Peppermint Flourless Chocolate Cake
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Naturally gluten-free, easy to make, and elegant in every way, this Peppermint Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe is the PERFECT holiday dessert!
Maybe you’ve had classic flourless chocolate cake before, but have you had PEPPERMINT flourless chocolate cake?
This easy peppermint flourless cake recipe is different from other flourless chocolate cake recipes in a few key ways:
- SIMPLE PREPARATION. No separating egg yolks & whites, or whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks. If you can melt & stir, you can make this cake! They’re the only skills required!
- NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT. No stand mixer, no springform pan, no piping bag or other fancy tools required. Just a regular 8-inch round cake pan, a heatproof bowl, and a spatula!
- A DOUBLE DOSE OF PEPPERMINT. Really, a triple dose. Peppermint in the cake, peppermint in the ganache, and then some crushed peppermint for garnish.
Basically, this fudgy chocolate cake is the PERFECT CAKE for a holiday dinner party or celebration! It’s naturally gluten-free, easy to make, and looks elegant and impressive without a lot of extra fuss.
Best of all, it starts with a few simple ingredients…
Start With Simple Ingredients
- Butter. Part of what gives this peppermint flourless chocolate cake it’s ultra rich texture is the high percentage of butter & chocolate. It’s worth it, I promise!
- Chocolate or Chocolate Chips. We highly recommend dark chocolate (66-72% chocolate) as this kind of chocolate pairs so beautifully with the peppermint. If you must, you can use semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, but we do NOT recommend milk chocolate here, since it will change the structure and flavor of the cake.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness, moisture, and body to the cake.
- Vanilla Extract. Always! Vanilla makes chocolate taste even more chocolatey.
- Peppermint Extract. A little peppermint extract in the cake batter and the ganache enhances the rich chocolate flavor of this cake for a delicious holiday twist!
- Salt. Just enough to balance the flavor!
- Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder. Please use Dutch cocoa powder (dark cocoa powder) rather than regular cocoa powder for this cake. It has a richer color and flavor that’s terrific with the peppermint.
- Heavy Cream. For the ganache, you’ll need some heavy whipping cream.
- Maybe Some Crushed Peppermint Candy. For garnish, I love adding some crushed candy canes or peppermint candy! (Check out the “Serving Ideas” section below for other topping ideas!)
How To Make Peppermint Flourless Chocolate Cake, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
First, Make The Cake
- Preheat & Prep. To start, heat oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan and line bottom of the pan with parchment paper. (Don’t skip the parchment!)
- Melt Chocolate & Butter. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and 8 ounces chocolate. Gently melt on low power in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until this mixture is smooth and glossy. (Alternatively, you can do this in a double boiler on the stovetop.)
- Combine. Add sugar, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt to chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Next, add the cocoa powder and stir until just combined and no large clumps remain.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and gently smooth the surface into an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. The top of the cake should spring back when gently pressed and the interior temperature should be between 195-200 degrees F.
- Cool in the pan 10-15 minutes, then carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Carefully remove the parchment paper, and let cake cool completely before making the chocolate ganache.
When The Cake Is Cool, Make The Ganache
- Heat the cream in a large microwave safe bowl until it’s just steaming. Do not let the cream boil or simmer, just heat it to steaming. Add the peppermint extract and stir to combine.
- Mix In Chocolate. Add 6-ounces chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. (If your chocolate ganache seems too thick, you can mix in additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time until it’s a pourable consistency.)
- Decorate. Transfer the cake to your desired serving plate or cake stand. Pour the ganache onto the cooled cake and gently smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula. Let the ganache set completely, then sprinkle with candy cane or garnish with chocolate curls right before serving. Cut into slices & enjoy!
- Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or freeze up to 2 months. This cake is best served at room temperature, so pull leftover cake out of the fridge to come up to room temperature before serving again.
Ganache Tips
A few things to keep in mind as you make this chocolate ganache:
- Don’t Burn The Cream. You want to heat the cream to steaming. It should be too hot for you to comfortably touch, but shouldn’t be simmering or boiling. You don’t want to scald the chocolate!
- Get The Texture Just Right. The higher the percentage of cacao, the more cream it will take to get smooth ganache. If you’re using 74% chocolate, you may need more cream than if you’re using 60% chocolate. You want it easy to spread!
- Stir Gently. You want to stir fairly gently to avoid incorporating extra air into the ganache. If you do get little air bubbles in the ganache, you can gently tap the bowl on the counter, or even burst the bubbles with a toothpick!
- Try Corn Syrup. If you want an extra glossy shine, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of corn syrup to the ganache. This is 100% optional!
Serving Ideas
This peppermint flourless chocolate cake is RICH! We love it in small slices best, especially with some fun toppings.
- Ganache & Peppermint. This is how the recipe is written. The chocolate ganache & crushed peppermint are elegant & delicious!
- Whipped Cream. If you want to skip the ganache, you can try serving this cake with whipped cream & crushed peppermint candy instead.
- Powdered Sugar. Feel free to omit the ganache & dust the cake with a little powdered sugar instead. You can even use parchment paper cut-outs to make cute designs, like hearts, snowflakes or Christmas trees!
- Ice Cream. Or serve this holiday cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or peppermint ice cream and a simple chocolate sauce instead. You can’t go wrong!
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Peppermint Flourless Chocolate Cake
Can I Use Another Size Pan? Technically, yes, though it will change your results. For instance, a 9-inch cake pan will produce a thinner cake, which will cook more quickly. I recommend this post about converting pan sizes for guidance.
Can I Make This Cake Dairy-Free? Yes, though keep in mind the flavor will change a bit. Using vegan butter, like Earth Balance, is an easy dairy-free swap. Then, making sure to use dairy-free chocolate will keep this cake 100% dairy-free! (Guittard brand dark chocolate is what I used for these photos, and it’s gluten-free & dairy-free!)
Gluten-Free Tips. Because this chocolate peppermint cake doesn’t contain any flour, it’s naturally gluten-free! One thing to be aware of if you don’t usually bake gluten-free is that you need to use fresh bags/containers of ingredients and VERY clean tools to avoid cross contamination. (i.e. if you’ve ever dipped into your sugar with the same measuring cup you use to scoop flour, you’ll need to use a fresh bag of sugar!)
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Peppermint Flourless Chocolate Cake
Our Peppermint Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe is perfect for the holidays–naturally gluten-free, easy to make, and elegant in every way!
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Servings: 12 -16 Servings
Ingredients
For The Cake:
- 1 cup butter (226 grams/2 sticks, cut into cubes)
- 8 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate chopped (or 1 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips)*
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (63 grams)
For The Ganache & Decoration:
- 6 ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate or 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream (118 ml)
- ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
- Optional: crushed candy cane or peppermint candies chocolate curls, etc.
Instructions
First, Make The Cake
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan and line with parchment paper. (Don’t skip the parchment!)
- Melt Chocolate & Butter. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and 8 ounces chocolate. Gently melt on low power in 10-15 second intervals, stirring in between each interval, until this mixture is smooth and glossy. (Alternatively, you can do this in a double boiler on the stovetop.)
- Combine. Add sugar, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt to chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Add eggs one at a time, beating to fully incorporate each egg before adding the next one. Next, add the cocoa powder and stir until just combined and no large clumps remain.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan and gently smooth the surface into an even layer.
- Bake in preheated oven 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs. The top of the cake should spring back when gently pressed and the interior temperature should be between 195-200 degrees F.
- Cool in the pan 10-15 minutes, then carefully turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Allow the cake to fully cool before making the chocolate ganache.
When The Cake Is Cool, Make The Ganache
- Heat the cream in a large microwave safe bowl until it’s just steaming. Do not let the cream boil or simmer, just heat it to steaming. Add the peppermint extract and stir to combine.
- Mix In Chocolate. Add 6-ounces chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth and glossy. (If your chocolate ganache seems too thick, you can mix in additional cream 1 teaspoon at a time until it’s a pourable consistency.)
- Decorate. Transfer the cake to your desired serving plate or cake stand. Pour the ganache onto the cooled cake and gently smooth into an even layer with an offset spatula. Let the ganache set completely, then sprinkle with candy cane or garnish with chocolate curls right before serving. Cut into slices & enjoy!
- Store leftover cake covered in the refrigerator 3-4 days, or freeze up to 2 months. This cake is best served at room temperature, so pull leftover cake out of the fridge to come up to room temperature before serving again.
Notes
- Texture. Keep in mind that because it doesn’t have flour, flourless chocolate cake is FUDGY. It’s somewhere between a truffle and brownie and cake, rather than a light, fluffy cake. It will look very moist inside. If you’ve cooked it to the right temperature, it’s not underdone. Just fudgy!
- Slice SMALL! This cake is RICH! Small slices work best. Promise.
- More Toppings To Try. If you want to skip the ganache, you can try serving this cake with whipped cream & crushed peppermint candy, or serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or peppermint ice cream and a simple chocolate sauce instead.
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/peppermint-flourless-chocolate-cake/
So easy to make and it feels like Christmas to me. Perfect texture