Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake is scrumptious on its own, but with 3 Icings to choose from, you’ve got the BEST Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe right here!
Great British Bake Off Famous Cake
No, I have never baked on the Great British Bake Off, however when the show created an American spin off called The Great American Baking Show, I applied!
Having baked as well as cooked all my life, I thought this would be a fun, though challenging adventure.
I decided the best way to prepare was to do it British Style, you see I am married to a Brit and we have watched every season and episode, twice!
So I decided to try baking absolutely every challenge presented on the show.
Never in my life have I worked so hard in the kitchen to teach myself classic European baking, and wow was I impressed with what I was turning out.
Whether or not I get selected to cook on the show, I have already had an amazing experience and preparing the famous Paul Hollywood Chocolate Fudge Cake with the ‘missing raspberry,’ was definitely one of them!
Flourless Fudge Peppermint Vodka Cake
This flourless fudge cake recipe, with peppermint vodka icing and crushed candy canes is the ultimate holiday dessert.
An easy 6-ingredient cake with a 3-ingredient icing for a gazillion compliments, sounds like the best dessert to make for the holidays or special occasions!
I promise you this cake is so easy to make, even your tweens will ask to make it for you; just substitute the peppermint vodka for peppermint extract in the icing. Shhhh, make a separate cake with peppermint vodka icing for the adults though!
Adult Chocolate Peppermint Vodka Cocktail
Speaking of peppermint vodka icing for adults; if you love this cake, you are sure to want a fabulous fireside Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cocktail!
A hot chocolate recipe, made the old fashioned way, producing a deep rich fudge flavor, with a splash of peppermint flavored vodka is perfect on a cold winter’s day.
Flour In My Fudge Cake
While not everyone wants flour in their cake, for a variety of reasons, if moistness is what you are after, there are options for a moist chocolate cake with flour.
Flour has a new definition from the all-purpose flour a decade ago, to ground oats, nuts or even seeds.
Flour aids as a binder in baking, to make yummy flavors all stick together and be fluffy.
Eggs, especially when they have been separated, egg whites whipped to fluffy perfection and yolks for lots of fat and flavor.
So whether you put flour in your cake of leave it out, other ingredients play an important role in moisture and texture!
Take for example this Deep Dark Chocolate Chili Cake, that gets its moisture from the natural oils in coffee, and definitely flavor from a chili or two.
Peppermint Chocolate and Fudge – One Of 3 Icings
How did mint and chocolate together, ever become a ‘thing’?
Well, first of all, did you know that mint chocolate chip ice cream is one of the 10 most popular ice cream flavors?
Yep! The darker the chocolate, ie less sweet chocolate and more bitter, makes room for the sweetness to come from other ingredients, such as peppermint candies.
Then, add to that dark earthy fudge flavor, the light bright, refreshing flavor of mint, and you have the perfect marriage of flavors.
Fudge and Fudge Cake
Fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge, fudge! What is fudge anyway, other than lots and lots of chocolate with something to bind it together.
How does fudge differ from cake, you might ask?
A chocolate cake usually uses flour and a rising agent whereas fudge is often thought to be a candy.
Rich fudge recipes rely on butter and cream, or milk without rising agents and bakes to a dense chocolate candy.
A fudge cake is unique, in that it is not a candy, though lots of chocolate goes into it.
This fudge cake is flourless, and relies on lots of fluffy eggs to create that luscious cross between a candy and a cake.
How would you like to ice this flourless fudge cake with a tiramisu icing?
Yep, an easy swap in this icing recipe is to add tiramisu liqueur or coffee liqueur to the icing instead of peppermint vodka.
Just in case you prefer not to eat chocolate, perhaps as a way to eliminate caffeine, there is always Carob, which is equally rich, but without the caffeine.
We’ve got two out of 3 icings as options, so let’s talk about icing number three.
Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
Flourless chocolate cake, at first bite, would make you think you are eating fudge.
However, I’m sure a flourless chocolate cake is way better than fudge. Why?
Fudge is sooooo sweet, and heavily laden with chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate, held together with sweetened condensed milk… more sugar!
This flourless chocolate cake is a beautiful blend of chocolate, both melted chocolate and raw cacao, but it’s held together with EGGS!
Lots and lots of eggs, 5 whole eggs, to be exact! THAT is why this flourless chocolate cake recipe is so darn delicious.
More Reasons To Love Flourless Chocolate Cake
I have another reason why flourless chocolate cake is the cake of choice, wanna know what it is?
With so many folks practicing a gluten-free diet, this is one cake that gluten-free folks won’t have to say ‘no’ to. You’re welcome!
For this reason, I decided to leave one of my flourless chocolate cakes without a butter icing and simply use a dusting of powdered sugar with a stencil to make it look as pretty as it tastes!
More Flourless Cakes To Love
Oh, and while we’re on the subject of flourless cakes, let me (real quick), share another glorious flourless cake with you!
Flourless Almond Orange Cake may not look like a holiday cake but when January health focus returns, this cake is perfect!
This beauty is made with crushed almonds, lots of eggs and several entire oranges, peels and all!
How To Make A Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe
This recipe calls for lots of eggs, which is what gives it the dense texture, leaving out flour.
Once the butter, cream and chocolate squares have been gently melted together, slightly cooled, it is added to eggs that have been vigorously whipped with sugar.
That’s about it, and then baked to perfection, cooled and topped with one of 3 icings.
Quick And Easy Icings
Usually, I am not a big fan of icing on cakes, too much sugar for my liking, however, this buttery rich icing can be spread thin enough to simply create a smooth finish for other toppings.
Here’s a great butter softening hack that won’t melt the butter:
- In a glass jar, run hot water inside the jar and let it sit a minute to heat the glass.
- Empty the hot water and quick put the wrapped stick of butter inside and put the lid on.
- Leave it for a few minutes, it softens beautifully!
Once the butter and powdered sugar are whipped together, either of the liqueurs are added to flavor the icing.
Unless you are choosing to simply dust the top with powdered sugar, with a lovely stencil design.
While this sounds like a whimsical adult holiday dessert, and it is, I make this cake for MY DECEMBER BIRTHDAY every year!
Ingredients Needed
- Butter
- Cream
- Chocolate chips or squares
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Raw Cacao
- Raspberries
- Powdered sugar
- Peppermint Vodka, Tiramisu Liqueur or Coffee Liqueur
- Candy Canes
Equipment Needed
- Saucepan
- Stovetop or burner
- Hand mixer and a mixing bowl or Standup mixer
- Measuring cup
- Measuring spoons
- Springform pan – 3 sizes for easy removal of cakes and tarts.
- Wooden spoon
- Icing knife – to spread
- Oven
Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe – 3 Icings
Equipment
- 9-inch springform cake pan
- Mixer
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 16 tbsp Unsalted Butter 2 sticks
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 8 oz Chocolate chips or squares 70% cacao
- 5 Eggs
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1/4 cup Raw Cacao powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- Peppermint Icing Ingredients
- 8 tbsp Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 1.5 oz Peppermint Vodka or 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup Candy Canes (optional) crushed
- Tiramisu Icing Ingredients
- 6 tbsp Butter room temperature
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp Tiramisu Liquor or Coffee Liqueur
- Chocolate and Raspberry Ingredients
- 2 cups Powdered sugar
- 8 tbsp Butter room temperature
- 1/3 cup Cacao
- 2 oz Dark chocolate melted
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
- 2 cups Raspberries
Instructions
Cake Preparation
- Place the soft butter, cream and chocolate squares in a pan on top the stove over low heat, melt completely. Cool completely.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and cacao in a large bowl or mixer until light and creamy. Slowly pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350. Butter the inside of a 9-inch springform pan. Dust a little cacao around the pan. Pour the batter inside the prepared pan. Bake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing.
Peppermint Icing Preparation
- Whip the butter, sugar and vodka together to form a creamy icing. Spread across the cooled cake and sprinkle crushed candy canes or other sprinkles of choice.
- Tiramisu Icing Preparation
- Whip the butter, sugar and liqueur together to form a cream icing.Spread across the cooled cake. Additional chocolate candies can be added (optional).
- Chocolate and Raspberry Preparation
- Whip the butter, sugar, cacao and cream together until well blended.
- Whisk in the melted chocolate.
- Spread the icing over the cake's top and sides. Place the raspberries over the top of the cake.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.