This flourless recipe for Chocolate Fudge Skillet Cake is one of my most popular dessert recipes ever! It’s simple to make, naturally gluten free with a dairy free option as well. It’s perfectly gooey and wonderful warm out of the oven with a scoop of my Coconut Ice Cream on top.
Today is about chocolate, because it’s the weekend and I love chocolate. This cake is so quick and easy to make, it’s all too easy to get yourself into trouble having too much of it around! Now… I know it’s been a few weeks since there’s been a chocolate recipe, (see Flourless Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins) but rest assured I have a few more chocolate recipes to come over the next few months.
I mean, is there any other flavor besides chocolate when it comes to dessert? Sort of kidding, but you know what I mean, there isn’t anything quite like chocolate.
This chocolate skillet cake is one of our all time most popular recipes, so I thought I’d pop in today with some updated photos. But also to let you know one of the best reasons for making this cake, (aside from eating it straight from the pan) is so that you can make Death by Chocolate with it!
While the oven is preheating, I make this cake right on the stove top in a cast iron skillet. If you don’t have one, I can’t recommend it enough. But you can also mix the batter in a large saucepan, and then bake it in a 9″ pie plate.
Look at that silky-rich-deliciousness, it’s definitely hard to stay out of the batter before it goes in the oven!
This cake is tender and moist with a dense and fudgy texture. A scoop of Homemade Coconut Ice Cream on top seems to enhance the depth of chocolate flavor, but I’d never say no to good old fashioned Vanilla Bean Ice Cream either!
If your weekend plans didn’t include something chocolatey, I hope they do now!
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Chocolate Fudge Skillet Cake
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This flourless recipe for Chocolate Fudge Skillet Cake is one of my most popular dessert recipes ever! It’s simple to make, naturally gluten free with a dairy free option as well. It’s perfectly gooey and wonderful warm out of the oven with a scoop of my Coconut Ice Cream on top.
Ingredients
4 Tablespoons butter (use coconut oil for dairy-free)
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup maple syrup (Grade A)
1 cup almond or cashew butter
2 eggs
1/2 Teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Place a 9″ cast iron skillet over low heat, and begin to melt the butter.
Whisk in the rest of the ingredients one at a time, taking care not the get the mixture too hot, (you don’t want to scramble your eggs).
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes. You want to take it out when it is still fudgy and soft in the middle because it will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven.
Notes
If you want to take this over the top, add 1-2 Teaspoons of espresso powder. To make the Death by Chocolate recipe, make this cake with 2/3 cup of maple syrup.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Where do you find a 9″ cast iron skillet? I could only find 8 or 10 inch. I bought an 8. Will it be too small?
I think you’ll be fine with a 8″ pan, I looked at the pictures and the cake only comes up halfway on the pan so there should be plenty of room in the smaller pan. I’m actually not sure where I got a 9″ pan, my husband bought it at a camping store in Canada long before we got together! Let me know how the recipe goes, and if you have anymore questions. 🙂
Crazy good!! I was searching for a recipe to use up a jar of almond butter that wasn’t getting eaten and am so happy I found your site! I followed the recipe using your footnote about 2/3 cup maple syrup and 1 t. espresso powder. Even though I used grade A syrup, I was concerned about the maple flavor not working well with the chocolate, but the flavor was wonderful! I already know I’ll be making this one often – thanks for sharing your delicious recipe!
You were definitely right to worry about the chocolate maple combo, the maple is way too strong with Grade B syrup and I think it overwhelms the chocolate. I was so glad when I discovered the Grade A amber syrup at Costco because it’s made healthier desserts so much easier with it’s lightness of flavor!
If I don’t have maple syrup, can I use honey?
You can use honey but it will change the texture of the cake a bit! Usually honey makes baked goods a bit more cakey and has a bit less water content than maple syrup so the cake might not be quite as fudgy. Hope you enjoy the recipe and be sure to let me know how it turns out if you substitute the honey! 🙂
This looks so decadent, yet worth every calorie! I have a question: Is that 8 ounces of almond butter using a dry or wet measure? Is it the equivalent of 1 cup or should I actually weigh the nut butter. Thanks!
8 ounces is equivalent to 1 cup, and it’s about 1/2 of a normal size jar of nut butter. I’d have to agree with you that it’s definitely worth every single calorie – be sure to pull it out of the oven when it’s still soft in the middle because the cast iron pan continues to cook it afterwards, and you wouldn’t want to loose any fudgy decadence!
I’ve made this several times now and absolutely love it!! Delicious and SOOOOOOO easy! K
I’m so glad you liked it! It’s a favorite of mine because it’s so versatile, if you’re in the mood for an over-the-top dessert you should try my Death By Chocolate recipe that’s made with this skillet cake – it’s way delicious!
I loved this!! Found your blog through your guest post on Empowered Sustenance. I really enjoyed the coconut chocolate pie too. I’m a competitive runner and I can only eat dessert once a week. I can’t wait to try a few more of you not so sinful desserts. I go through Montana at least once a year. I’m going to have to schedule a run there. I’ll be through again in April.
That’s so neat that you go to Montana every year! You should definitely get some training in while you’re here, there’s so many beautiful places to run. Glacier National Park doesn’t usually open all the way until the end of June or the first part of July but you should come sometime for the best trail running views ever!
This definetely looks amazing…I’m going to try this recipe out for my grandpa’s birthday!
Hope you enjoy it, it’s definitely a favorite around here – so much fudgyness!
Would stevia or erithritol work instead of maple syrup? I’m worried about the texture. My husband is a low carb guy … Looks delicious!
I don’t know if those sweeteners would work or not, and I think it could change the texture quite a bit. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, I’ve never used either sweetener in baking so I’m not sure how to convert a recipe. I know of a low-carb blog that might have what you’re looking for though, it’s called All Day I Dream About Food, and she has a slow-cooker low-carb chocolate cake that looks really fudgy. Hopefully this helps, and let me know how it goes if you try the recipe! 🙂
http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2014/08/low-carb-slow-cooker-chocolate-cake.html
Since this cake is rich, do you need frosting? I have a great recipe for paleo Chocolate frosting from Elana’s pantry. Does it taste overly almondy? What do you mean by low heat? 4? And how can you tell when to take it out of the oven? Looks really good! One more thing, I willl be making this for six people, should I one and a half it? If so, what size pan woul I use? Btw I have a 10 inch cake pan.
1) I don’t think you would need frosting, but it would be a nice addition especially if you already have a favorite recipe! My favorite topping to this cake is Homemade Coconut Ice Cream because I love how the ice cream melts into the warm cake!
2) I think it has a good balance between chocolate and almond flavor – it’s been a favorite of friends and family and I haven’t had anyone yet who doesn’t love it!
3) I’m not sure what kind of stove you have, but on mine I have low, medium, medium-high, and high for settings – so I just put it on the setting for low. Just guessing about how your stove works, but I would keep it at anything under 4 if it’s on a rating system of 10 – start at around 2 and if things aren’t melting you could turn it up a bit more.
4) I don’t know if a 10″ cake pan would be quite big enough to fit a batch and a half. You could also double the recipe and use 2 skillets with some leftovers!
I really hope you enjoy the recipe, be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions, and I’ll do my best to try and clarify! 🙂
Just curious… can you make this in a regular cake pan?
Yes you can make this in a regular 9″ cake pan. The baking time might be a bit longer because the skillet is hot when it goes into the oven, which speeds up the baking process! 🙂