My easy flourless chocolate meringue cake is a rich light as air gluten free chocolate cake made with just 4 ingredients!
No kidding ~ just 4 ingredients in this gluten free chocolate meringue cake magically bake up into a melt in your mouth dessert. I love the dramatic presentation of a deep rich chocolate cake topped with a shower of powdered sugar, it’s a classic. But the real star here is the texture. I’m sitting here trying to describe it to you and my brain hurts, it’s beyond words. Basically if you’re a chocolate lover you can’t not love this cake. Not possible 🙂
Chocolate meringue cake is perfect for entertaining
- Make it ahead (it’s best served room temperature.)
- Chocolate is a universal favorite.
- The cake is both gluten free and nut free so the dessert is great for a wide variety of diets.
- The cake can be served super casual or fancy to suit your style.
ingredient notes
With only 4, each ingredient in this chocolate meringue cake matters!
chocolate | you want a bold assertive chocolate, I use dark or bittersweet chocolate (see my brand choices below.)
eggs | if chocolate is the star of this show, eggs are the leading ladies. The yolks are whisked into the batter and the whites are beaten to glossy peaks before being folded in as well. They form the delicate structure of the cake. Note: the price of eggs right now is unusually high ~ check here to find the best deals on eggs.
sugar | not too much, just enough to bring out the chocolate flavor.
butter | use salted butter because a little bit of salt balances bitterness, amplifies sweetness, and deepens cocoa flavors.
best chocolate for chocolate meringue cake?
A few of my faves…Guittard and Ghirardelli are American brands, Valrhona is French.
- Guittard Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars (70% Cacao)
- Ghirardelli Intense Dark 72% Cacao Chocolate Bar
- Valrhona Dark Chocolate
what to expect
Texture: this chocolate meringue cake is dense and moist, but light and fluffy. Impossible? Just try it. It has elements of a soufflé ~ the beaten egg whites create the dramatic rise and then fall as the cake cools creating the unique texture. The absence of nut flour means this gluten free cake has a particularly silky mouth feel.
Flavor: the flavor is pure chocolate, and will vary slightly depending on your choice. The recipe does not include any extra flavorings, but if you like you could add vanilla or almond extract. Even a touch of liqueur if you like.
Appearance: The cake will come out of the oven fully risen with a flat top, but very shortly, as it cools, it will start to collapse. No worries, that’s what it’s supposed to do. The charm of this cake is that crackly surface that gives tantalizing glimpses into the moist chocolate cake below.
serving suggestions
This chocolate meringue cake is pure drama with the deep rich cake topped with powdered sugar, so feel free to serve as is. Coffee or an after dinner cocktail is encouraged.
Whipped cream is always a good idea. If you’re serving adults you can add a splash of liqueur to the cold heavy cream before whipping.
Creme Anglaise which is an easy pourable custard sauce, would be wonderfully luxe.
I’d suggest a fabulous vanilla or coffee ice cream. Butter pecan would be good, too. Try my cardamom ice cream or my No Churn Bailey’s Ice Cream for a real special treat.
If it happens to be berry season, you know what to do!
Chocolate Meringue Cake
Equipment
- 9" spring form pan
Ingredients
- 6 Tbsp salted butter
- 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet bar chocolate, finely chopped, (do not use chocolate chips because they are formulated to hold their shape, not melt.)
- 6 large eggs, separated*
- ½ cup white sugar
garnish
- Confectioners' sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275F and butter and flour your spring form pan.
- Gently melt the butter and chopped chocolate together in a medium bowl. I do this in the microwave, starting with 30 seconds and adding another 15 seconds as needed, stirring in between to allow the heat of the bowl to fully melt everything. You can do this over a double boiler if you feel more comfortable that way. Set aside and let cool a bit.
- When your chocolate mixture has cooled off a bit, whisk in the egg yolks and set aside. Note: if you try to whisk your eggs into very hot chocolate they will start to cook, not what we want!
- Add your egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer. You can also use electric beaters if you prefer. Whip them to foamy soft peaks, and then gradually add the sugar, while whipping. Continue whipping until you get firm glossy peaks.
- Take about 1/4 of the egg whites and stir them into your chocolate mixture. Then transfer that into the bowl of egg whites. Carefully fold the two together until no streaks of egg whites remain. Do this gently so as not to deflate the whites.
- Turn the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing out the top with an offset spatula.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until risen and no longer wobbly in the center. The sides of the cake will just be beginning to pull away from the pan.
- Let cool for about 10-15 minutes, and then run a knife around the edges to loosen any stuck bits before removing the sides of your pan.
- When the cake has cooled, dust with powdered sugar before serving. Leftovers can be stored under a cake dome or loosely covered with foil at room temperature. It can also be refrigerated.
The best chocolate cake we have ever tried. The taste and the texture are out of this world
Yes Francoise!! I agree, I’ve never had anything quite like it 🙂
Made this recipe for a birthday for someone who can’t have gluten or dairy. Used vegan butter. Delicious! Everyone wanted the recipe.
Wow, great to know about the vegan butter, thanks!