This healthier chocolate cake has a texture like a cake made with flour but doesn’t contain any flour. It only needs 2 ingredients and doesn’t require any flour, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil. The cake is soft, moist with a rich chocolate flavor.
A slice of chocolate cake on a small white plate

This shortcut chocolate cake produces a cake that is so much like classic chocolate cake but without all the usual ingredients. It’s a quick and easy cake recipe when you are craving chocolate cake.

Ingredients

  • Dark chocolate
  • Eggs

Dark chocolate: Dark chocolate chips are melted down until smooth. I’ve made this cake with regular dark chocolate chips, dairy-free dark chocolate chips and dark chocolate sweetened with unrefined sugar.

Eggs: The egg whites and yolks are separated. The eggs are key to providing the structure and crumb-like texture.

How to Make Chocolate Cake

  • Melt the chocolate until smooth.
  • Add egg whites to a stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks. Add in the egg yolks and beat until just incorporated. While you won’t have stiff peaks anymore, the egg mixture should still look very fluffy and thick. The mixture that drips off your beater should sit on top of the egg mixture.Steps to make cake batter
  • Pour in the melted chocolate and gently fold it in with a spatula just until all of the chocolate is incorporated.
  • Bake the cake for about 30 minutes or until done.

Texture

This cake really does look and taste similar to a regular chocolate cake. It is very soft and moist when eaten while the cake is warm.

Expert Tips

  • This cake is best enjoyed warm. If you allow the cake to fully cool, the chocolate will harden a little, causing the cake to feel dry. If this happens, simply reheat the cake so that it turns soft and moist again before eating.
  • This cake is only sweetened with dark chocolate so the cake is not that sweet. It does have a rich cocoa flavor. You should be able to make the cake with semisweet chocolate if you prefer a sweeter cake or you can add a sweet frosting.

A chocolate cake cut into slices

More Healthier Chocolate Cake Recipes

5 from 1 vote

2 Ingredient Healthier Chocolate Cake

This rich chocolate cake has a texture similar to classic chocolate cake but is made with just 2 ingredients. No flour, refined sugar, dairy, butter or oil.
Servings: 8 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (170g) dark chocolate chips, around 60% cocoa, approximately 1 cup but its best to use a scale, see notes regarding chocolate
  • 4 large eggs, brought to room temperature, whites and yolks separated

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 6-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottom with a parchment round. You do not need to line the sides but make sure they are well greased.
  • Add chocolate chips to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between with a spatula, until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Alternatively, you could do this over low heat in a double boiler on the stove.
  • Place the egg whites into a clean mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Using the wire whisk attachment, whip the whites at medium high speed until they form stiff peaks.
  • Add the yolks in, beating at high speed until the yolks are fully combined and you have a uniform yellow mixture (this should only take a few seconds). The egg mixture should still look very light and fluffy, though it won’t have medium peaks anymore. When you lift the beater, the egg mixture that drips off should be thick enough that it stays on top and doesn’t sink down.
  • Pour in the melted chocolate. Use a spatula to gently fold in the chocolate, starting from the bottom of the mixing bowl where most of the chocolate ends up, and bringing it to the top. You want to mix only until the chocolate is fully incorporated (i.e., there are no globs or streaks of melted chocolate not mixed in). You do not need to mix until the batter is uniform in color. Doing so will deflate the egg mixture too much. The cake batter should look thick and fluffy and be light brown in color. The key to creating a light and airy cake is keeping the egg mixture light. If you overmix, the cake will come out dense, like a classic flourless chocolate cake.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, spreading it evenly across with a spatula. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is set, slightly cracked, and puffed up.
  • Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 20-30 minutes before removing. It will deflate a little as it cools. Use a thin spatula to loosen the cake from the sides and then unmold the cake. You can decorate the cake before serving. This cake is best enjoyed warm. When it is eaten warm, the cake is soft and moist. When it is cooled, the chocolate will firm up a little, causing the cake to be drier and look paler in color. If you reheat the cake, it will turn soft and moist again and turn a more rich chocolate brown color. I usually reheat a slice for about 10-15 seconds in the microwave. Store uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer and reheat before eating.

Notes

  • While this cake has a crumb similar to classic chocolate cake, the cake won't look exactly the same. Because the cake structure is created with the egg mixture, you will have some uneveness in the cake and places where the cake is more airy and some areas where it is more dense. I like to think of this more like a quick snack cake meant for enjoying at home and not a cake to bring to a party.
  • Chocolate note: It is best to measure the chocolate with a scale if possible. Depending on the brand and size of the chocolate chips, the amount that fits in 1 cup can vary a lot and too much chocolate will cause the cake to be more dense. I used dark chocolate chips that contain around 60% cocoa. I tested this cake with Ghiradelli chocolate chips 60% (contains dairy), Hu dark chocolate gems* (sweetened with unrefined coconut sugar and dairy free) and Guittard dark chocolate chips* (dairy free but does contain regular sugar). Keep in mind that the higher the percentage of cocoa, the less sweet the cake will be.
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • The cake is not very sweet as it is only sweetened with dark chocolate. If you prefer sweeter, you can try making the cake with semisweet chocolate or add a chocolate frosting.
  • Optional chocolate frosting:
    • ½ cup dark chocolate chips
    • ¼ cup (2 fluid ounces) canned coconut milk (can substitute with heavy cream if you don't need the cake to be dairy-free)
    • Add chocolate chips to a medium bowl and set aside. Heat coconut milk in a small pot or pan over medium low heat. Heat until simmering. Pour hot coconut milk over chocolate chips. Let sit for 60 seconds then gently mix until chocolate is completely melted.
    • Frost the surface of the cake with ganache. If desired, you can also garnish with chocolate curls.
  • Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 149kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 36mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 9g, NET CARBS: 11
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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