A rich complex bittersweet chocolate cake which is simple to make and always loved by all.
I was looking for a recipe similar to a flourless chocolate cake I had years ago at the old Berghoff restaurant in Chicago. I've found it! This is rich, dense and fudgy. It has a nice, dark flavor. I have never cared for dark chocolate, but I loved this cake. I agree with previous reviewers; be careful not to overbake! I used a 9" springform pan and set my timer for 35 minutes. After I first checked it, the toothpick was very wet. I checked it again every minute or two. It only took five more minutes for the toothpick to emerge dry! I garnished the cake with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a few strawberry fans. I served it with whipped cream (non-dairy whipped topping just wouldn't cut it!) and vanilla bean ice cream. I also made the caramel sauce. It wasn't bad, but it was rather thin. I wasn't crazy about the taste, but then again, caramel is my favorite thing in the world and I am very particular about it! I do agree that it may have tasted a little better without the lemon juice. All that being said, though, I feel that ANY kind of caramel sauce was unnecessary. In my opinion, the sweetness of the caramel sauce competed too much with the rich cake. Whipped cream and/or a raspberry puree would be more complimentary. Great recipe!
Read MoreMy husband and I were very disappointed with this recipe. It was very bitter and heavy. The caramel sauce wasn't that wonderful either. There are definitely much better chocolate cake recipes out there!
Read More I was looking for a recipe similar to a flourless chocolate cake I had years ago at the old Berghoff restaurant in Chicago. I've found it! This is rich, dense and fudgy. It has a nice, dark flavor. I have never cared for dark chocolate, but I loved this cake. I agree with previous reviewers; be careful not to overbake! I used a 9" springform pan and set my timer for 35 minutes. After I first checked it, the toothpick was very wet. I checked it again every minute or two. It only took five more minutes for the toothpick to emerge dry! I garnished the cake with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a few strawberry fans. I served it with whipped cream (non-dairy whipped topping just wouldn't cut it!) and vanilla bean ice cream. I also made the caramel sauce. It wasn't bad, but it was rather thin. I wasn't crazy about the taste, but then again, caramel is my favorite thing in the world and I am very particular about it! I do agree that it may have tasted a little better without the lemon juice. All that being said, though, I feel that ANY kind of caramel sauce was unnecessary. In my opinion, the sweetness of the caramel sauce competed too much with the rich cake. Whipped cream and/or a raspberry puree would be more complimentary. Great recipe!
This was selected as a gluten free recipe for an office potluck -- I followed the recipe exactly for the cake using nestles semi sweet baking chocolate, unsalted butter, medium eggs (not extra large) and plain old sugar in a regular old cake pan with parchment on the bottom. The top rose and cracked, looked like a brownie. The edge was a little crumbly but no problem getting it out of the pan, a little low in the middle. I used dark chocolate truffles that were too soft at room temperature to serve and melted them with a few milk chocolate dove candies to harden them a little. A very dark chocolate drizzle to decorate it. Rave reviews, no leftovers. Very rich, very dense, very satisfying for the chocoholics -- it will reappear at the office christmas party -- maybe with some peppermint or coffee added ... Yum!
This is a wonderful recipe. The only changes I made were to put it in a 9" springform pan because that is what I had and to bake it 40 minutes instead of 45 minutes but that could just be my oven. It is very moist and rich tasting and doesn't even need the sauce or whipped cream if you choose not to use it. If you find that it is in any way dry, then you are either overbeating the mixture or baking it too long. I believe that using a whisk to incorporate the ingredients makes for less chance of overbeating the cake.
Dense and rich and SUPER chocolaty -- this is enjoyed by everyone, not just those who are wheat-sensitive. The key to a rich caramel sauce is to let the syrup cook until it is DEEP AMBER and not a moment before.
EXCELLENT! I did NOT make the carmel sauce. Instead I topped it with a crushed strawberry/Grand Marnier suace and fresh whipped cream. I chose this recipe because my friend has Celiac's and therefor can't have gluten. I made this for a dinner party at her house and everyone LOVED it! One note, I did whip the eggs prior to mixing them in with the other ingredients. I will certainly make this again!!
I made this for a friend on a gluten-free diet, and she described it as "super heavenly." I followed this recipe exactly, but all I had was a 9" springform pan and it came out alright. As someone else mentioned, the top does get a little crusty like a brownie, but the texture is more like a rich brownie torte. No one can tell it's gluten free!
This was pretty good - my gluten-sensitive family members were so happy to have a tasty gluten-free dessert! I strongly recommend a sizeable scoop of vanilla ice cream with your very small slice of this extremely rich dessert. I made this recipe exactly as directed (minus the caramel sauce), and I found it very easy, but would recommend using a spring form pan.
Chocolate heaven! Texture is somewhere between a brownie and fudge. Very dense and rich, but oh so good. I did not make the caramel sauce, but I think the cake is fine by itself, or even with a dollop of whipped cream.
Amazing! I decorated this with powdered sugar sprinkled through a stencil - it looked really pretty and thrilled my chocolate (not caramel) loving husband :) And our gluten-intolerant friend pretty much salivated over it (it's been a while since he's had good gf desserts). I will make this a dessert staple in our home.
This was wonderful! I think I cooked the cake too long as it was a little brownie-ish, but it still tasted delicious. I made the caramel sauce exactly as directed and it turned out wonderful! I'll never buy caramel sauce again, I was so pleased with it.:)
I made this cake for my mom's birthday party and it was an extremely easy and delicious recipe! It was very rich and if you are a chocolate lover you will LOVE this cake! I also, used the Choc. Genache recipe from this site instead of the caramel sauce,to go with it which was also very easy! I used raspberries for decor on top along with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar and the only request I rec'd was "are there anymore raspberries and do you have any milk?" It got rave reviews from everyone, even my 5 yr old nephew who is very picky (he asked for more berries). If you are a dark chocolate lover like I am, use 70% cocoa chips if you can find them ( I bought mine at Whole Foods grocery store). The cake is very rich, so thin slices are perfect and you can serve more guests, if they don't fight over the last slice, like mine did. I suggest serving it with fresh berries, a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or possibly some red wine would be a great companion to cut the richness, other wise follow the recipe exactly. You wont be disappointed. I gave this 5 stars (even though I didn't make the sauce) because it was sooo easy to put together and it tasted so decadent. Enjoy!
I make this in a spring form pan, rather than trying to invert it on a plate, but it's a great recipe, very rich. One cake can serve a lot of people! It is perfect with raspberries and whipped cream. I love the caramel sauce, but I have to agree that it's not really the right accompaniment for this cake. I prefer to use the sauce on ice cream.:-)
Fantastic! This was a last minute request on Christmas eve, of course I needed to substitute a bag of semi-sweet chocolate morsels for the chocolate called for. Otherwise, I followed the recipe. Did not make the caramel sauce topping. Just enjoyed it plain. Everyone was complimentary and said they thought I had purchased it at an upscale bakery. Very easy to make!
I served this cake with strawberry sauce instead of the caramel (blended frozen strawberries with a splash of orange liqueur). Was a huge hit with everyone- got many 'MMMMMmmmm's with eyes closed :) I think the strawberry sauce lightened it up just a tad. The cake is definitely rich and super chocolatey, just as it's supposed to be. A 'must make again' keeper!
The name says warm... but I actually enjoyed the smoother texture of this delicious cake after it spent a night in the refrigerator. It baked up nicely in a teflon loaf pan with a center filling of cream cheese beaten with sugar and an egg. Very nice!
GREAT RECIPE!!! We made it 5 times in 1 month. It is so good!!!!!! We did the caramel sauce and it was great,but we also put vanilla butter cream frosting on it and it was even better! GREAT RECIPE!!!!!!!!!!
Very rich! Went down a treat with my wheat intollerant and wheat loving friends alike. You don't need a big slice though!
Holy-Mary-Mother-of-God, this is good. Do yourself a favor and use high quality chocolate. I'm willing to bet that was the problem with those 2 bad reviews.
This was surprisingly good. It cooked in my oven in 30 minutes (I'm glad I checked on it). We served it with homemade whipped cream & red wine and it was fabulous. Will absolutely make this again.
The cake was phenominal. I used some of the suggestions like cooking less time (37 min) and used a different sauce. It was a hit for my in laws anniversary!
This is a good recipe if you like dark chocolate. I didn't pay attention to the description. This is a BITTER SWEET cake not sweet. Besides the fact that it was bitter (a little bit) it was okay. If you don't like the bitterness, that I suggest to hose it down with vanilla ice-cream. If you are a mad scientist, try making it with way less cocao because you don't need cocoa AND chocolate chips. Somebody please respond if you experimented with the WAY LESS COCOA. Thanks! :)
My husband and I were very disappointed with this recipe. It was very bitter and heavy. The caramel sauce wasn't that wonderful either. There are definitely much better chocolate cake recipes out there!
I have made this many times because we eat mostly wheat-free, and I am a choco-holic! It is SO RICH.
Cake was very dense. Amazing chocolate flavor. I personally preferred the cake with cool whip instead of caramel sauce, but I didn't like how my sauce turned out. My family loved it. Everyone said it was really good. Very sweet. I think ice cream or whipped cream would be a better topping if you didn't want the extreme sugary taste with the caramel. Overall: its amazing.
I baked this cake for less than 35 minutes and it came out a little dry and crumbly, but it still tasted wonderful. It's also good with strawberries as a garnish.
My mother can't have gluten so I made this for her birthday. It was not as hard as I thought it would be-I baked it in a regular cake pan and it worked great! I have made it several times since and there have never been leftovers!
The chocolate cake was amazing. My mother cannot have gluten and I made this for her for Mothers Day. However, the carmel sauce did not work at all. I tried it a few different times thinking maybe it was over/under cooked, but it's just not that good. I recommend a better carmel for the cake, but the cake recipe is a keeper for sure!
Not very impressed :(.....it wasn't sweet enough, it had a very bitter taste....will not make it again
Easy and absolutely great. Used semi-sweet chocolate chips as that is what I had on hand.
Yummy and very easy! I accidentally used semi-sweet chocolate chips and they worked great!
Very easy and very yummy! No problems with overbaking when I followed the recipe and the cake had a great dark chocolate flavor and good texture. I made the caramel sauce, but maybe should have cooked the sugar a little longer. The consistency of the sauce is thinner than I would like, but the flavor is good. Some vanilla ice cream finishes this off nicely. A keeper.
As long as you dont over cook the cake, like i did, this is AMAZING!!! Reheats very well too!
I made this without the caramel sauce, and it was perfect! Super easy to make and definitely one i will make again!
I followed this recipe to the letter, and it was absolutely fabulous. Having made this recipe twice, I would suggest the following: first, the cake seems better when served warm than room temperature although the cake is great regardless of the temp at which it is served; secondly, watch the caramel sauce carefully - the first time I made it, I didn't watch it closely enough, and it scorched a bit but was still salvageable. The second time I made the cake/sauce, I never strayed far from the pan, and the results were incredible. This cake is also delicious served with vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt along with the caramel sauce.
This is the best recipe for flourless chocolate cake. It is super easy to prepare and always comes out great. Sometimes I serve with only whip cream, not caramel.
What a great recipe! I never had flourless cake until I tired it at a restaurant and this recipe taste just like that. Thank you for sharing!
I was traveling with this recipe so I couldn't have it warm and there were not facilities to make the caramel sauce so I cannot speak to that aspect. Given these challenges I wanted the cake to have a little something special so I substituted 1/4 cup of Mint Chocolate Baileys for 1/4 cup of the butter. This change imparted a nice flavor of the minty Baileys without being overpowering and maintained the texture and integrity of the recipe. I will make this again
Perfectly chocolate without being overly sweet. The caramel sauce really sets off the dense chocolate.
This cake was FANTASTIC! It was extremely easy and turned out just as I had hoped. I couldn't find my springform pan, so I used a regular cake pan sprayed with cooking spray. I didn't bother with the homemade caramel sauce, I just used the store bought stuff. I served this for a dinner party with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce and it was a HUGE hit. THANKS!
This was rich and fantastic! My mother in law loved it as she was on a gluten free diet for a while. She enjoyed this so much! I made a chocolate ganache to pour over the top! It was heaven!
ok, this may actually be a 4 or 5 star recipe, but this is my review for the first time making it. After looking back at some of the reviews, I think I over beat the eggs into the cocoa/sugar mixture as the cake turned out granular and dry. The sauce was not really carmel-y, but i may not have waited for it to be a dark enough amber. I will try this recipe again and omit the sauce as I think it's better with ice cream anyway. The flavor if not the texture was superb however, which is why I am going to try again. Thanks for the recipe!
My picky little brother loved it. My hubby loved it, and called it chocolate pudding cake. I LOVED it. I didn't even use the caramel sauce (for some reason my family isn't big on caramel). It would probably taste great with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. For a non-frosted cake, I wouldn't want my chocolate cake any other way.
Made this for a book club. One of the members is allergic to wheat. I didn't make the Carmel Sauce, but served it with fresh raspberries. Everyone loved it!
My father-in-law and a friend both have celiac disease (cannot have gluten) so desserts are always a challenge. I made this cake for their birthdays and everyone, including all the guests, loved it. It is strictly for chocolate-lovers as it is very rich and very chocolatey. But, also very elegant served with raspberries or strawberries.
This cake turned out better than expected. Everyone loved it, the caramel was simple to make and delicious.
I made this cake for a pot-luck dinner at friends and it was an absolute hit! People who didn't normally eat dessert had seconds. I made the recipe as given, made a raspberry coulis and served it with whipped cream, some fresh raspberries and raspberry coulis drizzled over. It looked wonderful and tasted better. Great for a recently-diagnosed celiac like me to find a fantastic dessert that everyone loves!
very creamy and dense, this chocolate cake is a dish best served cold, at room temperature. and without that disgusting sirrup. I withheld a star for the "caramel sauce".
This cake was to die for! I didn't really care for the caramel sauce (I think it was the lemon juice) but the cake was so awesome it didn't need sauce.
It was delicious and turned out wonderful. My daughter requested it for her birthday and she loved it. I did not make the Carmel sauce but sprinkled powdered sugar on it.
So yummy! Be careful to not overcook this! I would start checking it after 30-35 minutes. 45 minutes was just a tad too long in our oven. The edges are drier (more like brownies) than I would like, but the center was moist and rich. And I would second using less cocoa powder. We used 3/4 c and it was still too rich!
Awesome! I used hot fudge instead of caramel sauce - just because I did not have all the ingredients & I love chocolate. It was awesome. Cake was perfect.
Really good. I made this for a dinner party and followed the instructions fairly closely, except I used 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate and 4 oz. semi-sweet. Also - for the topping/glaze I decided to make a simple ganache with heavy cream and melted chocolate. This is very, very rich - I think it needs some vanilla ice cream as an accompaniment (or a glass of milk!) to balance the richness. Will definitely make this again. Thank you!
I'm rating this based on the caramel, didn't get a chance to make the cake! This caramel was great, it has a runny sort of consistency (like a pouring caramel). I didn't have lemon juice to spare so left it out. My first batch, well I over cooked it just slightly & it ruined the flavor. I made a second batch & took the pan off the heat when it was a caramel color.......make sure you add the cream right away & whisk fast to get any lumps out. Very good, thanks so much!
I tried to make this into a cupcake... It collapsed in the center. Suggestions? However, the taste was great, it crusted on top and was squishy in the center like a brownie!
I make this dessert for my restaurant and it is always a huge hit! The caramel sauce is amazing and can be used on a variety of other desserts as well.
Perfect. Home and work all enjoyed this cake! And the caramel sauce really does turn out, even though it didn't seem like it would at first. Trust the recipe.
This recipe just won me the trophy for my family's annual Christmas Cookoff. I made it exactly as directed except my caramel sauce was made with melted candies mixed with cream. Thanks for the excellent recipe!
It was DRY. I cooked it in the 9" springform for 40 minutes. If I do it again (the flavour was nice) I would start checking at 30 minutes. Considering that half a pound of butter and chocolate were in this recipe, it is an expensive recipe (calorie and cost wise) for it to turn out dry. It definitely needed ice cream and NOT caramel sauce.
I made this exactly as the recipe is written. It was very moist and dense and wonderful! LOVED the caramel sauce and may just make that by itself for ice cream too. Yum!
I was in a hurry to get a gluten-free treat to a work event. This recipe belongs in everyone's arsenal. I skipped the caramel sauce due to time and travel constraints. It was a huge hit anyway! Love this and can't wait to make it again.
I'm wondering if the toothpick/knife method to test doneness might not be right for this cake? Neither a toothpick or knife EVER did come out clean, and I ended up baking too long and burned the darn thing. Even so, with the burnt parts trimmed off and a chocolate ganache frosting, this was a VERY well received cake! Still moist, dense, and deeply chocolatey. (PS I had hot cocoa mix on hand-- not unsweetened cocoa-- so I increased the cocoa and decreased the sugar, each by 1/4 cup. It turned out great!)
I tried this recipe because I was have a mixed group of guests some with gluten issues. ALL of my guests enjoyed the chewy, yummy decadent desert. My GF guests wanted the recipe. So I count this a great hit.
If you love a rich, chocolate cake this is recipe for you. I used 62% Cacao chocolate by Nestle (labeled as "bittersweet") and this had the perfect flavor. Not bitter, not overly sweet. I did make the caramel sauce, but didn't really find that it tasted much like the caramel flavor I'm used to. It was VERY sweet, so use sparingly if you do make it. I did drizzle a small amount on the cake which I served with vanilla ice cream.
I made this cake for my best friend who is allergic to wheat/gluten at an RV park, using ingredients found at a dollar store. They didn't have butter, so used margerine sticks and I didn't have a pan, so bought chocolate fudge frosting. Baked in a common kitchen. For something just thrown together it turned out great! My friend was not the only 1 to indulge. With all the desrts there, this 1 went super fast, even over regular cakes! I would advise diabetics to go carefully with this recipe though! I can't wait to make it with the caramel sauce.
Awesome!!!! My family and friends, including me myself, are totally speechless. My daughter loves it! Thank you for posting this recipe! I'm looking forward to another great recipes!
I made this according to the recipe but skipped the caramel sauce and served it warm with vanilla ice cream. We thought it was average. I'd stick to brownies or chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. For someone intolerant to wheat, this might be a real treat, though.
For the seconds it took to prepare, this was fantastic! Light, fluffy and VERY bittersweet-chocolately. I cut the recipe in half and still ended up with 11 cupcakes. Used my own caramel sauce (similar but without lemon). Mmmmm. Will use this again when I have a deep chocolate craving. Thank you!!
Amazing, moist, rich cake! I didn't make the caramel sauce because I thought it would be a bit much. Also, I only baked it for 35 min, but my oven runs a bit hot so that might be why. This is great by itself but would probably also be good with a raspberry sauce.
The cake recipe is fabulous!!! I couldn't stop eating it. Very rich and chocolatey! I didn't make the caramel sauce so I can't rate it.
One of the best desserts I've ever made. I've been spending money on a dessert at a high end grocery store called "death by chocolate", and this recipe tasted almost identical. I usually make cheesecakes but wanted to try something different and this was a BIG hit. I also made a raspberry sauce to go with it and it was divine. Will definitely be making it again.
I made this and it was ok, but as other commenters mentioned, it was a bit bitter. The second time around, I changed the recipe by adding powered instant coffee to intensify the chocolate flavor, and added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. I also used Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bar and the flavor profile was much nicer without a harsh bitter bite. I also cooked in a water bath and the texture improved. It was more evenly cooked throughout.
I'm sorry to be the hold-out here, but I made this exactly as directed (sans caramel sauce) and we found its' taste and texture to be very unpleasant. I am rarely disappointed with a chocolate dessert, but this one had a grainy, artificial taste. Prior to this cake, I didn't think a dessert could be too rich, but this was a strange combination of excessive richness and unpleasant bitterness. After three of us tried it with strawberries and cream instead of caramel sauce, we threw the remainder away.
Decadent...However my first batch burned so I lowered the temp to 325 and only baked it for 35 minutes. The caramel sauce is the finishing touch. Garnish with a spoonful of cool whip and a slice of strawberry.
I made this tonight and followed the instructions exactly. It came out perfectly and was a HUGE hit. Thanks so much for a great (and very clear) recipe!
I think if anyone DOESN't think this recipe is not sweet enough, then i think they need to chew on some sugar!!!!!!!!!! Or they have a problem with their taste buds!!!
I made this for gluten sensetive guests and they liked it but top it with a lot of fruits to give the bite some texture
First: I did not make the caramel sauce at all, so this is strictly about the cake, which ended up being one of the best I've ever had. Following the advice of some other reviewers, I used a 9" springform pan instead of 10", and did not bake it as long as noted. I baked it for 30 minutes, checked it, and put it back in for another 5. By that time the toothpick came out clean, but the absolute middle was still a little gooey. PERFECT. I didn't have parchment paper, so I lined the pan with nonstick aluminum foil. Other than that, I followed the directions as precisely as I could, and used high quality Guittard chocolate and cocoa. Next time I will use a little powdered espresso as an experiment. The cake was amazing, and did not need the sauce at all in my opinion. Instead, I served it with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries. YUM.
This was sooo good! Restaurant quality. I didn't make the sauce. I served it warm with a sprinkle of icing sugar and vanilla icecream. Cooked for 35 minutes approximately in a fan assisted oven.
Soooo yummy!!!! Took my craving for chocolate away at first bite. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
I have not made this cake, but I have made the caramel sauce many, many times. I just wanted to rate the sauce, it is very versatile and easy to whip up last minute!
This was delicious!! I used a bag of peanut butter/chocolate chips in place of the chocolate as called for, it turned out perfect!!! I did not make the Carmel sauce, I made a raspberry sauce and served it with some French Vanilla ice cream. Yummy
You too can be a cake rockstar. I pulled it out of the oven while the Center was very jiggly. After it cooled it was the perfect gooey center. Served vanilla with ice cream or plain yogurt. Yum!!!!
I was having a gluten free friend coming over so I wanted to be certain that I was serving something delicious and safe for her. Bingo!! This was perfect. I took the suggestion from another reviewer and reduced the butter to 1 1/2 sticks. I added some instant hazelnut coffee to the mix to bring out the flavor of the chocolate. I cooked it for 40 minutes in a 10" springform pan with parchment paper at the bottom then when ready to serve, I sprinkled confectionaries' sugar on top. Served it with fresh berries. It was an absolute hit with everyone! Richly chocolatey, smooth and incredible. I liked it better than most regular flour based cakes. So simple also!
I loved how thick this cake cake out - soo good!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
My sister can't have gluten so I surprised her with this as a special Christmas treat. She loved it. It reminds me of brownies. Very rich and chocolately. The caramel sauce is a nice touch. I will take others' suggestions and try whipped topping or ice cream next time to see what we like best. For the fun of it I thought about substituting some white choc. chips in place of the 8 oz. of chocolate to see how that tastes.
My family loved it. Didn’t make the caramel, doesn’t need it! Very easy. Doesn’t need to cook 40 min in my oven.
Wonderful made exactly according to the recipe. I did not make the caramel. We had vanilla ice cream and strawberries with it instead.
Easy to make. Didn't make the Carmel topping. I am freezing some of it and hoping it will come back as good as it went in!
I made this last night and everyone loved it! I didn't cook the caramel sauce long enough but I really don't think it was necessary since the cake was so sweet and good. Unfortunately this cake got left out on the counter overnight. Does anyone know if it is still ok to eat?
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/77782/warm-flourless-chocolate-cake-with-caramel-sauce/ ... "A sunggly blanket of warm chocolate ... " - AR
