Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

This Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake is exceptionally fudgy, surprisingly simple to make and is gorgeous to boot!

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and I am trying to figure out how to throw my mom a good one this year! We both have joined Weight Watchers so we are watching our food consumption, but I also want us to have something to celebrate her special day since she’s the best momma.

If you’re also looking for an easy, show-stopping dessert for Mother’s Day or any day of the year, this is the recipe you need to bookmark! It is outstanding!

This recipe comes from Richard Sax and is called a cloud cake because it has a cloud-like appearance due to the meringue topping. I know – meringue sounds difficult, but I promise, the cake does all the work for you!

Flourless chocolate cake has simple pantry ingredients, including:

Bittersweet chocolate: I like to use a high quality chocolate since chocolate is the star in this recipe! Guittard or Ghirardelli are great.
Unsalted butter: adds great flavor and is the fat component
Large eggs: we’re going to separate them
Sugar: for sweetness
Espresso powder: as a chocolate flavor enhancer
Vanilla extract: for flavor

Making Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

Making the cake is pretty easy, if not a tad labor intensive… but it is more than worth it for the fudgy, irresistible pay off.

You’ll simply melt the butter and chocolate together until combined and glossy, then cool slightly and mix it into a bowl with sugar, 4 egg yolks + 2 whole eggs. Add in the vanilla and espresso powder to combine. Then in a separate bowl, you’ll beat the egg whites until they reach glossy, soft peaks and fold the whites into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the batter into a greased and lined springform pan and bake! The cake will come out tall and puffy but will soon deflate and create this crackly, crater-ish appearance with these chocolate meringue shards on top. It’s very architectural and cool and does evoke the feelings of a sharp, dark cloud.

But the inside is the magic: fudgy, rich, almost melt-in-your-mouth like a pudding. Combined with those delicate, airy, snappy meringue pieces, it is HEAVENLY. Truly a remarkable cake you MUST try!

Recipe adapted from here

Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

This Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake is fudgy, thick, melt-in-your-mouth deliciousness with delicately crispy meringue pieces on top that’s absolutely remarkable!

Prep Time20 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American, Dessert

Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

8 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped such as Ghirardelli or Guittard
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
6 large eggs
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 Tbsp instant espresso powder, optional but recommended
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350℉. Line a 9″ round springform pan with a parchment paper round and lightly grease with cooking spray; set aside.
In a microwave safe bowl, combine the cubed butter and chopped chocolate and microwave on HIGH power in 20-30 second increments, stirring until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, separate 4 of the eggs among two bowls, placing the egg yolks into a larger bowl and the egg whites into a smaller bowl. Add two whole eggs in with the yolks. Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar with the yolk mixture until smooth and combined. Slowly whisk in the warm chocolate mixture, followed by the espresso powder and vanilla extract.
To a clean, dry stand mixer bowl, add the egg whites and attach the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high power, slowly adding in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, until egg whites reach soft, glossy peaks, about 5-7 minutes. Fold half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining egg whites carefully until no streaks of white remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out into an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the top has puffed and the center is no longer wobbly. Be careful not to bake beyond this point.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack. The center of the cake will sink as it cools, creating a kind of crater-ish appearance which is what we want! Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting into slices.

Notes

Due to the limited ingredient list and chocolate being the star of the recipe, I highly suggest using a high quality chocolate bar for this recipe. My favorites are Ghirardelli, Guittard, or Scharffenberger.
Instant espresso powder adds a wonderful extra richness and depth to the chocolate flavor. It will not make the cake taste coffee-like. You may omit if you wish.