This tiny, soufflé-like chocolate cake puffs up into an impossibly flaky top, collapses into molten, fudgy crumbs, and will make you cancel every bakery run from now on.

I know we’re in the thick of yet another summer heatwave and the idea of turning on the oven feels about as appealing as stepping into an empty subway car with no a/c — but hear me out: someone you know almost certainly has a birthday coming up and they’ll be hoping you bring a cake. Make this one.

This is the light, slightly collapsed disc of cognac-kissed dark chocolate I keep in my back pocket for small, fancier-than-usual occasions. I’ve made it for more than a decade — I’ve riffed on it in cupcakes and in the tiny, intense chocolate cake in my cookbook — because while I never loved those dense, nap-inducing bitter cakes of the 2000s, a few tweaks turned this into something I actually crave.

Smaller: Not everyone owns a 6-inch cake pan, but I argue for one. Halve most standard recipes and you’ll have the perfect portion for 4–8 people when the cake is this rich. Smaller pans bake quickly (very useful in summer). If you buy one, get a springform — its taller sides suit many recipes, cheesecake included.

Fluffier: Yes, separating eggs and whipping the whites is an extra step, but it changes everything. It transforms what would otherwise be a truffle-dense cake into something that lifts and breathes. The soufflé-like dome falls as it cools, leaving a tousled, flakey top that looks irresistible with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Less chocolate: My epiphany with flourless cakes was that the common heavy-chocolate formulas can be overbearing. This version trims the chocolate so the cake keeps a dreamy crumb without becoming overwhelmingly intense. It won me over — it’ll convert you, too.

Previously
6 months ago: Cauliflower Salad with Dates and Pistachios
1 year ago: Plum and Cream Scone Cobbler
2 years ago: Deviled Eggs
3 years ago: Pasta with Pesto Genovese
4 years ago: Frozen Watermelon Mojitos
5 years ago: Corn Fritters and Bourbon Peach Smash
6 years ago: Hummus Heaped with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
7 years ago: Corn, Bacon and Parmesan Pasta
8 years ago: Tomato and Fried Provolone Sandwich
9 years ago: Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles and Grilled Peach Splits
10 years ago: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
11 years ago: Bacon Corn Hash
12 years ago: Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones
13 years ago: Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint, Thai-Style Chicken Legs, Peach Blueberry Cobbler, and Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons
14 years ago: Light Brioche Burger Buns, Blueberry Boy Bait, and Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza
15 years ago: Chocolate Sorbet
16 years ago: Double Chocolate Layer Cake

flaky fudgy chocolate cake-12

Flaky Chocolate Cake
Servings: 6 to 8 Time: 45 minutes plus cooling

Ingredients

• 4 ounces (115 grams) semi- or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped or chips

• 4 tablespoons (55 grams) unsalted butter, diced

• 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar, divided

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons cognac or brandy, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3 large eggs, separated

• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Prepare your pan:
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of a 6-inch springform pan with 2½–3-inch sides with parchment and lightly butter or spray the sides. If you worry the springform might leak, wrap the outside tightly in foil. Set the pan on a baking sheet.

Make the batter:
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a large bowl — either in 30-second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, or set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Remove from heat and whisk in half the sugar (¼ cup / 50 g), the salt, and the cognac. Whisk in the yolks, one at a time, until smooth.

In a separate medium-large bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until thickened to the consistency of loose whipped cream. Gradually add the remaining ¼ cup (50 g) sugar while beating until soft peaks form. Spoon about a quarter of the whipped whites into the chocolate mixture and whisk to lighten it. Gently fold the remaining whites into the chocolate until no streaks remain.

Bake the cake:
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 20–25 minutes, until the center dome barely wobbles when you jiggle the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out free of wet batter (a few gooey crumbs are fine). Transfer to a rack to cool. You can cool the cake completely in the pan, but loosening the springform sides when the cake is half-cooled helps produce a nicer flaky top: run a knife around the edge to loosen it. The cake will sink as it cools.

To serve / make ahead:
I prefer this cake fully chilled, so I often refrigerate it for an hour or two before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and slice into small wedges; serve with whipped cream and berries if you like. The cake will keep in the fridge for up to a week (though in our house that’s unlikely) and freezes well.

Notes / anticipated questions:

• Can I use a non-springform 6-inch pan with shorter 2-inch sides? Yes, but with caveats. The cake tends to mushroom above the rim; while it didn’t overflow for me, the edges can dry and flake off, and you’ll lose some of the flaky top texture.

• Bittersweet (≈72%) or semisweet (≈60%) chocolate — which is better? Both work. Since this recipe uses less chocolate than many flourless cakes, it can handle a more bitter chocolate without becoming too intense.

• Can I beat the egg whites by hand? You can — it’s a workout, but it’s doable.

• Can I double this? Absolutely. For a larger celebration, bake it in a 9-inch springform; baking time will be about 35–40 minutes.

• Source note: I didn’t start with this exact formula — I adapted a flourless chocolate cake I liked, reduced the chocolate, and separated the eggs. The end result has a similar light, low-chocolate lift to Richard Sax’s Chocolate Cloud Cake; consider this a nod to that inspiration.