This Passover chocolate cake recipe is super moist, fudgy, and full of deep chocolate flavor without any flour. It's a quick and easy cake recipe that's perfect for the Passover season.
Passover is a major holiday in the Jewish faith that commemorates the Israelites' exodus from slavery in ancient Egypt. It's a very solemn, meaningful time, and certain traditions are observed to pay homage to the Israelites' path to freedom.
Leavened food products with wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt aren't eaten during Passover. This is a ritual observed because during their rapid exodus from Egypt, the Israelites didn't have time to make leavened bread.
While flour doesn't rise on its own, when it's added to baked goods like cakes, it technically becomes a no-no. That puts a lot of baking recipes right out the window.
Because we believe everyone deserves cake, we made this delicious Passover chocolate cake that literally lets you have your cake and eat it, too. Like our gluten free dairy free banana cake and gluten free pumpkin cake, it's made with no flour, so it's not only kosher, but it's gluten free. Anyone can enjoy it!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Limited Ingredients: This chocolate cake only takes six ingredients to make, and they're all found in your kitchen or grocery store.
- Easy to Make: It only takes a few minutes of prep and about an hour in the oven to make this cake.
- Rich and Fudgy: This cake is so rich and fudgy that it almost tastes like a brownie! Om nom nom.
- Kosher: With no flour, this is a kosher cake that everyone can enjoy.
Ingredients
- Dark Chocolate Chunks: OliveNation Barry Callebaut dark chocolate chunks give the cake a deep, rich chocolate flavor.
- Butter: Butter adds richness, making the cake super moist and fudgy.
- Eggs: Eggs add body to the cake and bind the ingredients together.
- Granulated Sugar: Any cake needs sugar!
- Dutched Cocoa Powder: OliveNation 22/24 Fat Dutched cocoa powder gives the cake even more deep chocolate flavor without bitterness.
- Salt: A bit of sea salt accentuates the other flavors in the cake.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Add a Little Coffee: A little espresso powder added to the cocoa powder enhances the flavor of the cake.
- Add Berries: Decorating this cake with various fruits adds more flavor and visual interest. Berries are a great choice for this.
- Milder Chocolate Flavor: You can use semi-sweet chocolate in place of dark chocolate for a milder chocolate flavor.
- Even Deeper Chocolate Flavor: Use bittersweet chocolate for a cake with even deeper chocolate flavor.
- Dairy Free: Use plant butter for a dairy-free version.
Instructions
- Line a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper and wrap the outside with foil twice to keep the water from the water bath out.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second increments, stirring until smooth. Then, set it aside to cool.
- In a mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed until pale and thick.
- Next, slowly mix the cooled chocolate and cocoa powder into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula until well combined. Then, add the salt and mix again. Pour the batter into the pan.
- Place the pan in a larger pan and add hot water until it reaches about ¼ of the way up the cake pan.
- Bake at 290 until the top is set and forms a thin crust. Then, remove it from the water bath and let it cool at room temperature.
- Chill for a few hours and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Be sure you've cooled the chocolate mixture before adding it to the egg mixture. Warm is okay, but hot chocolate will curdle the eggs.
- It's important to whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and thick. This gives the cake more body, which it needs since it's flourless.
- Because the cake is flourless, it needs to chill to fully set. If you serve it warm, you'll be scooping it instead of slicing it!
- Line the outside of your pan thoroughly with foil. It's heartbreaking to take a waterlogged, ruined cake out of the oven.
Pairing Suggestions
This flourless chocolate cake has a rich, fudgy flavor that's the perfect ending to a meal (or a sweet treat a few hours later, depending on how you practice), like our crockpot rosemary chicken or tray baked chicken thighs.
We also love to serve this cake topped with powdered sugar or whipped cream.
FAQ
Flour itself isn't the issue, actually. It's the leavening agents used in most baked goods that cause most practicing Jewish people to avoid them. During passover, the eating of any leavened grain product is prohibited. So while flour itself is perfectly okay, when it's added to baked goods with leavening agents, it becomes a no-no.
This cake is made with melted chocolate and butter, eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder, so it has a very deep, rich chocolate flavor and fudgy texture that's somewhat similar to a brownie.
Absolutely! Even if you have zero dietary or religious restrictions, flourless chocolate cake is always a winner when it comes to dessert. It's so chocolatey and fudgy.
Chocolate chips, chunks, or coarsely chopped chocolate bars can be used. You can also use your favorite kind of chocolate. Milk, semi-sweet, and dark chocolate all add different depths of chocolate flavor to a flourless cake.
A flourless chocolate cake will last for about 4 days in the refrigerator when stored in an airtight container.
📖 Recipe
Passover Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 12 oz dark chocolate chunks
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 5 eggs
- ⅓ cup 22/24 fat Dutched cocoa powder
- ⅓ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 290 degrees. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and wrap the outside twice with foil.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl at 30-second intervals, stirring between each until smooth. Set aside to cool.
- In a mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar on high for 5 to 7 minutes until pale and thick.
- Slowly add the melted chocolate and cocoa powder, mixing with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Add the salt and mix again until well combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Then, place the pan in a larger baking dish. Add hot water to the outside dish until it reaches about ¼ of the way up the side of the inner pan.
- Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top forms a thin crust, but the center is still soft.
- Remove the cake from the water bath and cool to room temperature.
- Chill the cake for 4 hours and enjoy.
Notes
- Refrigerate this cake for up to 4 days in a covered container.
- For longer storage, wrap individual pieces in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to a month in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- Defrost the cake overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Always keep the cake cold.
- When wrapping the pan with foil, ensure that the seams on the first and second layers are staggered to help make it even harder for water to get into the pan.
- We find that the thickness of heavy-duty foil is perfect for wrapping pans for water baths.
- If you choose to add berries, wash and dry them just before you add them to the top of the cake to prevent mold growth.
Criss says
Just made this Passover chocolate cake—so rich and moist, you’d never guess it’s flourless! Definitely keeping this one on repeat.
Nicole Kendrick says
I love this one when I'm in need of a flourless cake! Enjoy!
Andrea says
This cake came out rich, dense, and almost like a brownie. The chocolate flavor was perfect after dinner, and the texture set up beautifully after a few hours in the fridge.
Nicole Kendrick says
Thank you so much! I love this for a small treat at the end of the night!
Leslie says
This cake was divine! So chocolaty and delicious..this is a keeper for sure!!
Nicole Kendrick says
Glad to hear you liked it! Thanks for the review!
Sonja says
I don't think I could ever pass over chocolate cake! (Sorry for the pun. I just could not resist). This was so utterly rich and chocolate-y I really will find any reason to make it, holiday or not.
Nicole Kendrick says
SO CUTE! Thank you so much for giving this one a shot! I hope you enjoy!
Jean says
You had me at chocolate. I’ve never made one like this but made for a Jewish friend and she loved it.
Nicole Kendrick says
I hope you and her both enjoy the holiday!
Paula says
So impressed with how delicious this cake is with so few ingredients! Definitely making Passover cake year round.
amy liu dong says
Such a rich and decadent cake. I can call this a chocolate cake perfection!
Yummy!
amy says
This was absolutely addictive and tasted like brownies!
Elizabeth says
This cake is delicious! The chocolate flavor is perfection, and my family loved it!
Claudia says
Just tried this Passover chocolate cake—rich, moist, and super easy to make. No one would guess it’s flourless! 🍫🍰
Audrey says
This is a must make dessert! So chocolatey and delish
Nicole Kendrick says
I love every bit of chocolate in this cake!
nico says
this cake is so delish!
Nicole Kendrick says
I agree! Thanks so much!
Joan says
A friend gave me this recipe and I wanted to try so much, that I didn't care is not the passover season. It's my new favorite chocolate cake!!
Nicole Kendrick says
Cute! I love to hear that. This cake really does work on any day of the year!
Kelly says
This flourless chocolate cake is so decadent--I've been looking forward to serving it this Christmas!
Nicole Kendrick says
I hope you enjoy this fantastic dessert!
Cylie says
This Passover chocolate cake looks rich and indulgent. Super chocolatey and perfect for celebrating with something sweet.
Nicole Kendrick says
I love to bring this over to friends houses during their holiday. Thank you for giving it a try!
Eric says
This came out so well! I was looking for a gluten free chocolate cake recipe and found this. I wasn't sure how it'd turn out without sugar but it was delicious and super easy.
Nicole Kendrick says
YAY! Glad you found a way to make this work for you! Enjoy the yummy cake!
Adam says
Really love how simple yet indulgent this feels. It’s the kind of cake everyone would enjoy, holiday or not.
Nicole Kendrick says
Totally agree! This one can work for any occasion! Enjoy!
Lauren says
I tried to make this cake before and it didn't work, so I decided to try again with a new recipe. I found yours and wow! The chocolate cake turned out delicious and with a perfect texture.
Nicole Kendrick says
I love to hear that my cake was the answer to all your baking problems! I hope you enjoy it!!
Mia says
This cake was incredibly rich and fudgy. It didn't feel like it was missing a thing, and it was the perfect sweet finish for our holiday dessert.
Nicole Kendrick says
So so glad you were able to celebrate with a sweet treat! Thank you!
Michele says
A deliciously rich cake brimming with chocolate flavour. Will definitely be making it year-round.
Nicole Kendrick says
Agreed!! This is great any time of the year!
Al says
Delicious yet so simple to make. Was rich and flavorful without being too heavy.
Nicole Kendrick says
Sometimes it is so nice to skip the flour and have a different type of chocolate treat!
Kim says
This was such a good moist chocolate cake!
Nicole Kendrick says
Moist and full of chocolate flavor!