Flourless Greek Yogurt Chocolate Cake

This Flourless Greek Yogurt Chocolate Cake is for anyone who loves a slice that tastes like pure chocolate. Dark chocolate and cocoa carry the flavor, thick Greek yogurt adds creaminess and a gentle tang, and eggs hold it all together without a spoonful of flour.

Here's what to expect: this isn't a light, fluffy sponge cake, and it isn't a molten lava cake either. It bakes until the edges are set and the center is just barely set, then chills in the refrigerator until it's dense, moist and fudgy, with a smooth, creamy texture somewhere between a flourless chocolate torte and a chocolate cheesecake.

Why You'll Enjoy This Cake

• Deep chocolate flavor from 70% dark chocolate plus unsweetened cocoa.
• No flour of any kind. No wheat flour, almond flour, oat flour or starch.
• Seven ingredients, and no butter or oil.
• One bowl for the batter, plus one for melting the chocolate.
• Make-ahead friendly. It needs to chill anyway, so it's an easy dessert to bake the day before.
• Plain and simple. No frosting or ganache. Dress it up only if you want to.

Ingredients and Notes

You'll find exact amounts in the ingredient list above. A few notes on choosing them:

Thick, full-fat Greek yogurt. Use 1 cup (240 g) of plain, full-fat Greek yogurt that's thick enough to hold its shape on a spoon. Thin or regular yogurt adds too much liquid and gives a wetter, less sliceable cake. Low-fat Greek yogurt works in a pinch but tastes less rich. Skip flavored or sweetened yogurt. Set it on the counter 30 to 45 minutes before you start.

Dark chocolate, 60% to 70% cacao. 8 ounces (225 g), finely chopped so it melts evenly. Choose a bar you'd enjoy eating, since it's the main flavor of the cake. Chocolate chips often contain stabilizers that keep them from melting into a perfectly smooth batter, so a bar is the better choice.

How the cacao percentage changes the cake. The higher the percentage, the more cocoa solids and the less sugar the chocolate contains:

• 60% to 65%: a sweeter, milder, crowd-pleasing cake.
• 70%: rich and deep, with balanced sweetness. This is the best middle ground for this recipe.
• Above 72%: more bitter and intense, and the cake can taste less sweet and a little drier. If you use it, expect a darker, more grown-up flavor.

Semisweet chocolate (usually around 55% to 60%) gives a sweeter cake. Milk chocolate is too soft and sweet for this recipe.

Eggs. 3 large eggs are the only thing holding the cake together, so don't reduce them. Room-temperature eggs blend smoothly with the chocolate; cold eggs can make warm chocolate firm up into small specks. To warm them quickly, set the whole eggs in a bowl of warm tap water for 5 to 10 minutes.

Granulated sugar. ½ cup (100 g) balances the dark chocolate and the tang of the yogurt. Whisking it with the eggs first helps it dissolve.

Unsweetened cocoa powder. ¼ cup (21 g) deepens the chocolate flavor. It's here for flavor, not as a flour substitute. Natural or Dutch-process both work; Dutch-process gives a darker color and a slightly mellower taste. Sift it, because cocoa tends to clump.

Vanilla extract and salt. 2 teaspoons of vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of fine salt round out the chocolate and keep it from tasting flat.

Flourless Is Not Automatically Gluten-Free

There's no flour in this cake, but that alone doesn't guarantee it's gluten-free. Some chocolate, cocoa powder and flavorings are made in facilities that also handle wheat, and some products contain added ingredients. If you're baking for someone who must avoid gluten, choose chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and yogurt labeled gluten-free, and make sure your pan and tools are clean.

This cake contains eggs and dairy, so it isn't vegan or dairy-free.

Equipment and Pan Size

• An 8-inch round springform pan. The removable side lets you release a soft, fudgy cake without flipping it. The batter fills it about 1½ inches deep.
• Parchment paper, cut into an 8-inch round for the bottom and a long strip, 2½ to 3 inches tall, for the sides. Lining both means the pan needs no greasing.
• A rimmed baking sheet to set the springform on, in case of any leaks.
• A heatproof bowl and saucepan (or a microwave-safe bowl) for melting the chocolate.
• A large mixing bowl, a whisk, a fine-mesh sieve and a rubber spatula.
• An instant-read thermometer for checking the center.
• A wire rack for cooling.
• A long, sharp knife and a tall glass of hot water for clean slices.

Using a regular 8-inch round cake pan? Choose one with sides at least 2 inches tall and line the bottom and sides with parchment. Chill the cake in the pan, then run a knife around the edge and carefully invert it onto a plate and flip it back onto a serving plate. A springform is much easier.

Using a 9-inch springform? The batter will be thinner, so start checking at 25 to 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

• Active prep: about 20 minutes to melt the chocolate and mix the batter.
• Baking: 35 to 45 minutes at 325°F (165°C).
• Cooling: about 1 hour at room temperature in the pan.
• Chilling: at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight.
• Total time: about 6 hours 5 minutes from start to slicing, most of it hands-off. The recipe card's total includes the cooling and chilling.
• Yield: one 8-inch cake, cut into 10 slices. It's rich, so slices can be slim.
• Plan ahead: take the yogurt and eggs out of the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before you begin.

How to Melt and Combine the Chocolate Smoothly

Melted chocolate is sensitive to both heat and cold, so a few simple habits keep the batter silky:

1. Melt gently. Use barely simmering water under the bowl, or the microwave at 50% power in short bursts. Overheated chocolate turns thick, dull and grainy.
2. Keep water out. A few drops of water or steam can make melted chocolate seize into a stiff paste. Dry the bowl and spatula well.
3. Let it cool slightly. Hot chocolate can start to cook the eggs and leave tiny scrambled bits. Five to 10 minutes off the heat is usually enough. It should feel warm, not hot.
4. Have everything else at room temperature. Cold yogurt or eggs can make the warm chocolate firm up into small specks.
5. Add the chocolate in two additions, folding until smooth after each, then sift in the cocoa last.

How to Tell When It's Done

This cake is meant to be fudgy, so don't bake it until a toothpick comes out completely dry. Start checking at 35 minutes. It's ready when:

1. The edges are set and slightly puffed, and the top has gone from shiny to matte.
2. The center 2 to 3 inches wobble slightly as one piece when you gently nudge the pan, like a set custard. It should not ripple, slosh or look wet.
3. The center reads 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer. USDA lists 160°F as the safe minimum internal temperature for egg dishes.

A toothpick inserted halfway between the edge and the center should come out with moist, fudgy crumbs. If the center still ripples like liquid, bake for 5 more minutes and check again.

The center keeps setting as it cools and chills, so a slight wobble is exactly what you want.

Cooling and Chilling for Clean Slices

Warm, this cake is soft and spoonable. After cooling for about 1 hour and chilling for at least 4 hours, it firms up into rich, creamy slices. Overnight is even easier to cut.

The parchment strip around the sides lets the cake settle as it cools without sticking to the pan, and makes it easy to release. A few fine cracks on top are normal.

To slice, dip a long, sharp knife in hot water, wipe it dry and make one cut. Repeat for every slice.

Troubleshooting

Grainy or speckled batter. Usually the chocolate was overheated, came into contact with water, or met cold yogurt or eggs and firmed into small bits. Melt gently, keep water away, and use room-temperature ingredients. If the batter is only lightly speckled, set the bowl over warm water for a minute and whisk until it smooths out.

Dry cake. Most often overbaking. Start checking at 35 minutes, look for the slight wobble in the center, and remember it keeps setting as it chills. Chocolate above 72% cacao can also make the cake taste drier.

Unset center. If the center is still liquid after chilling, the cake was underbaked. Next time, bake until the center wobbles as one piece and reads 160°F. Thin or runny yogurt can also leave the cake too wet.

Cracks. A small crack is common in flourless cakes as they settle and doesn't affect flavor. Large cracks usually come from overbaking, too hot an oven, or a cake that cooled in a cold draft. Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer, line the sides with parchment, and cool the cake slowly at room temperature.

Serving Suggestions

The cake is complete on its own. These toppings are optional and not part of the base recipe:

• Fresh berries: raspberries or sliced strawberries.
• A spoonful of Greek yogurt or lightly sweetened whipped cream.
• A light dusting of cocoa powder just before serving.
• Flaky sea salt, sprinkled sparingly on each slice.
• Coffee or espresso on the side.

Looking for more chocolate and yogurt desserts? Try the Flourless Black Cocoa and Chia Greek Yogurt Cake or the Flourless Coconut Greek Yogurt Cake. For a classic layer cake, see Easy German Chocolate Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting.

Refrigeration and Freezing

This cake is made with eggs and dairy, so keep it in the refrigerator.

Refrigerator. Refrigerate the cake within 2 hours of it cooling, and don't leave slices at room temperature for more than 2 hours. Cover it tightly, or store slices in an airtight container, and enjoy within 4 days for best quality.

Freezer. Chill the cake completely first. Wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil or a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 2 months for best quality. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, still wrapped, so condensation doesn't form on the surface.