with water creates an thick, protein-rich egg replacer which is the base of this cake. Coconut flour would not do the same.
Marie says
Any soy free, nut free, dairy free, coconut free milk you might recommend? Hemp seed milk? Or would just water work?
I joke that my son is allergic to all vegetarian protein 🙂
Sarah says
Could you do oatmeal? That might be your best option. Otherwise, hemp milk would also work.
Freya says
Love the look of this recipe! Just curious, is there any reason you opt for soy or cashew milk? I always use soy for everything, but do you find the cashew milk gives an extra creaminess? I'd like to give it a try 🙂
Sarah says
I love cashew milk for creaminess. I also will use macadamia nut milk sometimes for a creamy, relatively flavor-less milk. You should definitely give either one of them a try!