This Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake is a super rich and moist cake with a cream cheese frosting. This flourless chocolate cake is perfect for a St. Patrick’s Day dessert or any other day of the year!
What You’ll Need
While this cake might look gluten free because the lack of flour, you will need to use a gluten-free stout to make it a truly gluten free cake.
- Vegetable shortening – Instead of using cooking spray, I like to use vegetable shortening to keep the cake from sticking to the pan. It helps the cake to release easier.
- Semisweet chocolate – This is a chocolate cake after all, so melting chocolate with butter is the perfect start to our cake batter.
- Unsalted butter – Melting butter with the chocolate helps to ensure a smooth melt.
- Granulated sugar – Because semisweet chocolate isn’t all that sweet on it’s own, we need something to sweeten this cake.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Not only do we add this to the chocolate batter for a deep flavor, but we also sprinkle some into the pan.
- Baking soda – We need out cake to have a good rise, and baking soda is the perfect leavener to do just that.
- Instant espresso powder – Adding espresso powder to chocolate cake really helps bring out that bold chocolate flavor with subtle coffee notes.
- Vanilla extract – A good quality vanilla extract adds both flavor and warmth to this rich dark chocolate cake.
- Coarse kosher salt – If you used salted butter, you can omit the extra salt completely. Salt helps to bring out the rich flavor of the cake.
- Stout beer – You can use any stout beer that you prefer, but my go to has always been Guinness stout. I usually make this cake around St. Patrick’s Day.
- Eggs – Always assume a recipe is calling for large eggs. You get the best results when working with room temperature eggs.
- Cream cheese frosting – You can make your own homemade frosting with my recipe, or use your favorite store bought version.
Change it Up!
There are plenty of ways for you to make this flourless chocolate stout cake your own. Here are a few ideas.
- Gluten free – If you want to make this a gluten free cake, try finding a gluten free stout beer.
- Chocolate ganache – If you want to take the chocolate flavor up a notch, add a layer of chocolate ganache between the cake and frosting.
- Toppings – You can top this cake with chocolate chips, chocolate curls or even some fun St. Patrick’s Day sprinkles.
How to Make Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake
This easy chocolate cake is the perfect complement to any special occasion, and always a huge hit for St. Patrick’s Day!
- Prepare oven and pan. Preheat the oven and line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then cover with the vegetable shortening. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the unsweetened cocoa powder into the pan, swirling to coat and tapping out the excess. Set the prepared pan aside.
- Melt chocolate and butter. In a small bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Melt in the microwave on high for 1 minute, stir and return for 30 minute intervals until fully melted and smooth.
- Dry ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment or a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder, baking soda espresso powder and salt. When no lumps remain, pour in the melted chocolate mixture and blend until thick.
- Add wet ingredients. Add the stout beer and eggs to the mixture and blend at medium speed until just combined.
- Pour batter into pan. Transfer the cake batter to the prepared springform pan, tapping down to get out bubbles.
- Bake. Place the spring form pan onto a rimmed baking sheet (to prevent messes and leaks) and then bake until the the center of the cake is set, but still slightly jiggly. The edges will look like traditional cake.
- Cool in oven. Shut off the oven and crack the door, allowing it start cooling in the oven for 15 minutes before taking it out to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Top with frosting. When cool, remove from the pan and transfer to a serving plate or cake plate. Frost the middle of the cake with cream cheese frosting.
- Chill. Chill for at least two hours before serving and store, covered, in the fridge.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
Store this flourless chocolate stout cake in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It will last for at least a few days.
Can I Freeze Flourless Chocolate Cake?
Because of the cream cheese frosting and slightly jiggly center of the cake, I do not recommend freezing. The texture will change when thawed.
More Delicious Cakes
One of my favorite desserts has got to be a moist cake. Here are a few of our favorite easy cake recipes, you all know I am a lazy baker.
Flourless Chocolate Stout Cake Recipe
Chocolate Stout Cake is a super rich and moist cake with a cream cheese frosting. This cake is perfect for St. Patrick's Day dessert!
Servings:
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
- 12 ounces semisweet chocolate , chopped
- 16 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1 tablespoons pieces
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup , plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup stout beer
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups cream cheese frosting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper, then cover with the vegetable shortening. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the unsweetened cocoa powder into the pan, swirling to coat and tapping out the excess. Set the prepared pan aside.
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. Melt in the microwave on high for 1 minute, stir and return for 30 minute intervals until fully melted and smooth.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, 1/4 cup of the cocoa powder, baking soda espresso powder and salt. When no lumps remain, pour in the melted chocolate mixture and blend until thick.
- Add the stout beer and eggs to the mixture and blend until just combined.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared springform pan, tapping down to get out bubbles.
- Place the spring form pan onto a rimmed baking sheet (to prevent messes and leaks) and then bake for 55-65 minutes, or until the the center is set, but still slightly jiggly. The edges will look like traditional cake.
- Shut off the oven and crack the door, allowing it start cooling in the oven for 15 minutes before taking it out to cool completely.
- When cool, remove from the pan and transfer to a serving plate or cake plate. Frost the center with cream cheese frosting.
- Chill for at least 2 hours before serving and store, covered, in the fridge.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
Calories: 670 kcal, Carbohydrates: 50 g, Protein: 8 g, Fat: 48 g, Saturated Fat: 28 g, Cholesterol: 201 mg, Sodium: 74 mg, Potassium: 334 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 43 g, Vitamin A: 1085 IU, Calcium: 56 mg, Iron: 3.3 mg
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As soon as you add the Guinness you can no longer call this gluten / wheat free. Be aware that no flour does NOT mean no wheat.
Thank you, Bak. I didn’t not claim that this cake was GF- but pointed out that some think because cakes are GF or flourless, that it makes them “healthy”. I put in another disclaimer so no one is confused. Have a fabulous day!
Can you substitute any type of beer or does this recipe work best with the Guinness?
It really works well with Guiness. I haven’t tried it with any other type of beer, but if you do, I would use a stout. Maybe even a chocolate stout, YUM!
Rich and fudgy with a meringue topping?! YES PLEASE!
OH!!! My hubby is going to love this!!! Guinness is his drink of choice. And he never says no to cake!!
What a great idea to add the meringue to the top. Now it looks like a pint of Guinness!