Fudgy and dense, fragrantly spicy with cinnamon and chipotle chile, this flourless Mexican hot chocolate cake is unforgettably delicious! Fabulous with a just a dollop of whipped cream or dressed up with ganache for an extra special occasion!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: It’s even better than brownies or chocolate cake!
How long it takes: 55 minutes to make but allow a few hours for chilling.
Equipment you’ll need: springform pan, oven, saucepan, mixing bowls, mixer, measuring utensils
Servings: 16
This flourless Mexican hot chocolate cake satisfies any dark chocolate craving you may have. If you haven’t tried a flourless cake before, please do! With a delicately crispy exterior, and rich creamy interior reminiscent of cheesecake, the unique texture is totally unlike any other cakes you’ve had. Think of the best brownie in the world, and multiply it by about ten. That’s how good it is!
I am obsessed with how good this flourless Mexican hot chocolate cake is! In fact, I’m almost glad when the last piece has been eaten because when it’s in my fridge, I can almost hear it calling my name. “Rachel, Rachel…I’m still in here, eat me, you know you want to, why don’t you have just one bite….or two…!”
Normally, I’m not a sweets kind of girl. I tend to reach for the salty snacks, or my ultimate snack, popcorn. But if I’m craving something sweet, it has to be dark chocolate. You can always find a bag of good dark chocolate mini candy bars in my pantry, perfect for when the chocolate craving hits. The darker the chocolate, the better I like it.
While a flourless cake is gluten free, that isn’t the reason you’ll make this dessert. You’ll make it because it’s out of this world delicious!
About this Cake
Flourless cakes are unique in that they are made without, you guessed it, flour! Flourless cake, made in a springform pan, has a luxury foundation of good quality dark chocolate. The better the chocolate is, the better the cake will be.
What sets this flourless Mexican hot chocolate cake apart from other flourless chocolate cakes is the addition of cinnamon, vanilla, and a touch of chipotle chile powder. Cinnamon and vanilla are an essential part of traditional Mexican chocolate. Chipotle chile powder adds just a touch of spicy heat that enhances the chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla.
If you’re loving the idea of chocolate with cinnamon, try Mexican chocolate shortbread cookies or Kahlúa brownies with cinnamon. So good!
How to make a flourless cake
Begin by melting chopped chocolate with butter in a double boiler pan. If you don’t happen to own a double boiler, don’t worry, neither do I! You can make your own double boiler pan by setting a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Melting chocolate in the microwave works well, too.
After the chocolate and butter has melted, stir in 1/3 cup grapeseed or canola oil, cinnamon, vanilla, chipotle chile powder, and a pinch of salt. Replacing some of the butter with oil makes this cake a little lighter in saturated fat. Set this mixture aside to cool slightly.
While it’s cooling, you can take care of the next step. Using an electric mixture, beat six eggs and a cup of sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Don’t get impatient and stop after a couple of minutes. It’s necessary to beat the eggs fully so your cake will have the best texture.
Fold in the chocolate mixture and mix by hand just until blended. Pour into a prepared springform pan and bake.
The delicious smell wafting from your oven while this cake bakes is almost worth making it for! Keep reading for topping ideas …
Since flourless cake doesn’t have leavening, it’s very dense and rich. It’s really not cake at all but a dessert in a class of its own. I guess you could say the point of flourless cake is total deliciousness!
Think about a really soft fudgy brownie or the inside of a truffle. What really sets flourless cake apart is the texture. It’s rich and fudgy, soft but with a crackle on the outside. And of course, chocolate!
While this recipe is actually gluten free, not all gluten free recipes are flourless. There are many types of gluten free flours that can be used in in place of wheat flours (Healthline).
Make It Your Own
- Leave out the cinnamon and chipotle chile powder if you’d rather not make a “Mexican hot chocolate” flavored cake.
- Not a dark chocolate fan? Try making the cake with milk chocolate.
- Toppings! This flourless chocolate cake is perfect with a simple sprinkling of powdered sugar but if you want to dress it up, a dollop of whipped cream is super delicious. I like to sprinkle a little extra cinnamon on top. Or, make a ganache topping and pour it over the cake for truly decadent treat.
- If you’re looking for a different type of chocolate dessert, check out my list of 20 easy chocolate desserts!
Store your flourless Mexican hot chocolate cake, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For best flavor, let the cake stand on the counter for about 30 minutes before serving.
More cake recipes
Looking for that perfect cake recipe? Whether it’s for a special occasion or an everyday treat, I have a few ideas for you:
- Best Chocolate Cake Recipe with no dairy or eggs but you won’t believe how easy and good it is!
- Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe – make your own lava cakes; it’s fun and easy!
- Apple Spice Cake with Bourbon Glaze
- Pumpkin Poke Cake (with fresh pumpkin!)
- Coffee Cake Recipe with Streusel
- Classic Pound Cake Recipe (loaf or bundt!)
- Banana Chocolate Chip Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- White Layer Cake with Lemon Filling and Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
Flourless Mexican Hot Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into slices
- ⅓ cup grapeseed or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chile powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- Confectioners’ sugar and/or whipped cream for garnish and serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray, then line bottom of pan with parchment paper, and spray parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring 2 inches of water to a boil in a saucepan. Carefully place a heat-proof bowl over boiling water (so that it’s not touching water) and add chocolate and butter to bowl. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and combined with butter (see note).
- Remove from heat, stir in oil, and add vanilla, cinnamon, chile powder, and salt, stirring until completely blended together. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, In a separate large bowl, beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until mixture is light in color and fluffy in texture, about 4 minutes.
- Fold in the chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour batter into prepared springform pan. Bake until the cake is just set and the top is beginning to crack, about 35 minutes.
- Let cool completely in the pan on a wire cooling rack, about 1 hour. Remove the pan sides and cover the cake and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 3 days.
- Flavor and texture of cake is best if you let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes prior to serving. Use a very sharp knife to cut slices, cleaning the knife between cuts.
- Serve topped with confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream, ganache, or fresh fruit.
Notes
- If you have a double boiler, you may use that to melt the chocolate and butter. Microwaving is another option. Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl. Heat at medium power for 15 seconds, stir well, and repeat process until chocolate is almost melted. Don’t overheat or boil.
- Top this cake with ganache, if desired. To make ganache: Combine the 1 cup of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth. Spoon the ganache over the cooled cake, letting it run down the sides.
- Adapted from Eating Well magazine, Jan/Feb 2020 Issue
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Sounds delicious! I like a little spice in my goodies, I am going to make this for a back yard BBQ, I plan to make in square/rectangle pan and cut into brownie size squares. P.S. The ganache would be a great add on when making in the spring pan recipe!!
I hope you love it!
Hi there, looking forward to making this but unsure if this cake uses Unsweetened or Sweetened Dark Chocolate? My grocery baking section sells both. Thanks.
I recommend unsweetened!
My egg/sugar mixture was not fluffy even after mixing it for way more than 4 minutes. Any tips? Maybe the eggs weren’t warm enough?
Hmm, that’s strange. Were you using an electric mixer?
This looks AMAZING!!! Would it be OK to substitute ” Stevia” for sugar?
I haven’t tried that and haven’t baked too much with stevia. Let me know if you try it! I don’t think it’s a 1:1 substitution, though.
sounds delicious.
Thanks, Denise! It’s so yummy!