Fudgy Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
This Fudgy Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake couldn’t be easier to make at home! Dense, and so chocolatey with notes of yummy peanut butter, it’s ready in just under one hour. The cake batter combines simple ingredients like dark chocolate, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and eggs, and then the cake is topped with a homemade chocolate-peanut butter ganache. For best results, bake in a springform pan.
My favourite thing about this recipe…
I mean, where do I start? I’m obsessed with chocolate and this packs a punch of flavour! Really hits those chocolate cravings. I also love the addition of peanut butter in this recipe. It’s obviously a flavour match made in heaven. But it’s in the cake, and it’s in the frosting. Speaking of frosting!
I love the peanut butter stripes too! So classic, but really effective and easy to achieve! You can watch me do it in the video below or click here to watch!
That frosting is like magic!
Before I made this recipe, I had no idea that adding peanut butter to cooking chocolate would make it so velvety smooth and add a dimension of flavour that is magic! I don’t know about you, but sometimes when you add butter to the chocolate and try to melt the two ingredients together, it can seize. I just find that really frustrating. But adding peanut butter stopped that from happening.
What does this simple and easy flourless chocolate cake taste like?
Chocolate, chocolate, CHOCOLATE! So fudgy, it has lots of eggs but doesn’t taste eggy. The texture is smooth and moist. It kind of reminds me of a really simple tea cake. Like, something you can serve with tea or coffee.
What you need to make this cake
Cake
Dark chocolate – Use dark chocolate for this recipe. It will give you a strong chocolate flavour without being overly sweet. And make sure it’s cooking chocolate for best results. I use the Nestle baking melts.
Unsalted Butter – You could use salted butter here but just keep in mind the peanut butter will give you some salt in the recipe.
Peanut Butter – I used regular smooth peanut butter. You can use crunchy if you like for added texture and crunch.
Eggs – Regular large-sized eggs are good here. Whisking them before you add them to the warm chocolate mixture will ensure that there’s no risk of them cooking in the chocolate
Caster sugar – this will dissolve in the mixture easily.
Cocoa powder – use unsweetened cocoa powder and use a really good quality cocoa powder too. It makes all the difference.
Ganache
Dark Chocolate, butter and peanut butter – Make sure you use dark chocolate in this recipe if you don’t want the ganache to be overly sweet. You can use salted butter if you like, but there’s already salt in the peanut butter I used.
How to make this simple and easy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Cake
1. Add the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter to a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.
2. Stir until completely smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Add the eggs to a bowl and gently whisk.
4. Add the whisked eggs to the chocolate mixture while continuously whisking.
5. Add the sugar and stir until well combined,
6. Sift in the cocoa powder.
7. Stir until well combined.
8. Add the batter to a springform pan that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes on
Ganache
1. Add the chocolate, peanut butter, and butter to a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water.
2. Stir until smooth.
Let’s Decorate!
1. Pour the ganache on top of the chilled cake.
2. Spread around.
3. Pipe lines of warm peanut butter.
4. Use a skewer or the end of a spoon to swish across the lines to create decoration. Allow cooling.
Tips for making simple and easy Flourless Chocolate Cake
• This recipe is really easy. The only tip I have for you guys is to use a springform pan when baking. It’ll make taking it out of the pan so much easier than not using one.
• Make sure the peanut butter is warm when piping it on top of the ganache. Make sure the ganache is still thin enough too so that you can have the best results when swirling.
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Other Recipes You Might Like!
Gluten-Free Raspberry White Chocolate Cupcakes
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @thescranline on Facebook and Instagram!
Fudgy Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
Serves 12
Ingredients
Flourless Chocolate Cake
- 200 g dark cooking chocolate, see notes
- 113 g unsalted butter
- 125 g peanut butter
- 4 large eggs
- 210 g caster sugar, superfine
- 50 g Dutch processed cocoa powder, see notes
Chocolate Glaze
- 400 g dark cooking chocolate, see notes
- 60 g unsalted butter
- 20 g brown sugar, see notes
- 250 g heavy cream, see notes
- 125 g smooth peanut butter, warmed
Learn How To Make it! [VIDEO]
Instructions
Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 175C / 350F (190C / 375F for no fan). Spray an 8-inch springform pan with oil and lime the bottom with baking paper.
- Melt chocolate and butter – Add the chocolate, butter and peanut butter to a heatproof bowl and place on a pot of gently simmering water. Make sure the water is not touching the bottom of the bowl. Stir until both ingredients are melted. Take off the heat.
- Finish cake batter – Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk. Add the eggs and whisk until well combined.
- Bake – Add the batter to the springform pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with crumbs, not wet batter. Take out of the oven and allow to cool down in the cake tin until it reaches room temperature. Then chill in the fridge for 2 hours before gently running a knife around the edges to loosen from the tin. Undo the springform pan clasp and transfer to a serving plate. It will deflate as it cools which is completely normal.
Chocolate Glaze (Microwave Method)
- Add the dark chocolate, butter, brown sugar and heavy cream to a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high, for 20 seconds at a time, mixing well between each interval until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before pouring on top of some desserts. Goes nicely on top of ice-cream when it’s warm.
- To thin out your sauce – Microwave for 10 seconds at a time, stirring between each interval until it’s thin enough to drizzle.
Chocolate Glaze (Double Boiler Method)
- To make the chocolate sauce over a double boiler, simply add the dark chocolate, butter, brown sugar and heavy cream to a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl on top of a pot of gently simmering water making the sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Stir until melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely.
To Decorate
- Warm peanut butter – Add the smooth peanut butter into a heatproof bowl and microwave for 10-15 seconds. You want it to be quite thin but not runny. Add it to a piping bag or zip lock bag.
- Pour ganache on cake – Place the cooled cake on top of a cooling rack. Pour the ganache on top of the cake and allow it to settle evenly. You can spread it around using an offset spatula o get it even.
- To finish decorating – Pipe lines of the warm peanut butter on top of the ganache. Use a skewer to trail lines in opposite directions across the cake. Allow to set completely before transferring to a serving plate. Slice and serve!
Notes
Nutrition
12 comments
Can this be made sugar free?
Unfortunately I’m not sure as I haven’t tried it with no sugar.
I just wanted to say that I’m currently making this recipe and noticed a couple things, you have “lime the tray”, I had no limes so I just had to line it heheh.
Also the recipe just gives your standard gnache recipe which includes cream, not the one you have in your video as that and the recipe list don’t list cream- unless I’m missing something?
Hi Carla! Thanks for letting me know haha. I’ve gone in and updated the recipe card to include those things 🙂 Nx
To make the ganache it says add cream, but I can’t see how much to use in the ingredients list? Sorry if I’m kept being blind !
Hi Steph, apologies about the missing ingredient. Have gone in and aded it! N x
I feel so dumb but what about the 1/4 cup unsalted butter in the ganache? I see it in the list of ingredients but not in the directions for the ganache…
Hi San! Sorry about leaving that out, have gone in and added it into the instructions with the chocolate and cream! N x
Hi, the video shows you making the ganache using the double boiling method, but in the recipe you say to microwave the ingredients. It also doesn’t show you adding cream in the video, which is confusing. Should I be microwaving the ganache or double boiling?
Hi Ingrid! You can microwave or double boil. The cream goes in with the chocolate 🙂 Hope that helps! N x
Hi. What would you replace the peanut butter with? My husband is allergic to peanuts. Thanks.
Great question! Pretty much any type of nut butter will work for this. N x