A dreamy, ultra-rich fallen chocolate cake that might just be the greatest chocolate treat I've ever tasted! Allow me to introduce you to fallen chocolate cake.
Honestly, I had no intention of sharing this gorgeous, showstopping fallen chocolate cake this week. My brother Nate deserves all the credit; he has gushed over this dessert for what feels like forever, yet I kept delaying it.
While figuring out which recipe to feature for my Bake with Mel IGTV series this week (watching details below), I figured, "why not finally tackle that fallen chocolate cake Nate won't stop talking about?" It looks fancy. It appears complicated (spoiler: it's genuinely not). It carries a ton of buzz around it. The timing felt right to find out if it deserved all the praise.
Even while filming, I almost convinced myself I'd publish the video but skip the actual recipe write-up. That changed the second I bit into this chocolatey marvel. It ranks easily among the finest chocolate desserts I've ever prepared or sampled. And it's far, far easier than it appears.
You can catch every step of crafting this incredible flourless chocolate cake on the video (you'll also catch me scolding my mischievous kids and ducking into the pantry just to steal a bite of the cake that, as it turned out, I refused to share).
Two viewing options: 1) head to Instagram and stream it on IGTV, or 2) I've begun sharing these breezy, super-authentic clips right here on the blog for anyone without an Instagram account.
But if you came solely for the recipe, consider it yours. And if you haven't locked in The Recipe for Valentine's Day yet (yes, whipping one up solo is absolutely fair game), you're in for a real treat.
Beyond being a total knockout in the appearance category, this fallen chocolate cake is genuinely, truly simple to prepare. Don't allow the recipe to scare you off. You melt chocolate and butter, stir in egg yolks and sugar, beat up some egg whites, then fold them into the mixture. I swear. It's straightforward.
I've baked, sampled, and devoured more flourless chocolate cakes than any one person should admit to, and this version blows every other one out of the water. In taste. In consistency. Across the board.
Thanks to the special separated-egg technique in this fallen chocolate cake, the baked texture comes out tender and ethereally airy while still packing a serious punch of rich, dense chocolate indulgence. And that crust. Goodness, that crust. It's paper-thin across the entire top and edges, with a delightful crackle that delivers the perfect surprise for such an outrageously decadent chocolate cake.
A bit of sweetened whipped cream balances the cake's intensity…and fresh berries ought to be required. That said, my brother Nate, the fallen chocolate cake authority, insists it's mind-blowingly good with a spoonful of whipped cream followed by a generous cascade of caramel and chocolate drizzle.
This cake doesn't require advance preparation (I have a hunch that warm, it would taste like a ridiculously delicious, slightly firmer molten lava cake), though it can be assembled 1-2 days ahead, which is fantastic if you want an unforgettable dessert without any day-of stress.
Truly exceptional, it sits right alongside this double chocolate mousse torte as a showstopping dessert that absolutely delivers on flavor.
Yield: 9-inch cake
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
An Irresistible Fallen Chocolate Cake You'll Fall For
Ingredients
For the pan
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
- 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the cake batter
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
- 2 tablespoon vegetable, canola, avocado or grapeseed oil
- 10 ounces (about 1 2/3 cups) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (see note)
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided (you'll use 1/4 cup in the batter, 1/2 cup in the egg whites and 2 tbsp on top of the batter)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use coarse, kosher salt)
Toppings
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Fresh berries
- Hot fudge sauce or chocolate ganache drizzle (see note)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Dust with 1-2 tablespoons granulated sugar and shake to lightly coat the bottom and sides; tap out any extra sugar.
- In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter, oil, and chocolate. Microwave for 1-2 minute intervals at 50% power until the mixture is melted and smooth (don't overheat!). This can also be done in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
- Separate 4 of the eggs, placing whites and yolks in separate medium size bowls. Make sure not to get any bits of yolk or shells into the egg whites or they won't whip to stiff peaks.
- To the egg yolks, add the remaining 2 whole eggs, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is well-combined. Pour the egg yolk mixture into the bowl with the melted chocolate/butter mixture and whisk until smooth.
- Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until foamy, about 30 seconds. With the mixer running, gradually add 1/2 cup granulated sugar and continue mixing until stiff, glossy peaks form (the peaks should hold their shape as the mixer is lifted out of the egg whites).
- Add half of the egg whites to the chocolate batter and fold gently with a rubber spatula until partly combined (a few streaks is fine; don't whisk or mix too vigorously or the egg whites will deflate). Add the remaining egg whites and fold gently until just incorporated and no white streaks remain.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the top with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (optional).
- Bake the cake until the top is puffed and starting to crack and the cake is pulling away from edge of pan just slightly, 25-30 minutes. Don't overbake! Let the cake cool completely in the pan. The middle of the cake will fall as it cools. Serve warm, at room temp or chilled. The cake can be made 1-2 days ahead of time and refrigerated.
- Top with sweetened whipped cream, fresh berries and hot fudge sauce or chocolate ganache (see note).
Notes
Premium chocolate is essential here since that chocolate taste takes center stage with such a minimalist ingredient lineup. I'd suggest reaching for Ghirardelli, Guittard or Callebeaut semisweet chocolate chips. Bittersweet chips would likely work, though depending on the cacao percentage, you may need to bump up the sugar slightly in the batter.
For the sweetened whipped cream, I blend 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream + 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar in my blender until thick and velvety (a stand or handheld mixer works too).
For the chocolate drizzle, this hot fudge sauce would be amazing, but for a quicker approach, combine 1/2 cup chocolate chips + 1/2 cup heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat just until warm. Let rest for a minute or two, then stir together until smooth and glossy (for a thinner drizzle, start with 3/4 cup cream).
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Recipe Source: adapted slightly from Bon Appetit (inspired by Richard Sax)
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