Low carb chocolate cake

Low carb chocolate cake

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4.5
47 Ratings
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Chocolate, pure and simple. With a little help from eggs and butter, this flourless chocolate cake never disappoints. If you can separate eggs, you can make this low carb crowd pleaser.

Low carb chocolate cake

1
2
3
4
5
4.5
47 Ratings
Not enough ratings
Chocolate, pure and simple. With a little help from eggs and butter, this flourless chocolate cake never disappoints. If you can separate eggs, you can make this low carb crowd pleaser.
USMetric
12 servingservings

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp 1 tbsp butter or coconut oil, for greasing the pan
  • 9 oz. 260 g dark chocolate with a minimum of 80% cocoa solids
  • 5 oz. 140 g butter
  • 5 5 eggeggs
  • 1 pinch 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Instructions

Instructions are for 12 servings. Please modify as needed.

  1. Preheat the oven to 320ยฐF (160ยฐC). Use a springform pan, maximum 9 inches (20-22 cm) in diameter. Grease the form with butter or coconut oil and fasten a piece of round parchment paper to the bottom.
  2. Break the chocolate into pieces and dice the butter. Melt together using a double boiler or the microwave oven. Be careful โ€” chocolate burns easily, so stir often. Once melted, stir until smooth, and let the mix cool just a little.
  3. Separate the eggs and put the yolks and whites in separate bowls. Add salt to the egg whites and beat with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
  4. Add vanilla to the egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
  5. Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the egg yolks and mix well. Fold in the egg whites. Keep folding just until you can't see any white streaks from the egg whites.
  6. Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick; it should come out with moist crumbs, not runny batter. Pans that are smaller in diameter may require a longer baking time, while pans wider in diameter will finish baking in less time. Be sure to use the toothpick method to check for doneness in the center.

Tip!

Serve at room temperature or even a little warmer. And don't forget a little whipped heavy cream (sour cream is delicious, too) and a few berries if you like!

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๐Ÿ’ฌ Have you tried this recipe?

What did you think? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!
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101 comments

  1. Jane Shafrin
    Can you provide the macros for the dark chocolate cake? it looks wonderful.
    Reply: #2
  2. Peter Biรถrck Team Diet Doctor
    Hi Jane!

    If you hover your mouse over the symbol for "Strict/Moderate/Liberal Low Carb" on the pictures for all our recipes then you will get the nutritional facts.

    The amount of displayed carbs is net carbs (Total amount of carbs - fiber).

    Can you provide the macros for the dark chocolate cake? it looks wonderful.

  3. gbl
    An option for those who do not want to bake: Pure cocoa powder and coconut milk in a jar with a tight lid. Shake shake shake. Leave in fridge overnight. Enjoy.

    Now, for those of us who DO like to bake... .

  4. John
    Looks DELICIOUS!!
    An A M A T E U R chef has a couple of tips: The egg whites will whip better if they are at room temperature (most of us here in the USA keep eggs in the fridge). The bowl for the whites needs to be very clean. A tiny bit of fat/oil/grease will result in less that optimum whipping. You can use Cream of Tarter instead of the salt in the whites. Cream of Tarter is an acid which makes even more volume.
  5. Mimi Hendrix-Sun
    I just made one. I can't believe that the texture tastes just like normal brownie (except not being sweet)! I like it!!
  6. Dennis
    Egg whites at stiff peaks didn't work for me. The cake was delicious even so. Next time I'll try soft peaks. Thanks for a great recipe.
  7. Maddy
    I made this as muffins and they worked great ! In case anyone was wondering if that would work ?
  8. Juanita
    Maddy, how long did you bake the muffins?
    Reply: #55
  9. Nani
    I also made them as muffins and.... deeeelicious! I used 73 pct choco (25 pct carb), and OK people: it could be sweeter, but even my husband who always complain about my treats not being sweet enough, loved it. Funny is that when they are cold, they taste sweeter than warm. Thoughts?
    Juanita, I backed them close to 15 min as muffins as well.
    Try it, it's worth! I have high-carb friends coming over on saturday, will backe them and serve with whipped cream. Cheers from Germany!
    Reply: #11
  10. Ciru
    I just made this with 85% chocolate and it was definitely too dark in flavor (I normally eat 85-91% chocolate bards only). Whipped cream with sweetener helped sweeten it a little.
    Next time I will use 72% chocolate chunks. The flavor and texture were still VERY good! This is my go to chocolate cake from now on. I can see it tasting even more delicious with a raspberry ganache.

    Question for those who have tried the recipe: Do you think the cake would turn out less dense and more fluffy by using less butter? When mine was done there was butter pooled on top. It soaked into the cake within a few minutes of pulling it out of oven. Overall the texture is more like a brownie than a regular cake.

  11. Juanita
    Thank you Nani, trying it tomorrow.
  12. Annette
    What is exactly meant by 'vanilla'? Is it an extract or a powder etc? In the Dutch supermarkets they only seem to sell vanilla beans (the whole thing) and I wonder what I need for this. The vanilla extract that they sell coincidentally doesn't have any vanilla in it (but does have a lot of sugar) so tips are welcome.
    Reply: #13
  13. Kristin Berglund Team Diet Doctor

    What is exactly meant by 'vanilla'? Is it an extract or a powder etc? In the Dutch supermarkets they only seem to sell vanilla beans (the whole thing) and I wonder what I need for this. The vanilla extract that they sell coincidentally doesn't have any vanilla in it (but does have a lot of sugar) so tips are welcome.

    Hi Annette!

    We use sugar free vanilla extract but you can certainly use a vanilla bean. Cut it open lengthwise and scrape out the seeds and add to your batter. Good luck!

  14. AnnieB
    I made these as small muffins (x 15), approx. 155cals and 6g carbs each. I used 70% chocolate and added two level tablespoons of natvia sweetener. I baked them at 160oC in a fan oven for around 20 mins. They rose beautifully and didn't collapse on cooling so I think a longer baking time helps to create a lighter texture. Even with the natvia they aren't noticeably sweet but they are delicious! They'd be great split and served with a dab of clotted cream and a few raspberries.
  15. Naomi
    I've made this now about seven times. It is easy to make, tastes wonderful (even after a few days in the fridge) and is loved by everyone - it also looks impressive for parties etc with a light dusting of cocoa powder and berries piled in the middle. Just lovely, thank you!
  16. Kerry Zacharia
    This is by far my favourite recepie for low carb cakes. Easy to make and keeps well in the fridge. I just warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds and it becomes springy and moist again. Not so sweet but that's how I like it and dark chocolate!!
    I find that it rises out the oven and then flops to a dense cake. The last two times I've used a teaspoon of baking powder and it's help to keep some of its volume. Any ideas on that welcome
  17. MarStar
    Super delicious! My 2 year old ate a whole piece too! Thanks for another great recipe.
  18. David Grant
    15 minutes!!?? Not even close. I'm already at 22 minutes and there is still a long way to go. Most recipes online that are similar to this (dark chocolate, butter, eggs) say 40-45 minutes. One even said 45 minutes at 350F.
  19. Abimisola
    Made It today as a treat. It's super moist just like a brownie. The inside seemed to taste better than the outside. Was quite bitter. Not normally a dark chocolate kind of gal. Would have to try with some cream next time
  20. darla
    I don't know what I did wrong. When I added the eggs to the chocolate it became very thick and difficult. it didn't rise hardly at all......
  21. paul
    the only problem with this recipe is it's very hard to stop at one serving... :D
  22. Aline Van Houdt
    What does 1 serving means ? a cube of 2.75 cm to 2.75 (when using a diameter of 22cm) ?
  23. Nancy
    Making this now for my 11-year-old's birthday today (BIG blizzard in Nova Scotia - snow day from school). I think I would have been better prepared had the recipe told me to have room temperature eggs and butter...as soon as I folded the stiff egg whites into the chocolate it all separated. Still have to use it, however, because the whole city & province is shut down due to the weather.
  24. Nicole
    This might seem like an obvious question but, salted or unsalted butter??
  25. Ellen
    I'm not sure what cocoa solids are? Can I use a candy bar with 72% cacao ? Or is it something else?
  26. Joe
    So good!....I mean sooooooooooooooooooo good!
  27. Ginger
    Not sure why this is called a cake. This is a souffle.
    Reply: #29
  28. John
    These turned out great. Followed the recipe for the 4 serving size, and used part of a Lindt 85% chocolate bar for the chocolate.
    Cooked them a couple of minutes longer since we are not keen on the runny centres.
    The little cake was dense and moist, lovely flavour especially with a dollop of 18% yogurt on top.
    We have been eating low carb for many years, so these cakes taste just fine without any sugar added.
  29. Patricia
    Ginger was thinking the same thing!
  30. Aisha Braun
    Made today and itโ€™s so delicious ? Thanks
  31. Sharon
    If I am trying to use up a stash of baking chocolate i.e. 100% cacao, do you have suggestions as to how to substitute for the pre-made dark chocolate bar, ie how much/what kind of sweetener to add?
  32. Brenda
    Sharon, I used 100% cacao baking bars when I made this yesterday. I knew it needed SOME sweetener or it would be super bitter! I was a little worried that I might mess up the texture of the cake by adding anything, but went ahead and put 5 or 6 drops of liquid sweetener before baking. It was still not sweet enough, so I sprinkled the top with powdered sweetener (Swerve) after taking it out of the oven and cooling, and then made some "icing" with sour cream, a splash of whipping cream, liquid Stevia and erythritol. Stir well and place a large scoop on top and it's delicious! Love this recipe... so much better than many other low carb cakes or donuts that are too dry or just not satisfying.
  33. Jeanette
    Can we please have a video for this cake - there are too many things in the making of the recipe I don't understand - mainly due to unfamiliar terminology and techniques.
  34. Faith
    Hi all, may I know which brand of dark chocolate did you guys use?

    I bought the Cadbury dark chocolate with 70% cocoa. 200g of it contains 38g of sugar. That's definitely too much?

  35. Jude
    Can you freeze some after cooking?
  36. Sue
    Can you freeze the cake after cooking?
    Reply: #82
  37. Nicole
    By chance, my mother found this exact recipes in the web over 3 1/2 years ago when we first heard of LCHF! She passed the recipies on to me, and it was a huge success..... As there are are no sugar and flour substitutes for me itโ€™s one of the BEST low-carb dessert. I make brownies like square, I pour the batter into a 26 x 20 cm oven proof dish (covered with parchement paper) and bake it for aprox. 15 minutes. Let it cool in the form and cut into small squares. Important: they taste much better cold on the NEXT day, they taste like chocolate praline! Great to bring along!
  38. Lisa
    I tried this and it is not great mine looked just like the picture and I made sure I followed the recipe to the letter but it was very strong tasting so I won't be doing this again I normally like dark chocolate but was to much for my taste.
  39. Jill
    Iโ€™m confused about the chocolate. I found some Lindt chocolate but it had sugar in it. What kind of chocolate do I use?
  40. Lesley
    This dessert is DD-VINE! Made it today and husband went crazy for it, so good I think it will be a Christmas dessert. I used half 70% half 85% and it was perfect. I also added a quarter teaspoon of instant coffee to the egg yolk, gave a nice mocha touch. Do let your choc and butter mix cool a bit before adding the egg yolks. Soo easy to make, this is pudding heaven. I served it with double cream.
  41. Marion H Rosinski
    will this turn out ok (for those not on this Keto plan) using sugar and not such a dark bitter chocolate? Sounds like it would be great if not so bitter and with no sugar, I don't know...
    Reply: #42
  42. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    will this turn out ok (for those not on this Keto plan) using sugar and not such a dark bitter chocolate? Sounds like it would be great if not so bitter and with no sugar, I don't know...

    This recipe does not call for sugar. Since this is a keto/lchf website, our advice and suggestions will always reflect our guidelines and recommendations. Sugar would not be a good option, keeping that in mind.

  43. Kathi
    This was so goooooood. I used unsweetened chocolate as that was all I had. I added 1 tablespoon of erythritol and a teaspoon and a half of sugar free vanilla. Thank you for this wonderful recipe.
  44. Veronica
    These little bombs were wonderful i made the cake as muffins but I'm a bit concerned that the dark chocolate i used had sugar in it? Is this allowable - does anyone know?
  45. keji owonikoko
    hi, just started my keto journey; are cocoa solids different from the powder because everywhere i go i only see the powder
    Reply: #46
  46. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    This would be a chocolate bar. You want to make sure it's at least 70% chocolate.
  47. Gail DS
    How long do I leave it in the tin before popping it out? And how do I store it?
    Reply: #48
  48. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor
    You can pop it out after just a few minutes. Store it in the refrigerator.
  49. Rahel
    I did it today... its very tasty... but 1) the chocolate already kind of separated from the butter once I added the stiff eggwhite and 2) I had a lot of butter that "escaped" the springform. Is that normal? And how can I avoid it?
    Reply: #50
  50. Kristin Parker Team Diet Doctor

    I did it today... its very tasty... but 1) the chocolate already kind of separated from the butter once I added the stiff eggwhite and 2) I had a lot of butter that "escaped" the springform. Is that normal? And how can I avoid it?

    The separation can be normal. Some people line their springform pans with parchment paper to prevent leaks.

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Ratings

5
81%
4
2%
3
6%
2
9%
1
2%
4.5
1
2
3
4
5
47 Ratings

Ratings

5
81%
4
2%
3
6%
2
9%
1
2%
4.5
1
2
3
4
5
47 Ratings
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