Martha Stewart’s flourless chocolate cake has four ingredients: butter, chocolate, eggs, and sugar. No flour, no baking powder, no vanilla. The eggs get separated and the whites are whipped until stiff, which is what makes this cake light instead of dense like most flourless recipes.
The whole thing bakes at 275°F for about 45 minutes in a springform pan and serves 8. It works for Passover, for anyone eating gluten-free, or for anyone who just wants a chocolate cake that tastes like pure chocolate with nothing getting in the way.
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Why You Separate The Eggs
Most flourless chocolate cakes dump everything together and bake. Martha separates the eggs and whips the whites into stiff peaks first. That step is the whole difference between a heavy, fudgy slab and a cake that is rich but still feels light on the fork.
You fold the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture gently so they keep their air. Martha says to whisk a quarter of the whites in first to loosen the batter, then fold the rest in carefully. If you stir too hard, the whites deflate and the cake comes out flat.
Martha Stewart Flourless Chocolate Cake Ingredients
Four ingredients plus a dusting of powdered sugar on top. Because the list is so short, the quality of the chocolate matters more than in any other cake. Martha says to use good bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, not baking chocolate and not chocolate chips.
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 6 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
- Sweetened whipped cream, for serving
How To Make Martha Stewart Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Preheat and prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 275°F with the rack in the center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Melt the butter and chocolate: Put the butter and chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until completely melted. Let it cool slightly.
- Add the egg yolks: Whisk the egg yolks into the melted chocolate mixture.
- Whip the egg whites: In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and keep beating until glossy stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whites into the chocolate: Whisk about a quarter of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Then gently fold in the rest of the whites, being careful not to deflate them.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 275°F until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cool and serve: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve at room temperature with whipped cream.
Do Not Use Chocolate Chips
Martha is specific about this. Chocolate chips have stabilizers added so they hold their shape during baking. Those stabilizers change the texture of the cake and prevent the chocolate from melting smoothly into the butter.
Use a bar of good bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and chop it yourself. The cake only has four ingredients, so the chocolate flavor is everything. Cheap chocolate makes a cheap-tasting cake.
It Will Sink When It Cools And That Is Normal
This cake rises in the oven and then drops as it cools. That is supposed to happen. There is no flour or baking powder holding the structure up, so the whipped egg whites do all the work and they settle once the heat is gone.
The slight dip in the center is part of the look. Dust it with powdered sugar and nobody thinks twice about it. If you want to hide the sink completely, pile whipped cream in the center and add berries on top.
Is This Gluten-Free And Passover-Friendly?
Yes to both. No flour means no gluten, and Martha mentions Passover in the recipe intro. Just check your chocolate label to make sure it does not contain wheat, which some brands add as a filler.
For Passover, make sure the sugar is also kosher for Passover. Some confectioners’ sugar contains cornstarch, so use granulated sugar for dusting if that is a concern, or skip the dusting entirely.
How To Keep This Cake
Cover the cake and keep it at room temperature for up to two days. It actually tastes richer on day two because the chocolate flavor deepens as it sits. Refrigerating it makes the texture firmer, almost like a truffle.
If you serve it cold from the fridge, let it sit out for 20 minutes first so it softens. The chocolate truffle cake is similar in texture if you like the denser, cold version. The chocolate pound cake is a better choice if you want something sturdier.
FAQs
- Can I use half bittersweet and half semisweet? Yes. Mixing them gives you a balance between rich and sweet. Either one works on its own too.
- Do I need a springform pan? Martha recommends one because you cannot flip this cake. If you do not have one, butter and line a regular 9-inch pan well, let it cool completely, then run a thin knife around the edges before carefully lifting it out.
- Can I add espresso or coffee? A shot of espresso stirred into the melted chocolate before adding the yolks deepens the flavor. Martha has a separate flourless chocolate almond cake if you want a version with more ingredients.
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Nutrition Facts
(1 slice, serves 8)
- Calories: 380
- Total Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Cholesterol: 175mg
- Sodium: 85mg
- Total Carbohydrates: 38g
- Protein: 7g
Martha Stewart Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
Description
Martha Stewart’s flourless chocolate cake has four ingredients: butter, chocolate, eggs, and sugar. No flour, no baking powder, no vanilla. The eggs get separated and the whites are whipped until stiff, which is what makes this cake light instead of dense like most flourless recipes.
The whole thing bakes at 275°F for about 45 minutes in a springform pan and serves 8. It works for Passover, for anyone eating gluten-free, or for anyone who just wants a chocolate cake that tastes like pure chocolate with nothing getting in the way.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat and prep the pan: Preheat the oven to 275°F with the rack in the center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Melt the butter and chocolate: Put the butter and chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring each time, until completely melted. Let it cool slightly.
- Add the egg yolks: Whisk the egg yolks into the melted chocolate mixture.
- Whip the egg whites: In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and keep beating until glossy stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whites into the chocolate: Whisk about a quarter of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Then gently fold in the rest of the whites, being careful not to deflate them.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake at 275°F until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes.
- Cool and serve: Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. Remove the sides of the springform pan. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve at room temperature with whipped cream.
Notes
- Do not use chocolate chips: They have stabilizers that change the texture. Use a good bar of chocolate, chopped.
- Sinking is normal: The cake rises in the oven and drops as it cools. No flour means no structure to hold it up. Dust with powdered sugar to cover.
- Fold gently: The whipped egg whites are what makes this light. Stir too hard and the cake comes out flat and dense.