This Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake is utter decadence! Each forkful of cake melts on your tongue, tasting like you're biting into melted chocolate. A cross between a brownie and regular chocolate cake, this beauty is rich and delicious. Topped with a vegan ganache...you will never believe it is gluten free, nut free, eggless and dairy free!
Decadent, luscious and rich are just a few words to describe this Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake! The entire cake mixes up with a whisk in 15 minutes. With only 40 minutes of baking time, you'll have an incredible allergy friendly dessert in under an hour!
For more decadent chocolate recipes, try my Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes, my Brooklyn Blackout Cake, my Cocoa Dusted Truffles or my Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes!
Reasons to Love this Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Allergy Friendly- This cake is gluten free, nut free, egg free and dairy free (vegan)!
- Rich & Decadent- The cake is super fudgey, decadent and delicious.
- Vegan Ganache- It's topped with a luscious vegan chocolate ganache!
- Easy to Make- The batter mixes up in just one large bowl with a whisk!
- Zero Flour- This recipe is naturally gluten free as it uses zero flour of any kind!
- Completely Vegan- Because we use vegan chocolate and vegan baking sticks, this recipe is all vegan!
Ingredient Notes
- Cocoa Powders- I like to use two types but if you only want to use one, use Dutch or Natural Unsweetened.
- Vegetable Oil- The cake uses oil and vegan baking sticks to help it stay moist.
- Cornstarch Water- This is essential and binds everything together since the cake is eggless.
- Vanilla- I use pure vanilla extract otherwise the cake can have a chemical flavor.
- Mini Chocolate Chips- To keep vegan, make sure to use gluten free/vegan chocolate chips. I love these allergy friendly chocolate chips.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Substitutions and Variations
How to Make this with Dairy
- Use Real Butter- Swap out the vegan butter in the batter and in the ganache for real butter.
- Use Baking Chocolate instead of Vegan Chocolate Chips- This is essential. Most dairy chocolate chips contain stabilizers like soy lecithin. If used with the cornstarch water...the entire cake will bubble, boil and never set when baking. You must use baking chocolate to prevent that from happening.
How to Make this Flourless Cake with Eggs
- Replace the cornstarch water mixture with 4 eggs.
How to Make this like a Skillet Brownie
- This has a similar texture to a brownie. If you desire you can make it like a brownie skillet. Bake it in a ceramic 8 inch dish with no parchment paper. Still grease the dish. Serve it with ice cream on top and eat with spoons.
This recipe has not been tested with these substitutions and/or variations due to celiac disease and food allergies. If you change any of the ingredients, please let us know how the recipe turned out in the comments below!
How to Make Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
Here are the step by step instructions to make this cake!
Make the Cake
Step 1: Melt the Chocolate and Vegan Butter
Place the vegan chocolate chips and 4 tablespoons vegan baking sticks in a heat safe bowl.
Heat them in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring after each time until the chocolate chips and vegan baking stick are fully melted and incorporated.
Step 2: Whisk in the Granulated Sugar and Vegetable Oil
Using a whisk, into the melted chocolate and vegan butter, mix in the granulated sugar and vegetable oil until all combined.
Step 3: Make the Cornstarch Water
In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
Step 4: Mix in the Cornstarch Water, Vanilla and Salt
Using a whisk, mix in the cornstarch water. It may appear chunky at first but keep whisking until everything is combined and smooth.
Then whisk in the vanilla and salt until combined.
Step 5: Add in the Cocoa Powder
Add in the cocoa powder and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.
Step 6: Line the Cake Pan
Grease an 8 inch cake pan with vegetable oil. Cut two strips of parchment paper about 3 inches wide and about 10 inches long so there is an over hang on each side. Place those in the cake pan and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper also. On top of the strips. This is so you can lift the cake out easily.
Step 7: Bake and Cool
Using a spatula, scoop the batter in a greased and parchment lined 8 inch cake pan; smooth the top with a butter knife.
Bake the cake in the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes until slightly crunchy when carefully touched.
Let the cake cool completely in the cake pan. If you try to take it out when it is even a tiny bit warm, the entire thing may fall apart. Cakes with no eggs are very delicate. The cake may appeared puffed up and then sink as it cools. That's normal.
When the cake has cooled, carefully lift the cake out of the pan. If it seems to be sticking, use a butter knife or a spatula to loosen the edges.
Set the cake on a cake cooling rack with wax paper underneath. Leave the parchment paper tabs because you'll need to lift the cake onto a cake plate later.
Assembling the Cake
Step 1: Make the Vegan Ganache
Make the ganache. Place the ¾ cup of vegan chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons of vegan baking sticks in a heat safe bowl.
Heat them in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring after each time until the chocolate chips and vegan baking stick are fully melted and incorporated.
Step 2: Pour on the Ganache
Spoon the vegan ganache onto the top of the cake. Push the ganache around to the edges of the cake using an icing spatula. You want it to drip down the sides.
Carefully move the cake to a plate or cake stand using the parchment tabs.
Step 3: Top with Fresh Fruit
Once on the plate, remove the parchment paper. Top with fresh strawberries, raspberries, vegan whipped cream or powdered sugar and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Use 2 Types of Cocoa Powder- The 2 types of cocoa powders give the cake its dark hue. If you only have one type on hand, use natural unsweetened or dutch...just know its color will not be as dark as mine. Do not use dark alone; it will make your cake too dry and bitter.
- Melt the Vegan Chocolate and Vegan Butter Slowly- If you rush this process and try to even heat the chocolate in 20 second increments (instead of 15 second increments), you can overheat the chocolate. If that happens it will seize up and basically not be usable.
- Use Parchment Paper- I explain how to make tabs with the parchment paper. Flourless cakes are very crumbly and this helps prevent the cake from getting stuck in the pan.
- Smooth the Batter- Many flourless batters have a way of staying exactly as they are placed, when baked. When the batter is in the cake pan, gently smooth the top with a butter knife prior to baking.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! If making it ahead of time, store the cake in the cake pan with foil on top, without the ganache...at room temperature. Make the ganache and decorate the cake the same day.
This recipe is for an 8 inch cake pan.
Ideally you should be able to replace the cornstarch with the same amount of arrowroot starch but I have not tested this.
No! The cake also tastes wonderful without it! You can still top with with powdered sugar and fresh fruit if desired.
Keep the cake under a cake dome at room temperature for up to 2 days, without the fruit or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days without the fresh fruit.
When ready to eat, warm each slice in the microwave for a few seconds if you want the gauche liquidy. Be careful not to burn yourself on the hot chocolate topping. Re-top with fresh strawberries and enjoy.
Other Chocolate Recipes You'll Love
Did you try this recipe? Please leave me a ⭐ review below!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 8 ounces vegan/gluten free chocolate chips (if not using vegan chips, you must use baking chocolate)
- 4 tablespoons vegan baking stick
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 heaping tablespoons cornstarch mixed with ¾ cup room temperature water
- ½ cup cocoa powder (I use ¼ cup dutch or natural unsweetened and ¼ cup dark)
For the Vegan Ganache
- ¾ cup vegan/gluten free chocolate chips
- 6 tablespoons vegan backing stick
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease an 8 inch cake pan with vegetable oil. Cut two strips of parchment paper about 3 inches wide and about 10 inches long so there is an over hang on each side. Place those strips in the cake pan so they form a plus sign. Then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper also...on top of the strips. This is so you can lift the cake out easily.
- Place the vegan chocolate chips and 4 tablespoons vegan baking sticks in a heat safe bowl.
- Heat them in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring after each time until the chocolate chips and vegan baking stick are fully melted and incorporated.
- Using a whisk, into the melted chocolate and vegan butter, mix in the granulated sugar and vegetable oil until all combined.
- In a medium bowl, using a spoon, mix together the cornstarch and water until thin and watery. It will be thick and tacky at first.
- Using a whisk, mix in the cornstarch water. It may appear chunky at first but keep whisking until everything is combined and smooth. Then whisk in the vanilla and salt until combined.
- Add in the cocoa powder and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Using a spatula, scoop the batter in a greased and parchment lined 8 inch cake pan; smooth the top with a butter knife.
- Bake the cake in the center rack at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes until slightly crunchy when carefully touched.
- Let the cake cool completely in the cake pan. If you try to take it out when it is even a tiny bit warm, the entire thing may fall apart. Cakes with no eggs are very delicate. The cake may appeared puffed up and then sink as it cools. That's normal.
- When the cake has cooled, carefully lift the cake out of the pan. If it seems to be sticking, use a butter knife or a spatula to loosen the edges. Set the cake on a cake cooling rack with wax paper underneath. Leave the parchment paper tabs because you'll need to lift the cake onto a cake plate later.
Assemble the Cake
- Make the ganache. Place the ¾ cup of vegan chocolate chips and 6 tablespoons of vegan baking sticks in a heat safe bowl.Heat them in the microwave in 10-15 second increments, stirring after each time until the chocolate chips and vegan baking stick are fully melted and incorporated.
- Spoon the vegan ganache onto the top of the cake. Push the ganache around to the edges of the cake using an icing spatula. You want it to drip down the sides.
- Carefully move the cake to a plate or cake stand using the parchment tabs. Once on the plate, remove the parchment paper. Top with fresh strawberries, raspberries, vegan whipped cream or powdered sugar and enjoy!
terry
I made this over the weekend. Soooo easy! I am not a baker. And it's Wednesday and is still good. I have it in an air tight Tupperware cake container. Put a dab of dairy free whipped cream! Oh heaven.
Erin
Can I use non-vegan butter instead of a vegan baking stick? If so, would you recommend salted or unsalted? Thanks!
Lee
Hi Erin! Yes! If you check out the substitutions in the blog post I do mention you can feel free to use regular butter and chocolate chips with dairy if desired! And yes...still use unsalted butter. Hope this helps!
Hannah
A HIT! This cake was an amazing birthday surprise for a gluten-free vegan. So rich and decadent, it paired exquisitely with berries and cream. It kept very nicely for a few days after it was made. I added espresso powder to the cornstarch water to accentuate the cocoa flavor. All of the tips were very helpful, and it was really fun to make. I can't wait to bake it again and again until I impress everyone I know with this deliciousness!
Lee
Thanks so much!!! Glad it was a hit and love the addition of espresso powder!!!
John
What a great cake! Perfect in every way!
Lee
Thank you!