I really hope you enjoy this 3 Ingredient Chocolate Cake recipe. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤.
WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE
Okay, hear me out…
A 3 ingredient chocolate cake.
Is that unbelievable for you too?
I mean, I couldn’t imagine I actually came up with this recipe when I took that first bite.
It’s chocolatey…
Fudgy…
Cakey.
And the best thing in the whole world?
It tastes like you’ve added loads of ingredients to make it.
And how amazing is that ❤?
Such a perfect dessert. One of the best sweet treats ever!
This 3 ingredient cake is deliciously chocolatey, rich and just so good. You won’t be able to stop eating it!
It’s one of the easiest ways to make some chocolate cake.
It’s one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever baked and is also one of my most favorite cakes ever ❤.
This 3 ingredient chocolate cake recipe uses ONLY 3 super simple ingredients- cocoa powder, sweetened condensed milk and eggs.
That’s right. There’s no baking powder, vanilla extract, baking soda, whole milk, buttermilk, butter, double cream or oil needed.
Oh and hey..
This a flourless chocolate cake too so if you’re looking for a simple gluten-free chocolate cake recipe without loads of ingredients, this one’s for you.
I made this recipe so it’s always easy for you to have a chocolate cake in front of you in no time.
You’re probably in love already but lemme give you a few more reasons to make you absolutely adore this recipe to bits and pieces…
- This is a pretty easy chocolate cake recipe. It’s not tough to make at all. So don’t worry if you’re new to baking. And along with my detailed instructions, things will be even easier! You just need a few bowls, a hand mixer, a cake tin and 3 ingredients. How awesome is that 😍? No extra steps needed. No hot water bath in your baking sheet or double boiler needed either!
- It also takes less than an hour to get this rich chocolate cake hot and deliciously baked in front of you (the easiest way to get some chocolate cake!). So if you’re craving some chocolate cake, skip the trip to the bakery and bake some at home! This homemade chocolate cake is… incredible. Just go ahead and bake it the moment you’re craving some chocolate cake. It won’t ever disappoint.
- It’s the perfect cake recipe for when you have guests coming over and don’t have loads of ingredients to bake a homemade cake. Trust me, your guests are gonna be so impressed. This cake is delicious enough to serve at a birthday party too! You can also just bake this for yourself, such a perfect little gift to give yourself ❤.
- And hey, this recipe is just so good. It’s such a giver. It uses only 3 simple ingredients and gives us a chocolate cake that’s thick, rich and tastes fudgy, chocolatey and absolutely incredible. It doesn’t use any extra added ingredients nor does it have any complex cooking steps such as a hot water bath in your baking sheet or using a double boiler! . This is a stress-free cake recipe and I’m sure you’ll love it just as much as we do 💖.
I absolutely adore sweet treats and who doesn’t, really? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Sweet Treats, Desserts and Party/Special Occasion recipes.
If you love the sound of this recipe you will love these delicious recipes as well:
- Easy 3 Ingredient Greek Yogurt Cake Recipe (No Effort, So Delish!)
- Easiest 2 Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge with Condensed Milk
- Homemade Coffee Jello Recipe with Condensed Milk Cream
- Dalgona Chocolate Recipe (So Easy with No Coffee & Eggs!)
WHAT IS THIS 3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CAKE?
This 3-ingredient chocolate cake is probably one of the best cake recipes Zee and I have come up with and I’m just so excited to share it with you ❤!
It tastes like chocolate cake but without all the fuss (no hot water bath in your baking sheet or using a double boiler and things) and no extra ingredients- no baking powder, double cream, flour, baking soda, milk, buttermilk or butter and no special ingredients like pumpkin puree, ripe bananas or apples either.
Just good old cake with simple ingredients.
I mean seriously, this incredible cake literally tastes like you’ve added loads of ingredients to it and spent lots of time making it 😍.
When it actually uses only 3 ingredients and is ready in less than an hour (this includes mixing everything together and baking!).
You only need cocoa powder, sweetened condensed milk and eggs. That’s it! No fancy expensive ingredients. Just 3 super easy to find ingredients to get a rich chocolate cake.
It’s rich, fudgy, chocolatey and just… delicious. Such an incredible chocolate cake recipe even on its own.
You can literally go ahead and make some ganache too (we have a really simple recipe below using the same ingredients!) and decorate your chocolate cake.
It’ll taste so good, it’ll be difficult to believe it’s made with only 3 ingredients.
This flourless chocolate cake can be baked for a special occasion, on your own as a fun baking project or just when you and your loved ones are craving some chocolate cake and don’t have all the ingredients at home.
I wanted to create a delicious chocolate cake recipe that everyone could bake without a problem.
Cause that’s what literally happened with Zee and me one day…
It was my mom’s birthday and Zee and I decided to bake a chocolate cake for her. “Can it get better than a homemade surprise?” we both thought.
And then we went down a rabbit hole of chocolate cake recipes.
I think we went through at least a hundred chocolate cake recipes that day!
It was insane…
We just didn’t have so many ingredients. And we thought we’ll go ahead and order those ingredients but then the cooking processes were a little tricky.
It was tough stuff.
We ordered all the ingredients we didn’t have and ended up baking a chocolate cake somehow but we later sat and thought how it shouldn’t be difficult to bake a chocolate cake at home.
Everyone should be able to bake a chocolate cake without so many ingredients and so much effort (unless you’re into it, of course!).
So we started brainstorming and working with a combination of different ingredients to give us a basic but delicious chocolate cake.
And after lots of experimentation, we came up with this recipe ⭐.
We really hope you love this recipe as much as we do.
I hope you make the best memories with it whether you’re baking it on a holiday with your loved ones or trying to make a delicious birthday cake… this chocolate cake can do it all and will leave you and everyone around you impressed, every single time.
It IS possible to bake a chocolate cake with 3 ingredients. And woohoo for that 💃🏻!
You can share your stories with this recipe in the comments below too whether this is the first time you’re trying it or have had it multiple times before already, I would love to hear all about it!
INGREDIENTS FOR THIS 3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CAKE
For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.
This fudgy flourless 3 ingredient chocolate cake is super easy to make and uses only 3 ingredients 💃🏻!
You probably already have these ingredients at home and even if you don’t, you can easily find them at your local grocery store.
For the cake:
- Cocoa powder- Go ahead and use your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder here. Cocoa powder is what will give our cake that incredible chocolate flavor ❤. You can use Dutch-process cocoa powder too if you like.
- Sweetened condensed milk- Condensed milk helps add sweetness to our chocolate cake. It makes our chocolate cake deliciously rich too and pretty much brings everything together. Thanks to condensed milk, there’s no need for any more added sugar in this recipe.
- Eggs- Ah, eggs. Coming to our last ingredient, we use both egg whites and yolks here. We separate our egg whites from the yolks and whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. We then gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. This helps our chocolate cake rise (so there’s no need for baking powder). It also makes our cake the right amount of just a little airy and fudgy. Eggs also help make our cake deliciously rich.
For the ganache (Optional):
- Cocoa powder- Use your favorite unsweetened cocoa powder here. You can use Dutch-process cocoa powder too if you prefer. This is what will give our ganache that rich chocolate flavor.
- Sweetened condensed milk- Condensed milk helps makes our ganache thick, rich and so good. A super easy to find ingredient that does so much!
Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.
The next time you’re craving something sweet, check out our collection of insanely good Desserts, Few Ingredient and Gluten-Free recipes.
RECIPE VARIATIONS YOU CAN TRY
When a cake is as delicious as this, there’s not much you need to do. But hey, here are a few fun variations to try!
- So I’ve baked this homemade cake in a 7 inch round cake tin. This gives me a thick chocolate cake. You can go ahead and bake it in an 8 inch or 9 inch cake pan. You can use a springform pan too if you like. Remember that you may need to reduce the cooking time if you’re using a larger pan. You can use loaf pans as well.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder is a super main ingredient here. Use whatever brand of unsweetened cocoa powder you prefer the taste of. You can go ahead and use Dutch process cocoa powder too if you have it on hand.
- Go ahead and add a little espresso powder or instant coffee powder to your chocolate cake mix along with the unsweetened cocoa powder. Coffee really brings out the flavors of chocolate. It’s incredible how it does that.
- You can add just a little vanilla extract to your chocolate mixture to get those delicious vanilla chocolate notes and enhance the flavor of your cake further. Yum!
- You can also add a pinch of salt to your chocolate cake mix. This is one of the best ways to further enhance the flavor of your chocolate cake.
- You can add a few chocolate chips to your chocolate mixture before baking it as well for some melted chocolate melt in your mouth goodness. You can use semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or maybe even peanut butter chocolate chips. I suggest you use mini chips here. Enjoy that gooey melted chocolate with every bite!
- I’ve suggested vanilla extract already but you can play around with other extracts too. For an even more intense flavor of chocolate, you can go ahead and use maybe chocolate extract. You can use other extracts too such as maybe almond extract, hazelnut extract… maybe even orange extract.
- Go ahead and add some dried fruit to your chocolate mixture before baking it such as maybe chopped pecans, raisins, walnuts or almonds.
- You can also add some warm spices to your chocolate cake batter such as clove, cinnamon, cardamom and/or ginger. These flavors work really well with chocolate.
- You can also use a cupcake pan to bake this easy 3 ingredient chocolate cake so everyone has their own little chocolate cake. Keep in mind though that the baking time will reduce so bake it for a shorter time and keep a constant check on your cupcakes while they bake.
Note- If you think you have an ingredient that you feel is suitable as a substitute for a certain ingredient in this recipe, according to your dietary preference, you can use it and let us know how it works as a substitute in the comments below. I’ll then add it in as an adaptation suggestion here. This will help so many others with the same diet preference as yours.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST EVER 3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CAKE [Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos]
For exact ingredient measurements and instructions without photos, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.
Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.
STEP 1: GET EVERYTHING READY
Let’s get everything ready. You don’t need much 💖.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C or 350°F.
- Use room temperature eggs, these are easy to whisk into stiff peaks!
- Measure out the sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened cocoa powder so they’re ready when you need them.
- Keep a stainless steel or glass bowl to whisk your egg whites. We don’t want trapped grease in a plastic bowl to mess things up! Make sure your stainless steel or glass bowl is clean and dry.
- Keep a separate big mixing bowl to mix the cake batter in.
- Keep a whisk and spatula ready for the cake batter.
- Keep an electric hand mixer or stand mixer ready to whisk your egg whites. If you don’t have either of them, you can use a regular whisk too but it will take more time (about 8 to 10 minutes) and a little energy. If you want to skip out on whipping your egg whites, you can add your eggs directly to the batter and mix them in but this will give you a very dense chocolate cake.
- Get your cake pan ready. I’m using a 7 inch round cake pan. You can use an 8 inch or 9 inch cake pan as well. Remember that you may need to reduce the baking time if you’re using a larger pan.
- Line your cake pan with parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides.
STEP 2: GET THE CAKE BATTER READY
First, crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Be super careful. We don’t want even a little yolk coming in with the egg whites.
You can use an egg separator or even your hands to separate the egg whites from the yolks.
Add the egg whites to the stainless steel or glass bowl. We’ll come back to this.
Add the yolks to the separate big mixing bowl.
To the yolks in the big mixing bowl, add in the cocoa powder.
Add the last ingredient, sweetened condensed milk.
Mix the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder gently with a whisk until everything is combined.
STEP 3: WHIP THE EGG WHITES
Now using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the beater or whisk attachment (both work for me), over medium to high speed, start whipping your egg whites.
You’ll notice your egg whites fluffing up and gaining structure.
You need to whip your egg whites until stiff peaks form.
How will you know you’ve reached this stage?
Just raise your hand mixer a little with the thick egg whites. You’ll see a peak form that stands straight and firm with no curl. Stop here and don’t whip further.
STEP 4: FOLD THE EGG WHITES
We need to mix the egg whites into our cake batter now.
The easiest way to do this is by adding just a little bit of the whipped egg whites at a time to the cake batter and gently folding them in until no white streaks of egg remain. A spatula helps a lot here.
Add the remaining egg mixture a little at a time and continue this process until all the egg whites have folded in and mixed well with your chocolate cake batter. Do NOT overmix.
Gently scrape the bottom of your large bowl to make sure there’s no chocolate stuck and everything has mixed in completely.
If the egg whites are not mixing in easily with your cake batter, you can add just a little at a time, use a whisk and very gently whisk the egg whites with the batter until it is completely mixed in. Do not overmix.
Now take your prepared pan that’s been lined with parchment paper on the bottom and greased on the sides.
Pour your cake batter into the prepared pan or prepared springform pan and move to the next step.
STEP 5: BAKE YOUR CHOCOLATE CAKE
Go ahead and pop your cake pan into the oven in the center oven rack and bake at 180°C or 350°F for about 50 to 55 minutes.
In the mean time, while your cake bakes, you can make our super optional and easy 2 ingredient chocolate ganache below. This cake is absolutely incredible on its own though so this is completely optional ❤.
Keep checking on your cake from time to time, especially once you’re past the 40 minute mark. Don’t open the oven though.
Every oven is different and your three-ingredient chocolate cake may either be ready really fast or may take a little extra time.
All you can do is keep a check on your cake and the next time you make this recipe, you’ll understand how long your cake takes to bake ❤.
Once 50 minutes are up, go ahead and check on your cake.
You can poke a toothpick into the middle of the cake to see if it’s done. If it comes out clean or comes out with a few moist crumbs, your cake is done 💃🏻.
If your toothpick doesn’t come out clean, bake it for another 5 minutes or 10 minutes depending on how wet your toothpick is when it first comes out. Then check again if it’s done with the toothpick. Continue until the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
Let your 3 ingredient flourless chocolate cake cool until it reaches room temperature or is just a little warm.
It will deflate as it cools down, this is perfectly normal so don’t worry at all. I do not prefer using a wire rack to cool my cake when making this recipe.
Run a knife along the corners of your chocolate cake to help get it out easily.
Gently place the pan over a plate and give it a wiggle until the cake comes out.
Peel out the parchment paper and serve.
You can refrigerate it for a bit before serving too. I’ve noticed the flavors develop quite a bit.
Take a bite. How incredible is that ❤? And you’ve baked it all on your own. Enjoy that incredible fudgy decadent cake. It’s all yours.
STEP 6: MAKING THE GANACHE (OPTIONAL)
As promised, this is a three ingredient chocolate cake recipe and you don’t need the ganache. I love this cake as it is ❤. This is just an add-on.
Also, if you’re making our ganache, I’ve made sure to stick to the same ingredients!
Add the sweetened condensed milk and water to a saucepan.
Stir gently and mix everything well.
Then add a tablespoon of sifted cocoa powder, mix everything really well together, then add the next sifted tablespoon.
Mix again and repeat until you’ve added all the cocoa powder.
Now over low heat, stir for 5 to 6 mins.
Stir constantly especially gently scraping the bottom of the pan so nothing burns and gets stuck.
Once 5 to 6 mins are up, turn off the heat.
Your chocolate ganache will be just a little thick. It’ll start to thicken up a little more as it cools down.
Wait for it to cool. Then cover it with a small plate or plastic wrap and keep it on the side until your cake is ready.
When your cake is ready, has cooled down and you’ve placed it on a plate to serve it, pour the ganache over your cake gently.
You can spread it with the help of a knife, spoon or spatula.
Serve it with that thick creamy chocolatey ganache.
It tastes chocolatey, a little caramelly and just so good 🤩. Enjoy that melted chocolate goodness.
Hey you, I really hope you love this 3 Ingredient Chocolate Cake recipe as much as I do!
If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).
Once again, for exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.
Also, if you have any questions about this recipe, make sure to check out our FAQs section below to maybe find your answer there, or leave a comment and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible, I promise 😊.
TIPS TO MAKE THE BEST 3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CAKE
You’ve gone through the instructions so you probably know how easy this recipe is by now 💃🏻.
But hey, here are a few tips to make things even easier when you’re making this 3 ingredient flourless chocolate cake.
- Please make sure you read through the recipe completely so you know what to expect ❤.
- Use fresh eggs when you’re making this super easy dessert. The egg whites just whip up easier when the eggs are fresh.
- Always use room temperature eggs when you know you’ll be whipping some egg whites. It makes the whole whipping process so much easier.
- Please make sure the stainless steel or glass bowl you’re using to whip your egg whites in is clean and dry before adding your egg whites.
- Be incredibly careful when you’re separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. We don’t want even a little yolk coming in with the egg whites. This will prevent our egg whites from whipping up well!
- When you’re separating the egg whites from the yolks, take three bowls- a small or medium bowl, the stainless steel or glass bowl you’ll be whipping your egg whites in and the large bowl you’ll be mixing your cake batter in. Now, crack the first egg and add the egg white to the small or medium bowl and add the egg yolk to the large bowl. Then transfer the first egg white to the stainless steel or glass bowl. After that, crack the second egg and repeat the process. This is important because if the egg yolk breaks and mixes in with the egg white of the second egg, the egg white of the first egg will remain undisturbed.
- It’s super important that your oven is at the right temperature mentioned in the recipe. You can use an oven thermometer too to make things easier if you like. Every oven is different and having an oven thermometer on hand can be pretty helpful. It made me understand how my oven is off multiple degrees 😱. Also, place your cake on the center oven rack when baking it for even baking.
- Please don’t ever open your oven while your flourless chocolate cake is baking. It really messes with the temperature and will affect how your cake turns out. You can keep a close check through the oven door glass.
- And once again, every oven is different and your three-ingredient chocolate cake may either be ready really fast or may take some time (even with a thermometer). All you can do is keep a check on your cake and after a couple of times making this recipe, you’ll understand how long your cakes take to bake ❤.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS 3 INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE CAKE
I think one of the most awesome parts about having chocolate cake is how you have it.
Chocolate goes so well with literally everything out there which makes the whole process of serving it SO MUCH FUN. Here are a couple of ideas. Let me know how you like serving your chocolate cake in the comments below!
- For me sometimes, the best way (and also the easiest way!) to serve this 3-ingredient chocolate cake is on its own. Just good old chocolate cake, that’s all. Fresh out of the oven, warm, fudgy, cakey and absolutely incredible 💖.
- You can also top your flourless chocolate cake with some dried fruit/chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts… maybe even raisins if you like.
- You can top your slice of chocolate cake with some whipped cream as well. That creamy texture along with the fudginess of this cake is the absolute best.
- Guess what’s even better? Go ahead and warm your slice of chocolate cake just a little in a microwave-safe bowl. Top it up with some vanilla ice cream or whatever ice cream you prefer. Then top it up further with some whipped cream and drizzle some chocolate sauce or hot fudge on top. That creamy texture from the cold ice cream and whipped cream along with the warmth of the fudge and chocolate cake makes for an incredible treat. The texture of this cake just goes so well in every way! If you’re not concerned about a low calorie diet, you can top your cake up with a bajillion things.
- You can go ahead and top your cake with ganache (check out our super simple chocolate ganache in this same recipe!) or any ganache you prefer. You can also use frosting that you like such as peanut butter frosting, chocolate frosting, vanilla frosting, caramel frosting, cream cheese frosting, pumpkin frosting (made with pumpkin puree), maple syrup frosting, Greek yogurt frosting, banana frosting made with ripe bananas… The list is endless!
- You can top your chocolate cake with some chocolate sauce (you can melt your favorite chocolate carefully in a microwave-safe bowl too!), caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce as well. For some peanut butter fun, go ahead and top your chocolate cake with peanut butter that’s been heated until it’s thinned out a little. There’s just something about peanut butter and chocolate ❤.
- You can grate some dark chocolate over your cake, top it up with semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, powdered sugar or even extra cocoa powder. Perhaps even your favorite chocolate cookies? Turn them into fine crumbs in the food processor and sprinkle over your cake. You can add any other cookie, turn it into fine crumbs using a food processor and top your cake with it. A food processor is super useful here.
- And if you’re good at decorating cakes, you can decorate this chocolate cake however you like! You can also cut it into layers and go about decorating it as you please. This is a delicious and impressive cake you can serve at any party such as a birthday party too.
- Go ahead and top your flourless chocolate cake with some fresh fruit such as bananas, cherries (oooh a chocolate cherry cake!), raspberries, strawberries, apples… whatever you prefer. Fresh fruit taste so good here!
- You can pair this 3 ingredient chocolate cake recipe with some Warm Creamy Homemade Japanese Royal Milk Tea Recipe, Dalgona Chocolate Recipe for some added chocolateness, Easy Oat Milk Coffee Recipe or even good old whole milk.
- You can also turn this into a “mug cake”. To make a delicious mug cake, go ahead and cut your cake into fat cubes of cake nuggets and add some to a mug. Then top your mug cake up with some ice cream. Top the mug cake up with some more cake nuggets, more ice cream and maybe hot fudge too. You can add as many toppings as you like to your mug cake. Such an indulgent treat. Zee and I had this so much last year! It was one of our favorite treats to have last year and still is too! You can blend some of your favorite chocolate cookies in a food processor and add it as a topping as well. Go ahead and enjoy your “mug cake” 😉.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What kind of chocolate is best when baking this 3 ingredient chocolate cake?
The best kind of chocolate to use when baking this 3 ingredient chocolate cake in my opinion is good old unsweetened cocoa powder.
You can use Dutch process cocoa powder as well if you want.
Can I substitute any of the 3 ingredients in a 3 ingredient chocolate cake?
I wouldn’t suggest any substitutes for any of the 3 ingredients in this 3 ingredient chocolate cake recipe.
What is the texture of a 3 ingredient chocolate cake like?
This chocolate cake is so rich and decadent, you won’t be able to tell it uses only 3 ingredients ❤.
The texture is rich, fudgy and very slightly airy thanks to the whipped egg whites. It gives the most delicious mouthfeel.
It’s unbelievable how only 3 ingredients can come together to create an absolutely magical chocolate cake that tastes just right!
Can I add toppings to this homemade 3 ingredient chocolate cake?
Oh yes there are loads of toppings you can add to this delicious chocolate cake.
A few ideas are:
- You can top your flourless chocolate cake with some dried fruit/chopped nuts such as walnuts, pecans, almonds, peanuts… maybe even raisins.
- You can also top your slice of chocolate cake with some whipped cream. That creamy texture along with the fudginess of this cake? Incredible.
- You can top your chocolate cake with some vanilla ice cream or any ice cream you prefer too!
- You can top your cake with ganache (check out our super simple chocolate ganache in this same recipe!) or any ganache you like. You can use frosting that you like too such as peanut butter frosting, chocolate frosting, vanilla frosting, caramel frosting, cream cheese frosting, pumpkin frosting (made with pumpkin puree), maple syrup frosting, Greek yogurt frosting, banana frosting made with ripe bananas… The list is endless!… Everything tastes amazing with this cake.
- You can also top your chocolate cake with some chocolate sauce, caramel sauce or salted caramel sauce. You can also top your chocolate cake with peanut butter that’s been heated until it’s thinned out a little. There’s just something about peanut butter and chocolate… so good ❤. If you’re not concerned about a low calorie diet or prefer adding more, you can go ahead and top your cake up with a bajillion things you prefer.
- You can grate some dark chocolate over your cake and/or top it up with semisweet chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, powdered sugar (for some added sugar sweetness) or even extra cocoa powder. Perhaps even your favorite chocolate cookies? Turn them into fine crumbs in the food processor and sprinkle over your cake. You can add any other cookie, turn it into fine crumbs using a food processor and top your cake up with it.
- Go ahead and top your flourless chocolate cake with some delicious fresh fruit such as bananas, cherries (a delicious cherry chocolate cake!), raspberries, strawberries, apples… whatever you prefer.
- You can also turn this into a “mug cake”. To make a delicious mug cake, go ahead and cut your cake into fat cubes of cake nuggets and add some to a mug. Then top your mug cake up with some ice cream. Top the mug cake up with some more cake nuggets, more ice cream and maybe hot fudge too. You can add as many toppings as you like to your mug cake. Such an indulgent treat. Zee and I had this so much last year (still do!). You can blend some of your favorite chocolate cookies in a food processor and add it as a topping too. Go ahead and enjoy your “mug cake” 😉.
Do I need any special equipment to make this chocolate cake? Can I make this chocolate cake in a toaster oven?
This is a pretty easy chocolate cake with less ingredients. You don’t need any special equipment to make it.
What you need is:
- An oven
- An electric hand blender or stand blender. You can use a whisk as well. It will take time and energy but it’s not impossible.
That’s all the equipment you need to make this fudgy flourless chocolate cake!
I can’t comment if you can make this chocolate cake in the toaster oven because I haven’t tried it that way.
Can I make this chocolate cake in a smaller pan?
Yes, you can make this cake in a smaller pan that’s maybe about 6.5 inches. I wouldn’t go smaller than that.
That’s because your cake may not bake evenly and if your pan is smaller than 6.5 inches, the cake batter may even rise way too much and flow out.
I would suggest a 7 inch, 8 inch or 9 inch pan to bake this chocolate cake.
What if I don’t have an electric mixer?
Don’t worry if you don’t have an electric hand mixer or stand mixer. You can always use a whisk to whisk your egg whites.
It’ll take some energy and time but it is possible.
You can also add your eggs in whole. Keep in mind though that this will give you a cake that’s on the fudgy and dense side.
Can I make this chocolate cake ahead of time? How do I store it?
Yes, you can make this chocolate cake ahead of time and store it in an airtight container.
The best way is to go ahead and bake it, wait for it to cool and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
It’ll stay good for about 4 to 5 days.
Whenever you want to have it, take it out of the airtight container and enjoy! An airtight container is a must here.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when making this 3-ingredient chocolate cake?
This is one of the most delicious recipes ever but hey, here are some common mistakes to avoid when making this 3 ingredient chocolate cake recipe:
- Not preheating the oven.
- Not exactly measuring out all the ingredients needed.
- Not using room temperature eggs.
- Not using a clean and dry stainless steel or glass bowl to whisk your egg whites.
- Not lining your cake pan with parchment paper at the bottom and greasing the sides.
- Not being careful while separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. We don’t want even a little yolk coming in with the egg whites.
- Opening your oven while your flourless chocolate cake is baking. It messes with the temperature and will affect how your cake turns out.
Can I add flavorings like vanilla or coffee to this 3 ingredient chocolate cake?
Oh yes, you can go ahead and add whatever flavors you prefer to this delicious 3 ingredient chocolate cake.
You can add in some vanilla extract, espresso powder…
You can play around with other extracts too.
For a super intense flavor of chocolate, you can use maybe chocolate extract. You can use other extracts too such as almond extract, hazelnut extract… perhaps even orange extract.
❤❤❤
Hey you, I really hope you love this 3 Ingredient Chocolate Cake recipe as much as I do!
If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).
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The EASIEST 3 Ingredient Chocolate Cake Recipe (Flourless!)
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 can or 14 oz or 396 gms sweetened condensed milk
- ½ cup or 55 gms cocoa powder
For the ganache (optional):
- 1 can or 14 oz or 396 gms sweetened condensed milk
- 3 tbsp water
- ⅓ cup or 5 tbsp cocoa powder
( Note- Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips & tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤ )
Instructions
For Baking the Cake:
- GET EVERYTHING READYLet’s get everything ready.– Preheat the oven to 180 ℃ or 350 ℉.– Measure out the sweetened condensed milk and unsweetened cocoa powder so they’re ready when you need them.– Make sure you use room temperature eggs, these are easy to whisk to stiff peaks!– Keep a large or medium stainless steel or glass bowl to whisk your egg whites. Make sure your medium bowl is clean and dry.– Keep a separate large bowl to mix the cake batter in.– Keep a whisk and spatula ready for the cake batter.– Keep an electric hand mixer or stand mixer ready to whisk your egg whites. If you don’t have either, don’t worry. You can use a regular whisk. It will take more time (about 8 to 10 minutes) and some energy but it is possible. If you want to skip out on whipping your egg whites because you don’t have a whisk either, you can add your eggs directly to the batter and mix them in but this will give you a very dense chocolate cake.– Get your cake pan ready. I’m using a 7 inch round cake pan. You can use an 8 inch or 9 inch cake pan as well. Remember that you may need to reduce the baking time if you’re using a larger pan.– Make sure you line your cake pan with parchment paper at the bottom and grease the sides.
- GET THE CAKE BATTER READYOkay so first, crack 2 large eggs and separate the whites from the yolks.Be really careful. We don’t want even a little yolk entering in along with the egg whites. You can use an egg separator or even your hands to separate the egg whites from the yolks.Add the egg whites to the stainless steel or glass bowl. We’ll come back to them in a bit.And add the yolks to the separate big mixing bowl.To the large mixing bowl with the yolks in it, add 1 can or 14 oz or 396 gms sweetened condensed milk and ½ cup or 55 gms cocoa powderMix the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and cocoa powder gently with a whisk until everything is mixed well.
- WHIP THE EGG WHITESAnd now, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the beater or whisk attachment (both attachments work for me), over medium to high speed, start whipping your egg whites.You’ll notice your egg whites turning white, getting fluffy and gaining structure.Whip your egg whites until stiff peaks form.To know you’ve reached this stage, raise your hand mixer a little with the thick egg whites. You’ll see a peak form that is straight and firm with no curl. Stop here and don’t whip further.
- FOLD THE EGG WHITESWe need to gently mix the fluffed up egg whites into the cake batter now.Add just a little bit of the whipped egg whites at a time to the cake batter and gently fold them in until no white streaks of egg remain.Then add a little more of the fluffed up egg whites and repeat. A spatula helps a lot here ❤.Add the remaining egg mixture a little at a time and continue this process until all the egg whites have folded in and mixed well with your chocolate cake batter. Please do NOT overmix.We don’t want our egg whites deflating. We just want them mixing in gently with the batter.Slowly scrape the bottom of your large bowl to make sure there’s no chocolate stuck and everything has mixed in completely.Hey, if the egg whites are not folding in easily into your cake batter because they’re too stiff, you can add just a little of the egg whites at a time, use a whisk and very gently whisk the egg whites into the batter until it is mixed in.Repeat with the rest of the egg whites (add a little at a time). Please do not overmix.Pour your cake batter into the prepared pan or prepared springform pan and move to the next step.
- BAKE YOUR CHOCOLATE CAKEPop your cake pan into the oven in the center oven rack and bake at 180°C or 350°F for about 50 to 55 minutes.In the mean time, while your cake bakes, you can make the super optional and really easy 2 ingredient chocolate ganache below. This cake is absolutely incredible on its own though so once again, this is completely optional ❤.Keep checking on your cake from time to time, especially after the 40 minute mark. Don’t open the oven though.Every oven is different.Your three-ingredient chocolate cake may either be ready really fast or may take more time than mine does. All you can do is keep a check on your cake.And hey, once you make this recipe a couple of times, you’ll understand how long this cake takes to bake better ❤.So yes, once 50 minutes are up, check on your cake.You can poke a toothpick into the middle of the cake to see if it’s done. If it comes out clean or comes with a few moist crumbs, your cake is done 💃🏻. If your toothpick doesn’t come out clean, bake the cake for another 5 minutes or 10 minutes, depending on how wet your toothpick came out. Then check again if it’s done with the toothpick. Continue until the toothpick comes out clean.Now let your 3 ingredient flourless chocolate cake cool until it reaches room temperature or is just a little warm.It will deflate as it cools down, this is normal so don’t worry. I do not prefer using a wire rack to cool my cake in this recipe.Once your cake is cool, run a knife along the corners of it to help get it out easily.Then gently place the cake pan over a plate, give it a wiggle until the cake comes out, peel out the parchment paper and serve.You can refrigerate it for a bit before serving too. I’ve noticed the flavors develop so much more! Take a bite. How delicious is that, huh? And you baked it all on your own! Only 3 ingredients and such a delicious recipe.Enjoy that fudgy decadent cake, it’s all yours 💖.
For the Ganache (Optional):
- MIX THE INGREDIENTSI promised you a 3 ingredient chocolate cake and this IS a 3 ingredient chocolate cake recipe. You don’t need the ganache. I love this cake on its own ❤.This ganache is purely optional and the cake is delicious without it.And hey, if you’re making our ganache, I’ve made sure to stick to the same ingredients!So yep…Add 1 can or 14 oz or 396 gms sweetened condensed milk and 3 tbsp water to a saucepan.Gently stir it well together.Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder, mix everything really well, then add the next sifted tablespoon. Mix again and repeat until you’ve added all the ⅓ cup or 5 tbsp cocoa powder.
- HEAT THE MIXTURENow place your saucepan over low heat and gently stir for 5 to 6 minutes. Stir constantly, especially gently scraping the bottom of the pan so nothing burns and gets stuck.Switch off the heat and let the ganache cool. Your chocolate ganache will be just a little thick. It'll start to thicken up a little more as it cools down.Then cover with a small plate or plastic wrap and wait until your cake is ready.
- POUR OVER THE FINISHED CAKEOnce your cake is ready, has cooled down and you’ve placed it on a plate to serve it, pour the ganache over your cake gently.Pour as much as you like! You can spread it on top with the help of a knife or spoon.Serve your chocolate cake with that thick creamy chocolatey ganache.It tastes chocolatey, a little caramelly and just incredible 💖.
Notes ✍🏼
- Read through the recipe completely so you know what to expect ❤.
- Use fresh eggs when you’re making this easy dessert.
- Always use room temperature eggs when you know you’ll be whipping some egg whites.
- Make sure the stainless steel or glass bowl you’re using to whip your egg whites in is clean and dry.
- Be very careful when you’re separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. We don’t want even a little yolk coming in with the egg whites.
- Take three bowls when you’re separating the egg whites from the yolks- a small or medium bowl, the stainless steel or glass bowl you’ll be whipping your egg whites in and the large bowl you’ll be mixing your cake batter in. Crack the first egg and add the egg white to the small or medium bowl and add the egg yolk to the large bowl. Then add the first egg white to the stainless steel or glass bowl. After that, crack the second egg and repeat the process. This is important because if the egg yolk breaks and mixes in with the egg white of the second egg, the egg white of the first egg will not get any of that yolk in too.
- It’s really important that your oven is at the right temperature. You can use an oven thermometer to make things easier if you like. Every oven is different and using an oven thermometer can be pretty helpful.
- Don’t ever open your oven while your flourless chocolate cake is baking. It messes with the temperature and will affect how your cake turns out. You can keep a check through the oven door glass.
- And once again, every oven is different and your three-ingredient chocolate cake may either be ready really quickly or may take time (even with a thermometer). All you can do is keep a check and after a couple of times making this recipe, you’ll understand how long your chocolate cake takes to bake ❤.
- I’ve baked this homemade cake in a 7 inch round cake pan. This gives me a thick chocolate cake. You can go ahead and bake your cake in an 8 inch 9 inch larger cake pan or springform pan too if you like. You may need to reduce the cooking time if you’re using a larger pan. You can use loaf pans as well.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder is a super main ingredient here. Use whatever brand of unsweetened cocoa powder you prefer the taste of. You can go ahead and use Dutch process cocoa powder too if you have it on hand.
- You can add a little espresso powder or instant coffee powder to your chocolate cake batter along with the unsweetened cocoa powder. Coffee brings out the flavors of chocolate.
- Add just a little vanilla extract to your chocolate mixture to get those delicious vanilla chocolate notes and enhance the flavor of your cake further.
- You can also add a pinch of salt to your chocolate cake mix. This is one of the best ways to further enhance the flavor of your chocolate cake even more ✨.
- You can add a few chocolate chips to your chocolate mixture before baking it as well for some melt in your mouth goodness. I suggest you use mini chips here.
- You can play around with other extracts too. For an even more intense chocolate flavor, go ahead and use some chocolate extract. You can use other extracts too such as maybe almond extract, hazelnut extract… maybe even orange extract.
- Go ahead and add some dried fruit to your chocolate batter before baking it such as chopped pecans, raisins, walnuts or almonds.
- You can add some warm spices to your chocolate cake batter as well such as clove, cinnamon, cardamom and/or ginger. These flavors work super well with chocolate.
- You can use a cupcake pan to bake this easy 3 ingredient chocolate cake as well so everyone has their own little chocolate cake. Remember though that the baking time will reduce so bake it for a shorter time and keep a constant check on your cupcakes while they’re in the oven.
Nutrition (per serving)
The nutritional information given here is only an estimate.
Please read our full Nutrition Information Disclaimer to learn more.Did you make this recipe?
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This was delicious. Paired it with some ice cream and I’m in love. Can’t believe it used only 3 ingredients! Had to bake it just a little extra but my oven does that all the time. Thank you. Makes me so happy to know I have an easy chocolate cake recipe I can make whenever I want!
Mary, thank you so much for the comment. It means so much ❤. This is exactly what I wanted to share here. A chocolate cake that’s easy to make that also uses very few ingredients. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Ooh and I love pairing this chocolate cake with ice cream too!