You're Only 3 Ingredients Away From The Fudgiest Gluten-Free Cake

Decadence, romance, all things good and pure ... thy name is chocolate. But not just any chocolate. We're talking fudgy, rich, potentially life-altering chocolate, in the form of one of the most perfect baked goods — cake. Sure, you could make an over-the-top, fanciful cake with multiple layers, ganache fillings, and a buttercream frosting to drool over. But for those of us who are happy to go the easy breezy route, there's the flourless chocolate cake. Recipes abound, but for the ultimate fudgy chocolate creation that just so happens to be gluten-free, too, you need nothing more than eggs, butter, and of course chocolate. Game, set, just try and match that.

Is it even possible to create a chocolate cake with only three ingredients, you may be asking yourself? The proof is in the (chocolate) pudding. First, the eggs. Rather than using a leavening agent like baking powder, whole eggs that are whipped until light and foamy will give the cake a light and fluffy texture. Using salted butter rather than unsalted butter provides the fat element as well as the salt that should always be included in a baked good. And the chocolate, oh my, the chocolate. Using a mix of sweet and semi-sweet or dark chocolate will give your cake the sweetness it needs in place of actual sugar, as well as that little bit of bitterness to make this cake a truly mouthwatering and balanced bite.

In the case of this 3-ingredient baked treat, quality takes the prize over quantity. When picking out your chocolate, eggs, and butter, don't be cheap about it. Go for the top-notch stuff. As far as the type of chocolate, it really depends on the flavor profile you're going for. A mix of milk chocolate and 70% dark chocolate will give your cake balanced sweetness. If you prefer something less sweet, a mix of semi-sweet and dark will add depth to the overall flavor profile for a more intense chocolate experience — like taking a bite out of a dark chocolate truffle.

As far as eggs go, the larger the better. The fresher the better, too. A fresh egg means a more flavorful yolk, and the yolk helps with that crucial richness. Finally, the butter. A European-style butter with a higher fat content or a high-quality American butter — think Danish Creamery or Challenge — will make the cake far more luxurious and decadent.

While these three ingredients are technically all you need, you don't have to stop there. A cup of chopped pecans or walnuts will provide a nice crunchy texture against the smooth cake. A teaspoon of espresso powder will provide a delightful caffeinated kick of coffee flavor. And if you really want to spice things up, ground cinnamon or a scant teaspoon of cayenne will give your cake a more pronounced chocolatey flavor and a faint heat note.