This elegant French flourless chocolate cake, often known as La Bete Noire or Black Beast, is darkish, decadent and out-of-this-world scrumptious.
This simply may very well be the Finest Chocolate Cake Recipe in my repertoire. I’ve been making it for practically 2 a long time and it’s by no means didn’t get rave evaluations and recipe requests. Once you want the final word chocolate dessert assured to impress, THIS Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe is the reply!!!

Why You Should Make
- That is my absolute favourite flourless chocolate cake recipe. There are 18 ounces of semisweet chocolate within the cake and glaze!!!
- It’s my go-to dessert recipe for particular firm!
- When associates ask for a tried and true dessert for entertaining, that is the recipe I share.
- Chocoholics will love the double dose of chocolate: the cake and the ganache topping.
In contrast to the others (and, sure, I’ve shared a whole lot of flourless chocolate muffins), this one begins with a sizzling easy syrup which is included into the melted butter and sugar earlier than the eggs are added. La Bete Noire is actually beautiful, easy, creamy, and ideal for any chocoholic.
Ingredient Notes:
Verify your pantry and fridge for these staples: Sugar, Butter, and Eggs. Plus chances are you’ll must buy:
- Semisweet Chocolate – I desire utilizing bars of chocolate as a substitute of chocolate chips. The standard is best. I maintain a stash of Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate bars readily available.
- Heavy Cream – with 36-40% fats, it offers a scrumptious richness to desserts and is ideal when sweetened and whipped to garnish.
- Whipped Cream, Shaved Chocolate, and/or Berries to garnish


Methods to Make









Professional Ideas
The identify, la bete noire, is French for “the black beast,” however in 1844 this phrase meant an unbearable particular person, adversary, satan, or enemy, not a chocolate cake. These days, you’ll see this phrase on dessert menus, referring to a wealthy, dense flourless chocolate cake. Beastly scrumptious, I’d say!
- Totally different from most different flourless chocolate muffins, this bete noire incorporates a easy sugar syrup as a sweetener. Sugar and water is simmered till the sugar dissolves; it’s as straightforward as that!
- PRO-Tip: Should you’re cautious, it’s tremendous straightforward to make use of the microwave to softly soften the chocolate mixtures. It’s most secure to lower the ability to 50% or simply use 30, then 15-second intervals, stopping and stirring to keep away from overheating the chocolate. Plus, it’s OK to cease when there are only a few teeny items of unmelted chocolate within the bowl. Let the residual warmth end the melting course of as a substitute of risking overcooking and ruining the chocolate.
- This cake is made in a springform pan with detachable sides. It’s the identical form of pan used to make cheesecakes.
- La bete noire, like most of my cheesecakes, is baked in a water tub. This helps the cake to bake at a fair temperature and the added humidity retains the cake moist. PRO-Tip: Be certain that to wrap the outside of the pan properly with foil to stop any water from seeping in from the water tub into the springform pan.
- Cool the cake fully earlier than including the ganache, then refrigerate 2 hours or longer earlier than serving.
- Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and berries or use a vegetable peeler and a chocolate bar to make shavings. A little bit extra chocolate by no means hurts, both! Bon appetit!

Ceaselessly Requested Questions
It offers the cake a beautiful custard-type texture.
The steam {that a} water tub produces within the oven retains the cake additional moist. It additionally helps stabilize the baking temperature and permits for mild baking.
It ought to chill for at the least 4 hours so the cake is properly set earlier than serving time. Nevertheless it wants to return out of the fridge about 2 hours earlier than serving to reinforce its silkiness.
Serve a slice of any super-rich dessert with a dollop of whipped cream and berries. The sunshine, creaminess of the cream is a pleasant distinction to the dense chocolate cake.
For a clear slice, use a sizzling knife. I wish to dip my very sharp knife in highly regarded water, then dry it off to slice. Wipe it clear, and repeat dipping and drying as wanted.
Sure, these two sorts of chocolate are nearly all the time interchangeable. Should you love darkish chocolate desserts, attempt bittersweet chocolate on this recipe.
You Might Additionally Like:
Elements
- 1 cup water
- ¾ cup sugar
- 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) butter, diced
- 18 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- Sweetened whipped cream, shaved chocolate and/or recent berries
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Butter 10-inch springform pan. Line the underside of the pan with a parchment spherical; butter parchment.
- Wrap 3 layers of professional quality foil across the exterior of the pan, bringing it as much as the highest of the rim.
- Mix 1 cup of water and sugar in a small saucepan and produce to a boil over medium warmth. Stir until sugar dissolves, then simmer for five minutes. Take away from warmth.
- Gently soften the 9 tablespoons of butter and the 18 ounces of chocolate within the microwave. Whisk until easy. Whisk sugar syrup into the chocolate, and funky barely.
- Add eggs to the chocolate combination and whisk until properly blended. Pour batter into the ready pan. Place the cake pan in a big roasting pan. Add sufficient sizzling water to the roasting pan to return midway up the edges of the cake pan.
- Bake the cake till the middle is simply set about 50 minutes. Take away from the water tub; switch to a rack. Cool fully within the pan.
For ganache:
- Warmth cream in microwave until sizzling. Take away and add chocolate. Whisk till easy. Pour excessive of the cake whereas nonetheless within the pan. Gently shake the pan to distribute the ganache evenly excessive of the cake.
- Refrigerate cake in pan till ganache is ready, about 2 hours.
- Fastidiously run a knife across the pan sides to loosen the cake; launch the edges of the springform pan.
- Serve wedges with sweetened whipped cream and recent berries or shaved chocolate.
Notes
For the very best outcomes use good high quality chocolate, not chocolate chips. Ghirardelli Semisweet Chocolate Bars are discovered at most grocery shops.
Beneficial Merchandise
As an Amazon Affiliate and member of different affiliate applications, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Diet Info:
Yield:
12
Serving Measurement:
1
Quantity Per Serving:
Energy: 342Complete Fats: 21gSaturated Fats: 12gTrans Fats: 0gUnsaturated Fats: 8gLdl cholesterol: 87mgSodium: 37mgCarbohydrates: 41gFiber: 3gSugar: 36gProtein: 5g
