15-Minute Chocolate Cake

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With just 4 ingredients, this flourless 15-minute chocolate cake is a simple dessert that’s rich, decadent and can be served at room temperature or chilled.

15-Minute Chocolate Cake

We donโ€™t make a big deal about Valentineโ€™s Day at our house.

My husband is always very thoughtful and will get me flowers, which I love.

Itโ€™s such a treat having a vase filled with fresh flowers at home.

And we exchange cards.

Itโ€™s not an evening that I say is worthy of a babysitter.

Much like New Years Eve, there are lots of other non-holiday nights to go out to eat when it isnโ€™t as crazy and you wonโ€™t have to order from a fixed menu.

Sliced chocolate cake served on 2 plates

Most of our pre-Valentineโ€™s energy has gone into homemade cards that our 6-year-old will bring to school.

Every year I have good intentions of starting this process a few weeks in ahead of time, but it ends up being just a few days in advance.

Needless to say, our evenings have involved lots of coloring and decorating.

Of course, itโ€™s worth all that work!

I canโ€™t tell you how excited our son is to go through his bag of Valentineโ€™s cards from his friends when he gets home from school.

15-Minute Chocolate Cake

Besides flower and cards, chocolate is my only other request.

Whether itโ€™s a box of candy, fresh-baked cookies or another treat, chocolate is a must.

My husband and I are both fans of rich chocolatey desserts. 

With only 4 ingredients, butter, bittersweet chocolate, eggs and confectionersโ€™ sugar, this 15-minute chocolate cake always manages to meet our requirements.

It almost seems like magic that you can make a cake with so few ingredients.

Cake in the pan before it is sprinkled with sugar and sliced

How To Make A 15-Minute Chocolate Cake

In a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, first I melt butter and bittersweet chocolate.

Then I crack 6 eggs into another bowl and whisk them over the pot of simmering water until they are foamy and almost have soft peaks.

I carefully fold the eggs into the melted chocolate and butter trying not to lose any of the air bubbles in the eggs.

Chocolate cake is baked in a ban marie

Then I pour the batter into a springform pan. 

I bake the cake in a bain marie. This is just a container filled with enough hot water to come about halfway up the sides of the cake pan.

This makes for more gentle baking for a cake that has so many eggs that itโ€™s like a custard. 

I use a roasting pan with plenty of space to hold the springform pan.

15-Minute Chocolate Cake Partially Sliced

In just 15 minutes, the cake finishes baking and is just set. 

If served at room temperature, the cake is delicate, soft and custardy.

I love stashing it in the fridge to let it chill. The cake will have a truffle-like consistency.

It is up to you, but I say bake it in advance and serve the cake cold with fresh berries. 

Slice of chocolate cake on a plate with berries

More Easy Cake Recipes

Almond Flour Cake
Raspberry Buttermilk Cake
Blackberry Lemon Yogurt Cake
Cherry Pistachio Cake

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15-Minute Chocolate Cake

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Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 25 minutes
Servings: 12
With just 4 ingredients, this flourless 15-minute chocolate cake is a simple dessert that’s rich, decadent and can be served at room temperature or chilled.

Ingredients 

  • 10 ounces unsalted butter plus more for greasing pan and foil
  • 1 pound 70% bittersweet chocolate roughly chopped
  • 6 large eggs
  • Confectionersโ€™ sugar for serving
Makes: 10inch round

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan with butter and line the bottom with parchment
  • Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water on the stove.
  • In another bowl over the saucepan of simmering water, use a handheld electric mixer to beat the eggs until they are pale and thickened and form soft peaks. Fold the eggs into the chocolate in two batches.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Loosely cover with buttered foil.
  • Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan filled with of very hot water. The water should come halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake for 5 minutes before removing the foil. Continue baking for 10 minutes until just set.
  • Take the pan out ofย the water and allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the pan.
  • The cake can be served at room temperature or chilled from the refrigerator.
  • Dust with confectionersโ€™ sugar, if using.
  • Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

When the cake is served at room temperature, it is delicate and like a custard. After the cake is chilled in the refrigerator, it has a more solid and almost truffle-like consistency.
Adapted from Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafรฉ by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

Nutrition

Calories: 427kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 134mg | Sodium: 41mg | Potassium: 306mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 724IU | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Cakes, Pies & Tarts
Cuisine: Italian
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Hi, I'm Paige.

Welcome to Last Ingredient where you will find simple seasonal recipes with plenty of fruits and vegetables, all for the home cook.

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