Mini Flourless Chocolate Cakes

5 from 31 votes

Mini Flourless Chocolate Cakes

These fudgy Mini Flourless Chocolate Cakes are perfect for Valentine’s Day or any special occasion. This recipe makes four individual cakes that are rich, decadent, and gooey. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream on top.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Total Time35

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 559kcal

Author: Brianna May

Equipment

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons (85 g) butter
6 ounces high quality semi sweet chocolate*
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso*
¼ cup (22g) dutch processed unsweetened cocoa powder
⅛ teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small pan, melt the butter and chocolate over low heat, stirring continuously. Remove for heat immediately and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the sugar and eggs until frothy.
Whisk in the vanilla and espresso until combined.
Slowly pour the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture, whisking continuously until combined.
Fold in the cocoa powder and salt.
Grease 4 (7 ounce) ramekins with cooking spray. Divide the batter evenly into the ramekins. place on a rimmed baking sheet.
Carefully pour warm water into the baking sheet until it is almost full.
Bake for 27-31 minutes until the top is cracked, but the middle is still slightly wet. When a toothpick is inserted in the center, it should still have some crumbs and thickened batter on it. Immediately remove ramekins from the water bath. Serve warm.

Notes

Chocolate: I recommend high quality chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars, like Guittard. For a sweet cake, use milk chocolate. For a deeper flavor, use bittersweet chocolate. Semi sweet is the perfect in between for me.
Instant Espresso: This does not give the cake a distinct coffee flavor, it just enhances the flavor and richness of the chocolate. It can be omitted, but I highly recommend using it.
Use high quality chocolate. Since this is the primary ingredient, the chocolate flavor is extremely important. My favorite brand of chocolate is Guittard.
Cool the chocolate. Be sure the chocolate has cooled before adding it to eggs so they do not scramble. Whisking continuously and adding it slow will also help the eggs not to scramble. THis is also why I recommend melting the chocolate over low heat so it does not overheat.
Bake in a water bath. The steam in the oven helps add moisture to the cakes. It also helps them bake more evenly.
Serve warm. I do not recommend cooling these cakes and removing them from the ramekins. I found this to be difficult. Serve them warm right in the ramekins.

Nutrition