Food Processor Flourless Chocolate Meringue Cake
Updated. Originally 11th November 2019
This wonderful and simple to make flourless chocolate cake with a meringue topping has a rich, fudgy, dense cake base + a crackly light airy mocha meringue on top. No flour, all flavor! It is fun to make and such an impressive dessert for any occasion.
The original recipe for the cake comes to us from the talented and fun TV star Mary Berg. This is the first book for Mary and I was so happy to get a copy of it thanks to her and Appetite by Random House. It’s called Kitchen Party and it’s a book full of effortless recipes for every occasion. Mary loves food and loves sharing it with others. She shares 100 recipes that are totally mouthwatering but also totally simple to prepare. Her recipes from the ingredients to the directions are clear, simple to find and follow. Her book is divided into different occasions for entertaining from brunch to cocktails, dinner parties, special occasion menus and even go a party of Two. Not only does she share inspiring recipes for these occasions but she also shares some of her favorite menu plans making it even easier to entertain.
I couldn’t wait to make her Food Processor Flourless Chocolate cake. I mean it’s made in the food processor - how amazing is that already?!? I love baking and cooking hacks like this. It really is so simple to make and it gets even better in taste and texture the day after which makes it the perfect make ahead dessert. The cake is decadent and fudgy. The intense cocoa flavour is made more distinct with the hint of espresso powder in it. Mary’s version is made with a mascarpone topping but I decided to play it up by adding a meringue topping. We loved both versions. I included Mary’s full recipe with her delicious mascarpone and fruit topping in the recipe notes. Both are fantastic so it’s really what you are feeling up to. The meringue baked over the cake is light and fluffy, slightly chewy and with crackly and crunchy edges that actually stay crunchy days after. The meringue puffs up quite a bit when it bakes as does the cake but have no fear it deflates quite quickly so no need to panic. The best part about making this meringue is that there is no need to stress about it cracking - it’s inevitable and totally acceptable for it to have a crackly topping. Whatever topping you chose one thing for sure is that you won’t regret either. This cake is pretty fab and you could easily have it just as it is with just a dusting of powdered sugar. We will definitely be making this again and again - And again! Enjoy!
Recipe Updates & Reasoning
After testing this recipe repeatedly over the last couple of years - we adjusted our recipe with the meringue to perfect the ratios of chocolate and meringue to create the most decadent chocolate dessert. We love Mary’s version but we thought with this combination of flourless chocolate cake and meringue there needed to be a few changes. For example the ratio of chocolate, coffee and butter were a little much for this cake. The original recipe required it to be chilled in order for it to feel fully set so we adjusted the amounts for a perfectly balanced chocolate flourless cake that sets beautifully even at room temperature. Her recipe calls for making it in the food processor and we did still make it that way but we found it equally as easy to simply melt the butter and chocolate together and whisk everything together in a bowl. The meringue topping ingredient ratios seemed to be slightly off or a little much for the size of the cake - so we tested retested and adjusted and we think we nailed it! We hope you love this updated version but of-course if you would like to try the original recipe by Mary we have it all in the recipe notes.
Chocolate Meringue Cake Recipe Ingredients
- CHOCOLATE: I like to use semi-sweet chocolate or bittersweet chocolate for this recipe. I use what I call baking chocolate and I finety chop it for this recipe. You will need 10 ounces.
- BUTTER: Unsalted butter is what you will need for this recipe. Melted.
- EGGS: Flourless cakes plus meringue depend on eggs so you will need a few for this recipe. You will need 5 large eggs for the cake - seperated. And 3 egg whites for the meringue. So 8 eggs in total - I use large eggs and ensure they are room temperature. (Tip- Feel free to save your yolks for a simple lemon curd How to Make a Simple No Fail Citrus Curd | Olive & Mango )
- SUGAR: You will need granulated sugar for both the cake and topping.
- HOT COFFEE: I like to use instant espresso or instant coffee and stir it into boiling water for the coffee because you want the coffee to be really hot - especially if you are using the food processor method which utilizes the hot coffee to melt the finely chopped chocolate
- VANILLA: Pure vanilla extract is what I use for best flavor.
- COCOA POWDER: You will need unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe for the cake and meringue
- ESPRESSO POWDER: I like to use instant espresso powder or instant coffee granules for the meringue and I like to use it to make the boiling hot coffee as well.
- VINEGAR: White vinegar or apple cider vinegar is what you will need for this recipe. Vinegar acts as an acidic stabilizer in meringue, significantly improving its structure, preventing it from collapsing, and ensuring a glossy, stiff, and stable foam
- CORNSTARCH: Cornstarch acts as a stabilizer in meringue, preventing it from weeping (releasing liquid) and helping to maintain a fluffy, high-volume structure.
- VARIATIONS: Spices pair wonderfully with chocolate, so try adding cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, or even a little cayenne for a spiced cake or citrus notes by adding some orange zest or orange extract for a chocolate orange version of the cake.
How To Make Chocolate Meringue Cake
- Prepare Cake Batter: Start by whipping the eggs whites. Whiz together the chopped chocolate, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in food processor until chocolate is finely ground. Pour in the piping hot coffee and process until smooth, then add the egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla and blitz til combined. Transfer to bowl and fold in eggs whites
- Par-Bake Base: Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake the cake until it’s just set.
- Prepare Meringue: Whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and instant espresso powder to combine. Whip the egg whites until foamy then whip while you add the sugar mixture. Continue to whip until glossy stiff peaks and sugar is dissolved. Fold in the vinegar and cornstarch.
- Assemble & Final Bake: Dollop meringue over warm par baked cake and spread it out evenly. Return the cake to the oven to bake the meringue until it’s lightly browned and crispy.
- Cool & Slice: Cool for 20 minutes in pan on rack then remove the springform collar and slide cake off the base of the pan and onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.
How To Store Chocolate Meringue Cake
- STORAGE: Store the cake either covered in the springform pan or in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. I prefer it stored in the fridge for the fudgy texture in the cake.
- FREEZING: I don’t recombined freezing this cake although technically you can, because freezing the meringue will alter the texture of it. If making the flourless cake alone and fully baking it without the meringue you can freeze that easily. Cool, wrap tight and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
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Recipe
Ingredients
For the Flourless Cake
- 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup very hot coffee
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Mocha Meringue
- 3 egg whites (from room temperature large eggs)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant Espresso powder
- Pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar)
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan bottom and right up the sides of it, then line the bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment. (You can easily use a 9 inch deep dish round cake pan or even a deep dish pie plate but the meringue might overflow a little that is why I recommend a springform pan)
For the Flourless Cake
- In a medium size bowl, whip/ mix the egg whites until stiff peaks, then set aside.
- For the cake, place cocoa powder, chopped chocolate, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and blitz until chocolate is very finely ground and combined.
- Pour in the boiling hot coffee and process until smooth or mostly smooth.
- Add in the egg yolks, melted butter, and vanilla, and blitz to combine. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in a couple tablespoons of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten up the batter. Fold in the remaining whites, taking care to be very gentle in order to maintain as much volume as possible.
- Pour the mixture into prepared pan, transfer to oven and par-bake cake for 22-25 minutes. The cake will look puffed up with a skin baked on top but will still be a bit wobbly in the middle.
For the Mocha Meringue
- When you have approx 10 minutes left on the baking time for the cake, start preparing the meringue
- In a medium bowl whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder and espresso powder and set aside
- In a large clean bowl using a stand mixer or hand mixer with whisk attachment, whip the egg whites and pinch of salt on low- medium speed until eggs are foamy or frothy.
- When whites are frothy, start adding the sugar/cocoa mixture a spoonful at a time or in a slow and steady stream while mixer is on.
- Once all the sugar mixture is in, turn mixer to high, add the vanilla and continue to mix on high until thick and glossy and you have very stiff peaks and when you scoop out a tiny bit of the meringue and run it between fingers there is no graininess from the sugar.
- Fold in the vinegar and cornstarch with a clean metal spoon until combined.
Assemble Cake & Meringue
- Carefully remove hot par baked cake from oven and set on protected countertop
- Gently spoon the meringue over warm cake and gently spread it over cake.
- Return cake to oven and bake another 15-20 minutes or until the meringue is crisp, lightly browned, and a skewer inserted in the middle down through the cake base comes out with a few moist crumbs. Don’t worry if the meringue is cracked as it will deflate and crack more as it cools.
- Remove from oven and place on cooling rack and allow it to cool in pan for 20 minutes before you run a knife around the edges and remove the springform collar and use the parchment paper on the bottom to slide cake off the base of the pan and onto cooling rack and allow to cool completely before slicing.
- Slice and serve as is or dusted with cocoa powder or garnished with fresh raspberries.
Recipe Notes
- NO FOOD PROCESSOR - no problem! Simply melt the butter with the chocolate and coffee over low heat or in the microwave or using a double boiler just until melted, smooth and combined. Whisk in the sugar, egg yolks, salt and vanilla until combined then stir in the cocoa powder. Proceed with recipe at step #5.
- If you’re not sold on the meringue topping you can skip it and bake the cake alone until set, about 40 minutes.
- Store the cake either covered in the springform pan or in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. I prefer it stored in the fridge.
- The original recipe for Mary’s Cake: 1 tablespoon + ¼ cup cocoa powder, 10 ½ oz dark chocolate, at least 55% cocoa chopped, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup very hot coffee, 6 eggs, separated, 1 cup unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract, Grated zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- For the non-meringue topping: 1 cup mascarpone, 1 cup whipping (35%) cream ¼ cup icing sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- The Directions For Mary’s Cake: Preheat your oven to 350°F, grease an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray, and dust the inside with the 1 tablespoon of cocoa. For the cake, place the remaining cocoa, the chocolate, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and blitz until finely ground and combined. Pour in the hot coffee and process until smooth. Add in the egg yolks, butter, vanilla, orange zest, and salt and blitz to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Pour the mixture into your prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until souffléd and the top of the cake looks dry and matte. Let the cake cool to room temperature and then refrigerate overnight to settle. When you’re ready to serve, make the topping. Whip together the mascarpone, cream, icing sugar, vanilla, and half of the orange zest until light and fluffy. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining orange zest, granulated sugar, orange liqueur (or juice) and fruit. Dollop this mascarpone cream onto the chilled cake and top with the fruit. The top of the cake will fall once you take it out of the oven, but that’s all part of the plan. It makes for a super-fudgy cake with lots of room for topping with mascarpone cream and berries.
