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Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two

Treat yourself and your favorite chocolate lover to these rich, dark, and delicious Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two!

Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two served in white ramekins set on white plates

Flourless Chocolate Cake for Two

Quinn and I have never been big celebrators of Valentine’s Day, but I do love the extra excuse to indulge in a little chocolate. And these little chocolate cakes are the perfect way to share a rich, decadent dessert with your favorite chocolate lover.

Of course, there’s zero reason this recipe should be delegated to Valentine’s Day only. No, there are plenty of reasons to whip up these quick and easy cakes. Birthdays, anniversaries, a work promotion, a mundane Tuesday… you get the idea.

My favorite thing about flourless chocolate cake is that it makes no apologies for being all about the chocolate. It’s rich and dense and just plain delicious. And that simplicity means that you can easily make them whenever you have a chocolate craving!

Looking to make dessert for a larger chocolate-loving crowd? Try Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache!

overhead view of Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two on white plates

What You’ll Need

See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions. Here are some notes about the ingredients you’ll need to make your chocolate cake for two.

overhead view of ingredients for Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two
  • Unsalted butter – You’ll need butter for the cake batter and also for prepping the ramekins.
  • Cocoa powder – Use a dusting of cocoa powder in the ramekins to help keep the cakes from sticking. While you might usually use flour for this purpose, cocoa powder works well here for its color and flavor.
  • Bittersweet chocolate – I recommend a dark chocolate for these little cakes, but you can go a little less dark with semisweet if you prefer. Learn more: Baker’s Guide to Chocolate
  • Granulated sugar
  • Light brown sugar
  • Egg – Let the egg come to room temperature for easier mixing and a better cake texture.
  • Vanilla extract – Almond extract is also a good choice. For a bigger punch of flavor, try using a flavored liqueur. If you go that route, use about twice the amount of vanilla.
  • Salt

How to Make Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two

These little chocolate cakes mix quickly and easily. You’ll have them in the oven in short order!

Prepare for baking. Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 5- or 6-ounce ramekins, taking care to cover the interior surface thoroughly. Dust with cocoa powder, and then shake out the excess.

Melt the chocolate and butter. Place them in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat at half-power in 30-second increments until the butter has melted and the chocolate melts when stirred. Stir the mixture until it’s smooth, and then set aside to cool slightly.

Mix the batter. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt in a mixing bowl. You can mix by hand or with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the chocolate mixture, and mix until smooth.

Portion and bake. Place the ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet to make it easier to take them in and out of the oven. Divide the batter evenly between the ramekins. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cakes appear set. They will puff as they bake but will deflate as they cool.

overhead view of Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two on a wire rack

Garnish and serve. The cakes are best served warm. If needed, wipe off any cocoa powder that remains around the top edges of the ramekins. Top the cakes with sweetened whipped cream or your preferred topping.

Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two served in white ramekins and topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder

Serving Ideas

I like to serve these chocolate cakes still in their ramekins, although you can certainly remove them easily and plate them however you like. There are plenty of options for topping them to suit your tastes.

  • Sweetened whipped cream – Its sweetness is a perfect companion to these dark chocolate cakes. You can happily stop there or add another topping like some of the ones listed below. Learn more: How to Make Whipped Cream
  • Ice cream – Vanilla ice cream is also a tasty choice. Or try another flavor, like chocolate chip, cookies and cream, or strawberry.
  • Chocolate – A little extra chocolate on top of whipped cream or ice cream is never a bad idea! Try chocolate curls, cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, or your favorite chocolate sauce.
  • Cookies – Garnish with cookie crumbs, cookie pieces, or small cookies. Oreos, chocolate chip, peanut butter… whatever you like!
  • Caramel – Drizzle your favorite caramel sauce over the top. Bonus points if you start with a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream!
  • Fresh berries – Serve these cakes simply with strawberries, raspberries, or another favorite berry.
overhead view of Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two with a bite on a spoon resting next to one of the servings

Tips for Success

These chocolate cakes for two are very easy to make, but there are a few things to keep in mind to help ensure baking success.

  • Use good quality chocolate. The flavor focus here is squarely on chocolate, so make sure to use a good chocolate for the best results.
  • Use the right size ramekins. These cakes rise and puff while they bake, so make sure you’ve got enough room at the top to allow for that. I recommend 5- or 6-ounce capacity ramekins. The ones pictured here are 5 ounces (linked below the recipe).
  • Don’t have ramekins? You can make these in standard muffin cups, filling them about half full. You will likely have enough batter to make three cakes that way, so they may need slightly less baking time.
Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two served on white plates

How to Store

Honestly, you aren’t likely to have leftovers. If you do, however, you can cover the completely cooled cakes with plastic wrap or transfer them to an airtight container and store up to 3 days. For longer storage, wrap the cakes well in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-safe container up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two

Yield 2 servings
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

These rich, delicious chocolate cakes are perfect for sharing with your favorite chocolate lover!

Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two served in white ramekins set on white plates

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins
  • unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting the ramekins
  • 2 ounces (56g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 & 1/2 tablespoons (18g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (12g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • sweetened whipped cream, for garnish
  • chocolate shavings, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 5- or 6-ounce ramekins. Dust with cocoa powder and shake out the excess.
  2. Place chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at half-power in the microwave in 30-second increments until the butter has melted and the chocolate melts when stirred. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the sugar, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and salt until combined. Add the chocolate mixture and mix until smooth.
  4. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins.
  5. To make it easier to put the cakes in the oven and take them out, place them on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until cakes are set.
  6. Serve warm in the ramekins. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

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This recipe was originally developed in partnership with Go Bold with Butter.

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    53 Comments on “Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two”

  1. I’m with you on the valentines day thing — we don’t celebrate it either! I do, however, get into the whole chocolate and red velvet thing. 😃. I love Flourless chocolate cake, and I love that this is just big enough for two. Perfect!

  2. In this recipe do you a baking chocolate or a “better” chocolate? Thanks!

  3. I think this is the perfect way to make flourless chocolate cake, it’s so darn rich that a whole cake can be overkill. I’m really glad to have a scaled down recipe for one of my favorite things on earth, thanks Jennifer!

  4. No excuse for this cake needed. Love!

  5. Aww that’s the best reason to not celebrate Valentine’s Day. Love these! I gotta share with my gluten-free friends.

  6. And you simply MUST, absolutely must have fresh whipped cream with these. The balance of the two are just heavenly together.
    Flourless is way to go when you have high-quality chocolate to bake with.

  7. awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww that’s so sweet! Romantics 😀

    These cakes look SO incredible! Dense and ever so chocolatey! (and baked with love :P)

  8. These looks so luscious and chocolatey. Perfect way to finish a romantic evening together!

  9. Looks amazing! I really like your dotted ramekin — where is it from!?

  10. These look so rich and delicious. Love it! Just pinned.

  11. I started to roll my eyes, but then remembered that 2.0 and I don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day for the same reason. So, I stopped mid-roll and thought about how much I’d love to eat this for dessert tonight…

  12. These are only Flourless Chocolate Cakes for Two if someone else sees you baking them. Just sayin.’ 🙂

  13. I am wayyyy to tempted to bake up a couple of these tonight!

  14. Just made these tonight. Wanted something rich and chocolaty but not too much of something. These were wonderful! I put whipped cream on mine but my husband had ice cream. Perfect!

  15. Just made these… So EASY and they taste heavenly! Substituted the whipped cream with vanilla ice cream. Thought it was a good complement.

  16. I’m going to try this tonight with some ancho chili powder added in, to complement our fish tacos. And we don’t “do” Valentine’s day, either, because, even after 37 years, I can still say that my husband treats me as if every day were Valentine’s day (plus, I don’t like all the “obligation” and pressure that this holiday puts on so many people, men especially). Feel so blessed to be sharing life with him – and now we’ll be sharing chocolate cake, too. Thanks!

  17. I just made these and was a little disappointed, however they were still good. Mine were a little too salty for my taste so if I try this again I will use only a pinch. Also I preemptively put the whipped cream on and the cake may have curdled it. I recommend to wait until cool for putting the whipped cream on. Another aspect that could be improved was the egg. In eggs there are small white globs that can be removed. In this recipe the white stuff (not the egg white itself) should be removed as to prevent a mini scrambled egg. I also like raspberries to go with this. Overall, this is a good recipe that could use minor improvements.

  18. I made some chocolate ramekin cakes today, but, when I removed them from the oven, they all collapsed! They still tasted awesome, but what did I do wrong to make them collapse?

    • I’m sorry you had troubles, Donna. It’s not uncommon for this kind of cake to collapse a little, but not a great amount. Did you change anything about the recipe? If not, they may have cooled too quickly.

  19. I just made this as a test before making it again to take to a friend. It is lovely! I used salted butter and deleted the salt in the recipe. Mine took 23 minutes to bake. It’s a keeper.

  20. Just made this and it turned out quite well!! Very moist and took about 21 minutes in the oven. Thanks for the recipe!

  21. I found these when looking for desserts for two on Pinterest and made them last night and they were perfect! Thank you for a great recipe!

  22. If I want to make more than two, is it just a matter of doubling or tripling the current recipe? I made them this week (two of them) and they were OUTSTANDING!!! As a person with Celiac they were a fantastic dessert. Thank you

  23. So good! I left them in for 26 minutes b/c I wasn’t sure if they were done. Tasted amazing but cooked too long on the sides. Didn’t matter though! Also, my husband decided not to eat his so I stuck it in the fridge and reheated it tonight – still just as good! Thanks for the recipe!

  24. This recipe turned out so well! It is an excellent recipe for when you need a sophisticated dessert fast. I just whisked the ingredients together instead of using a mixer and it worked perfectly. Thanks for the amazing recipe! I will definitely be using it again.

  25. Hello, I tried this recipe today n it came out great. It sunk in the middle. Any idea why that happened?
    Anyways looking forward for more recipes. Will be trying your chocolate torte next. 🙂

  26. Way too salty!! Omit the salt altogether if using salted butter. Nice portion size recipe though. 

    • Hi, Rosa. Any time you choose to use salted butter for baking, you’ll definitely need to adjust the salt in the recipe. Unfortunately, there’s no standard for how much salt is in salted butter, which is why I recommend baking with unsalted butter.

  27. I made these for a special dinner. Used unsalted butter, but still found them very salty. Also not enough sugar. I don’t like too sweet dessert, but this was really not like dessert at all. 

  28. Made them for Easter Sunday dinner and they were perfect!!!

  29. Can you make the batter beforehand and then bake them? Would the batter need to stay refrigerated?

  30. Is there any nutritional information on these cakes?

  31. I’ve made these twice now and I love them!
    How long can these be kept in the refrigerator?

  32. Can you do all the prep beforehand and bake later?

  33. I actually bought 9oz ramekins….couldn’t find 5 or 6 oz ones.   How long would I bake them if I doubled the recipe and only made 2 ramekins?  I did double the recipe and made 4 and they were really delicious.  Thanks

    • Hi, Carol! I’m glad you liked these little cakes! The tricky thing about making double the batter in each ramekin is getting them thoroughly baked. If the ramekins aren’t any wider than a normal 5- or 6-ounce ramekins, then it will likely be a bit of a challenge to know when they’re done. I’d start with adding about 5 minutes and then assess from there. After the tops appear set, you may still want to give them a few more minutes to let the centers continue to bake. If the ramekins are wider than normal, then just adding a few more minutes may be sufficient. Either way, be sure to put the ramekins on a baking sheet because the 9-ounce size is going to be a tight fit for that amount of batter. Even though they deflate as they cool, they bake just over the top with 5-ounce ramekins. I hope that helps!

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