This no bake chocolate cake tastes like a flourless chocolate cake, but you don’t need to do any baking. It is easy to make and doesn’t require flour, eggs, or oil. The cake comes out rich and chocolatey.
I am really excited to share this no bake cake. It really does taste a lot like a classic flourless chocolate cake except that it’s not served warm. It’s such an easy dessert and it’s hard to believe that no baking is required.
Ingredients
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
- Pumpkin Or Banana Puree
Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips: You can also use bittersweet chocolate chips if you don’t mind that your cake will be less sweet. Most of the sweetness is coming from the chocolate chips, so I prefer to use semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Pumpkin or Banana Puree: This recipe works with both pumpkin puree (a great way to use up some leftover puree) or banana puree (so you can make this cake all year long). If you use pumpkin, the cake will not be quite as sweet. You don’t really taste the pumpkin because the chocolate overpowers the pumpkin flavor. The cake has a bittersweet, rich chocolate flavor. You can use either canned or homemade pumpkin puree.
If you use banana puree, your cake will be sweeter. However, you will also taste the banana flavor. It will taste like banana and chocolate. If you are using banana puree, make sure you actually puree your bananas in a food processor or blender to remove all lumps. Just mashing is not enough. Also, make sure to use fresh bananas. Frozen bananas have too much water. Applesauce is not a good substitute for bananas in this recipe.
Cake Texture
This cake has a similar texture to a flourless chocolate cake. Of course it won’t taste exactly the same, but it is close. A flourless chocolate cake is made up mostly of chocolate and is rich and dense. This is like a chilled version of a flourless chocolate cake. If you decorate it with toppings like a chocolate ganache, it will taste even more like a baked dessert.
Cake Toppings
You can leave the cake plain though it will look a bit rustic. I don’t recommend sprinkling with powdered sugar because the powdered sugar gets absorbed by the cake. For this cake, I added a chocolate ganache. The ganache adds an even richer chocolate flavor.
More Easy Cake Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Cake
- 3 Ingredient Pound Cake
- 2 Ingredient Chocolate Cake
- No Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Cake
Recipe video below. You can also view all my recipe videos on my youtube channel.
2 Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (365 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cups (334 g) pumpkin puree or banana puree
Instructions
- Grease the interior of a 7 inch springform baking pan. Line the bottom and inner sides with parchment paper.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips. Microwave at 1 minute intervals, stirring in between with a spatula, until chocolate is fully melted and smooth. (I needed 2 minutes total cooking time). Alternatively, you can melt the chocolate on the stove using the double boiler method.
- Stir in the pumpkin puree until fully combined. Use your spatula to scrape chocolate from the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure it is fully incorporated with the pumpkin. You don't want any batter that is just chocolate or just pumpkin.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Use your spatula to smooth the surface. If you have an icing smoother, you can use that on the surface of the cake to make it even more smooth. Bang the bottom of the pan a few times against your counter to level the cake and remove any air bubbles.
- Place into fridge until cake is set. This can take 30-60 minutes. Once cake is set, you can decorate if desired. Slice cake with a sharp knife. Store uneaten cake in the fridge.
Video
Notes
- To make the optional chocolate ganache frosting you will need 2 oz heavy cream and 1/2 cup (91 g) semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips. Place chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream until it reaches a simmer. Pour the heavy cream over chocolate. Immediately start stirring until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Pour ganache over cake and spread it out across the surface. Place the cake in the fridge until ganache is set. This recipe will give you a thin layer of ganache frosting. If you want a thicker layer, double the recipe. The cake in the photos has a double layer but the cake is so rich that I found a thin single layer was enough.
- If using banana puree, make sure to actually puree it in a food processor or blender. See post for more details about the difference between using pumpkin vs banana.
- Make sure to use fresh bananas. Frozen bananas retain too much water.
- This recipe does not work well with applesauce as a substitute.
- This cake is best made in a springform pan as it will be easier to remove. I made mine in this 7 inch pan.* You can make it in a smaller pan, your cake will just be thicker. I don't recommend making it in anything bigger than 7 inches because your cake will be quite thin.
- The estimated nutrition is for the cake only, not including frosting.
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
This was delicious, very tasty and very rich! I don’t know what I did wrong though because it never firmed up. I even tried putting it in the freezer for an hour! It remained gooey even then.
My guests loved it even so…I put fresh raspberries on top of the ganache…who doesn’t like chocolate and raspberries??
No one believed it was only 2 ingredients and that pumpkin was one of them.
Thank you for this recipe!!!
It’s hard to say what happened – it should set up just fine unless something wasn’t measured right. We’re glad you enjoyed it, though!
Hi! Could I sub the chips for just cocoa powder and pumpkin?
You need to use chocolate chips otherwise the cake won’t set up right.
I haven’t tried it yet but I was wondering if I could use sweet potato instead of the pumpkin. Thanks in advance for your reply!
Sweet potato puree should work fine as long as it’s the same consistency as the pumpkin.
Five Stars for the banana version……….Except, it sets more like a dense pie than a cake. So, I set it in a pie plate so I didn’t have to worry about removing it to a cake plate or the degree of a firm set. I made a whipped cream cocoa topping and added marshmallows, small pieces of graham crackers and chocolate pieces on top. It was a huge hit for kids and adults at our July 4th party. I will make this again, my way.
Elyse
Love the toppings you added!
Love this recipe.
It is very rich, almost a fudge consistent.
I did not put the ganache on because I’d want to add heavy cream.
I do melt frozen raspberries in the microwave, add some maple syrup and mash them together.
It’s a thick sauce that we love with it.
I accidently use 72% cacao chips, since I’m vegan, so no dairy, regualar chocolate chips have dairy.
I used it once, wish semi-sweet, it worked out great, but I’ve gone from allow some dairy products and the occasional eggs to totally Whole Food Plant Based. The sweetened raspberries help. If I others find it needs more sweetness, I’ll add some maple syrup to the cake puree.
Only using 1 bag of chips and 2 bananas, you will not product anything like the picture. I used a small Corning Ware casserole dish…about 5.5″ wide. I got a “layer” of chocolate and banana. It’s still yummy because I love dark chocolate, but it’s NOT a “cake” or anything resembling a cake.
Sounds like something went wrong – it definitely should not be layered. The chocolate and banana should be fully mixed. Also, did the amount of banana you used equal the cups measurement in the recipe? Depending on the size of the bananas you use it may not equal 1 1/2 cups. More or less could alter the result.