Easy One-Bowl Flourless Mexican Chocolate Cake Recipe

This Mexican Chocolate Cake Recipe is beyond compare; dark, rich, and fudgy, and made with real Mexican chocolate. It’s easy too! All you need is one large bowl and a whisk, plus a few pro-tips to get a swoon-worthy (did I mention, gluten-free and dairy-free) slice of chocolate cake. Top with powdered sugar or whip up a batch of cinnamon whipped cream.

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This is not your average chocolate cake. Rather, it’s a sensationally rich, almost fudge-like, decadent, cinnamon-infused chocolate cake whose sole purpose is to highlight Mexican chocolate.

Mexican chocolate is this month’s challenge ingredient and if you’ve never cooked or baked with it before, you are in for a real treat. Traditional Mexican chocolate is prepared differently than European chocolate as it is a combination of chocolate, sugar and cinnamon and shaped into tablets. The resulting chocolate is sweet and ever-so-slightly spiced with a faint hint of cinnamon.

If you are new to the Challenge Ingredient series, every month I select an ingredient that is common in Mexico but may be unfamiliar to us here in the US and around the world. So far we’ve cooked with chayote, ancho chiles, squash blossoms, and requesón. Make this month’s recipe (this chocolate cake) and enter the Challenge Ingredient Cooking Challenge for a chance to win $150 Amazon gift card! Check out all the details here.

What Is Mexican Chocolate?

Chocolate has been enjoyed in Mexico as early as 1500 B.C.E. and is one of the most important food contributions this land has shared with the world. According to My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson, “Mexican chocolate (chocolate de metate) is made by slowly toasting cocoa beans on a comal, and grinding them by hand. It is then mixed with sugar and cinnamon and formed into tablets. Ones with almonds, vanilla, and /or spices are reserved for special occasions.”

You are probably familiar with the Abuelita and Ibarra brands which are most commonly enjoyed as hot chocolate or champurrado. They are widely available in most supermarkets but it is worth searching out the artisanal brands or if you are fortunate enough to travel to Mexico, I highly recommend bringing home a few tablets.

Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chocolate Cake Recipe

• Rich and fudgy like my Kahlúa brownies
• Real Mexican chocolate
• Flavored with almond and cinnamon
• Great for any celebration from Day of the Dead to Christmas to Cinco de Mayo
• Easy, one-bowl dessert
• Naturally gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate cake
• The dessert for chocolate lovers

Mexican Chocolate Cake Ingredients

This is a very moist chocolate cake with only eight ingredients. I don’t recommend substituting any of the ingredients, except the ones listed below, they all play an important role.

1. Mexican chocolate. Mexican chocolate is typically made with cocoa beans, sugar, cinnamon, and sometimes almonds. It has a slightly grainy texture and a distinct flavor. Look for it next to the other Latin foods in your grocery store.
2. Olive oil. I love the flavor of the olive oil in this Mexican cake recipe, plus it makes a very moist cake but you could also use vegetable oil or canola oil. The flavor won’t be the same however.
3. Granulated sugar for sweetness.
4. Ground cinnamon. Other spices you could add would be chili powder, or a touch of cayenne pepper if you’d like to add a spicy kick.
5. Almond extract. If you don’t like the flavor of almond, use a teaspoon vanilla extract.
6. Large eggs. Eggs do all the heavy lifting here, room temperature eggs will blend much better.
7. Cocoa powder. This adds even more chocolate flavor and takes place of some of the flour.
8. Kosher salt. Brings out all the other flavors.

Success Tip: Create A Steamy Oven

I learned this little tip from my favorite baking blogger, Sally McKenney, and I think it is pure genius. Flourless chocolate cake has a tendency to be dry but if you bake it with a roasting pan of water in the bottom of the oven it creates a nice steamy environment that prevents the cake from drying out. This dark chocolate cake comes out beautifully moist and insanely delicious.

How To Make This Mexican Chocolate Cake

1. Prepare the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees f. Arrange one oven rack on the bottom of the oven and another rack in the middle. Fill a metal roasting pan or baking dish with water and set on the bottom rack to heat while the oven is heating.
2. Prepare the cake pan. A 8-inch round cake pan is ideal but if you only have a 9-inch pan it will work, the cake will just be thinner. Grease the pan well with cooking spray, line it with parchment paper, then grease the parchment paper.
3. Melt oil, sugar, and chocolate together. I like to do this in a large mixing bowl set over a saucepan of water over medium heat on the stove. You can also melt it in the microwave in 30-second intervals.
4. Whisk in the almond extract. Then whisk the eggs into the mixture.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake. Place cake on the middle rack and quickly close the door to let out as little steam as possible. The baking time should be about 30-40 minutes.
7. Let cool. Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 10 minutes then invert onto a serving platter or cake stand.
8. Serve. Top the cake with powdered sugar and the cinnamon whipped cream if you’d like and serve warm or room temperature.
9. Store. Cake will last up to a week wrapped in plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

By the way, if you love the Mexican chocolate in this cake, you’ll definitely love sinking your teeth into this Mexican chocolate tequila tart, a stack of Mexican chocolate chip cookies, or a batch of sweet Mexican chocolate tamales. And don’t forget chewy Mexican chocolate crinkle cookies! If you are craving something smooth and creamy, try this Mexican chocolate pudding.

Toppings For The Cake

I love topping this Mexican hot chocolate cake with a dollop of cinnamon whipped cream—just 3 ingredients: heavy cream, powdered sugar, and a teaspoon ground cinnamon. Whip it all together in a stand mixer or a hand mixer. So simple yet so good! Feel free to skip the whipped cream if desired and just dust the top of the cake with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar and some toasted sliced almonds or chopped toasted pecans. You could also serve it with cinnamon ice cream and of course a cup of hot coffee.

More Mexican Desserts To Try

• Super Easy Capirotada {Mexican Bread Pudding}
• Fresas Con Crema {Strawberries & Cream}
• Banana Coconut Paletas
• Summer Fruit Masa Cookie Crumble
• Toasted Coconut Rum Raisin Rice Krispie Treats
• Gluten-Free Churros with Chocolate Dipping Sauce
• Spicy Pineapple Pomegranate Paletas
• Flan de Jamaica {Hibiscus Flan}
• Dulce de Leche Yogurt Parfaits