This triple-layer flourless chocolate cake is filled with a smooth chocolate buttercream and topped with a homemade ganache, then finished with fresh strawberries and buttercream dollops. It is rich, deeply chocolatey, and and completely gluten-free. It is the kind of cake that works for birthdays, holidays, or any day that needs a serious chocolate fix.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
It is completely gluten-free, so it works for someone with a sensitivity and for anyone else who just wants a rich, fudgy cake.
It calls for real chocolate, not a box mix, so the flavor is deep and nothing like a grocery store cake.
The layers are thin and fudgy, almost brownie-like, with a creamy buttercream and a glossy ganache on top.
It looks fancy but the steps are simple, melt, stir, bake, and stack.
Ingredients in Flourless Chocolate Cake
Use a good semisweet chocolate here. The cake is almost entirely chocolate, so the flavor of the bar you choose comes through. Pick a semisweet around 62% cacao, and use an unsweetened natural cocoa powder for the deep color and the rich flavor.
- Semisweet 62% cacao dark chocolate baking bar - chopped into small pieces so that it melts quickly and evenly.
- Unsweetened 100% cacao natural cocoa powder - this cocoa powder gives this layer cake a beautiful dark color and a rich, luxurious flavor.
- Unsalted butter
- Light brown sugar - gives this cake volume, adds to the chocolate flavor, and keeps the cake soft.
- Salt
- Vanilla extract - enhances the overall flavor of the cake.
- Eggs - lightly beaten
- Semisweet 62% cacao dark chocolate baking chunks - used for the chocolate ganache, these create a silky smooth, flavorful topping.
- Heavy cream - the high milkfat content gives the ganache a thick, velvety texture.
- Confectioner's sugar
- Milk - thins the buttercream so it is spreadable and pipeable.
How to Make Gluten Free Chocolate Cake
The steps are easy and quick. You will need three 8-inch pans, generously greased and lined with parchment paper rounds. The batter is divided equally between the three pans and baked for roughly 18 to 20 minutes.
- Prepare the oven and pans. Preheat to 375°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and place parchment rounds in the bottom of each. Spray the parchment as well so the cake does not stick.
- Melt the chocolate and make the batter. Melt the butter over medium-low heat in a medium saucepan. Once melted, add the chopped 2 cups of semisweet chocolate baking bar. Reduce heat to low and stir until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Stir in the brown sugar and salt, then the vanilla until combined. Add the eggs a few at a time, stirring until smooth. Add the cocoa powder a little at a time, stirring each addition until just combined and not powdery.
- Divide the batter. Pour equally into the three prepared pans, about 1 ⅓ cup per pan.
- Bake for 19 to 21 minutes. The tops should have a thin crust. Check with a toothpick, it should have a few crumbs but no wet center.
- Cool the cakes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a butter knife, invert to remove from the pans, and cool completely before assembling.
- Make the ganache. Heat the heavy cream over medium-low until it lightly bubbles. Remove from heat and add the semisweet baking chunks. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until melted and smooth. Cool and thicken while you make the frosting.
- Make the chocolate buttercream. Melt the ¾ cup semisweet chocolate in a saucepan or microwave, then cool. Beat the softened butter until creamy.
- Stir in the cooled chocolate, then slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar until smooth. Add milk a little at a time until creamy but firm enough to frost. Discard any remaining milk.
- Assemble the layer cake. Place one layer on a cake plate and spread one-third of the frosting on top. Add the second layer, frost with another third, then the final layer, and frost with the remaining frosting. Chill in the refrigerator so the frosting hardens before the ganache.
- Pour the ganache. Pour the cooled, thickened ganache over the top. It should drip slowly, not run, to give the cake a clean glaze.
- Decorate. Garnish with any remaining buttercream and fresh strawberries or raspberries if you like.
- Store the frosted cake in the refrigerator and enjoy within three to four days.
Quick Tips
Use room temperature eggs. Cold eggs can seize the melted chocolate and make the batter grainy. Let them sit out while you prepare the pans.
Do not overbake. The tops get a thin crust but the centers should still be slightly soft. A toothpick should come out with a few crumbs, not clean and not wet.
Cool the layers completely before frosting. Warm cake will melt the buttercream and slide.
Let the ganache thicken. If it is too runny, it runs straight off the sides. Let it sit and cool until it drips slowly, not pourable.
Chill between steps. Refrigerate the frosted cake before adding the ganache so the layers hold still.
More Flourless Recipes
If you loved this flourless chocolate cake, try my Flourless Chocolate Cookies next, they have the same deep chocolate flavor without a trace of flour. For a quick gluten-free treat the kids go crazy for, Monster Cookies are always a hit.
📖 Recipe
Triple Layer Flourless Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Flourless Chocolate Cake Layers
- 2 cups Semisweet 62% cacao dark chocolate baking bar - chopped
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs slightly beaten
- 1 cup Unsweetened 100% cacao dark chocolate cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder - optional
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup butter - softened unsalted
- ¾ cup Semisweet 62% cacao dark chocolate baking bar
- 4 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup milk - add a little at a time
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup Semisweet 62% cacao dark chocolate baking chunks
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Flourless Chocolate Cake Layers
- Preheat the oven to 375° F
- Grease three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Place parchment paper rounds onto the bottom of each pan.
- Spray the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray as well to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Melt the butter over medium-low heat on the stove in a medium-size saucepan.
- Once the butter is melted, add the chopped dark chocolate baking bar into the melted butter.
- Reduce the heat to low and stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
- Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the light brown sugar and the salt.
- Stir in the vanilla extract until combined.
- Add the eggs in a few at a time and stir until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the Unsweetened 100% cacao dark chocolate cocoa powder a little at a time until the mixture is smooth. Stir each addition until just combined and not powdery.
- Pour the batter equally into the three 8-inch pans that are prepared with nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper rounds. Add a little at a time to make it easier to divide the batter equally. About 1 ⅓ cup of batter per pan.
- Bake the three 8-inch rounds for 19-21 minutes. The tops of the cake should have a thin crust on them. Check with a toothpick. It should have a few crumbs but not have a wet center.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. Use a butter knife to carefully loosen the edges of the pan before inverting the cake to remove it from the pans.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling and frosting.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Melt the ¾ cup of Semisweet 62% cacao dark chocolate baking bar in a small saucepan or in the microwave.
- Allow the chocolate to cool.
- Using a stand or hand mixer, beat the softened butter until creamy.
- Beat in the espresso powder if using, and stir in the cooled chocolate.
- Slowly beat in the confectioner's sugar until smooth.
- Add milk a little at a time until creamy but firm enough to frost. Discard remaining milk if it is not needed.
Assemble the Layer Cake
- Place one layer of the cake onto a cake plate and spread one-third of the frosting on top of the cake round.
- Place the second cake round on top of the frosting and frost the layer with one-third of the frosting.
- Place the remaining layer on top and frost with the remaining chocolate frosting.
- Place the cake in the refrigerator to allow the frosting to harden before pouring ganache on top.
- Make the Chocolate Ganache
- In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it lightly bubbles.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the dark chocolate baking chunks.
- Allow the chocolate to sit for 5 minutes before stirring until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Pour the cooled and thickened ganache on top of the cake.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate based on third-party calculations. Actual values may vary due to ingredients, measurements, and serving sizes.
© Mama Needs Cake
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Dana is an experienced recipe creator who crafts easy and delicious recipes for all levels of home cooks.
Her recipes range from classic comfort foods to healthy and nutritious meals, and she is always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to bring flavor and variety to the table.
This cake it perfection! I followed the directions and it came out so tasty and lovely. A hit at my party.
This flourless chocolate cake looks delicious I would love to check it out.
Beautiful cake. The texture is amazing and so chocolaty. Love that frosting too. Yum! I have to make this for my boys.
A great cake. Went down an absolute hit at my bf's 30th bday - my opus cake.
Some notes for an easier but super tasty version of this:
1. For Euros, I used a 1cup = 200g bar of chocolate conversion.
2. I made the same recipe and didn't have three cake tins (or time to only use two and wait for a third cake to cool) - came out absolutely fine. I feel a third tin might actually make the layers quite thin, as there's nothing in there to get it to rise.
3. I skipped the ganache - again not enough time to wait for this to cool.
4. My boyfriend is not a frosting man so for two layers, I halved the frosting recipe amounts, and there was enough there to ice the top of the bottom and the top of the second and the sides. I feel the amounts written in this recipe are for those with an extra sweet tooth and love frosting.
5. Add raspberries! Brings a delightful tart flavor that cuts through the wonderfully rich chocolate taste. I added these to the perimeter and center of the top of the cake, and it looked quite elegant!
Your cake sounds like it was gorgeous! Thank you for sharing your tips. 🙂