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This Warm Chocolate Fudge Skillet Cake is my go-to easy cake that rivals all others. A super simple flourless chocolate cake made with eggs, cocoa powder, vanilla, a splash of bourbon, and sweet chocolate chunks. All baked together until puffed on top and warm and gooey in the center. The cake gets baked inside flaky puff pastry for a delicious and unique twist. This rich cake is warm, fudgy, and almost molten-like, while the outside is flaky and delicious. And even better when served with ice cream on top. It’s the perfect Mother’s Day cake…or maybe just your Friday night dessert!
I really do love each and every recipe I share with you guys, but there are some that I just really, really love. This cake is one of them. It started out as a simple flourless cake concept, but while testing, it turned into so much more.
With Mother’s Day on Sunday, I wanted to share a dessert that I knew my mom would LOVE. I’ve been really into fruit recipes lately, so chocolate has kind of taken a back seat. We all know how my mom feels about chocolate. She’s what you call a chocoholic. And while she’s really tried to cut sugar out of her daily life (except for her morning and evening cacao/cocoa sessions), there are some things she just can’t resist.
Homemade chocolate cake is one of those sweets she can never turn down. And if it’s warm? While geez, all bets are definitely off. She might even have a second slice.
I’ve really been wanting to share a flourless chocolate cake with you guys for a while. But I just couldn’t quite figure out a way to make my flourless cake extra special. There are a lot of basic flourless cakes out there. And most sound totally delicious, but I wanted to share something new.
I’ve had an idea in my head for a while now. But before I started testing this cake, I gave it another thought. Hmm, can cake have a crust? So I tested my cake recipe concept inside of an easy puff pastry crust, and wow, it worked. And just in time for Mother’s Day. All I can say is that I’m so excited!
In Asher’s words, “this cake is unreal….delish”.
If you’ve ever made a flourless cake, you probably know that most are really pretty simple. And that’s the cake we are making today, just in a skillet.
You’ll want to start with the pastry. I use a sheet of thawed frozen puff pastry. I take an eight-inch skillet, butter it, then fit the pastry inside and pre-bake it. This ensures that the pastry gets a little cooked before adding in the cake.
The secret here is to use a good heavy-duty skillet, preferably cast iron. It will give you the flakiest, butteriest pastry. That said, if you don’t own a skillet to bake this in, use an eight or nine-inch baking pan. Both options work, but I prefer the skillet!
While the pastry is baking, make the cake. It’s easy and you don’t even need a mixer. What you do need are eggs, a little cocoa powder, sugar, instant coffee, and butter. Plenty of butter for this one!
Then simply whisk it all together and done. I do like to brown the butter first for added flavor, but it’s also not necessary if you’re short on time.
The two ingredients I love to add are bourbon and vanilla. If you have vanilla beans, that’s even better. The rich bourbon really helps to highlight all the chocolate within the recipe. And something about the combination of vanilla, bourbon, and chocolate is just magical.
And lastly, don’t skip out on those chocolate chunks (or chips). You’ll fold them into the batter just before baking. The chunks help to create that warm and gooey center that everyone will find delicious.
When the cake comes out of the oven it will be pretty proofed up on top and wiggly in the center. But as the cake cools, it will set up a bit.
Wait a handful of minutes before diving in. Then cut and serve this skillet cake while still warm and gooey…with ice cream on top. CRAZY DELICIOUS!
My suggestion…make this for Mom on Sunday, but give it a test run tonight. Trust me, you’ll be very happy you did. Also? If you have siblings, mom will love you most if you make this for her…a little dramatic, but honestly probably true.
This cake really is that good!
Looking for other sweets to serve mom this weekend? Try these:
Old Fashioned Chocolate Cream Pie
Blueberry Lemon Poppy Seed Custard Cake
Vintage Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Lastly, if you make this Warm Chocolate Fudge Skillet Cake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
I made this last night for my birthday and it was wonderful! It was delicious and simple. I loved the hint of bourbon. I sprinkled mine with a little fleur de sel. Thank you!
Hey Becky,
Perfect!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it turned out well for you! Happy Birthday! xT
I am making this next weekend and I was wondering if there is a substitute for instant coffee? If we don’t use the bourbon could I substitute the instant coffee and the bourbon with 1 tablespoon of espresso?
Hey Caroline,
Sure, that would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Wow! So chocolaty, warm, delicious!! I used a 10 inch cast iron skillet and my batter ran over and under the crust…oops! I would love a variation to use the batter alone in individual ramekins! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Hey Melissa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe and sharing your feedback, glad to hear it was enjoyed!! xx
What if I don’t own a skillet? Lol I know I know 🙁 lol terrible
Hi Bianca,
You could try using and oven safe baking dish. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Should anything be changed if you omit the pastry? My sister in law is gluten free so wanted to avoid using it.
Hey Laura,
Your local grocery store should carry a gluten free option or you can follow this recipe:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/molten-coffee-brownie-pudding/
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan