Swedish Chocolate Cake
If you’re craving a chocolate cake that’s rich, gooey, and incredibly easy to make, this Swedish chocolate cake is calling your name. With a fudgy center, crisp edges, this kladdkaka is a chocolate lover’s dream come true!
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What is Swedish Kladkaka?
Kladdkaka is a populare Swedish dessert. The English interpretation of it is "sticky or gooey cake". It is baked without baking powder and makes for a deliciously dense and fudge-like treat, almost like a cross between a gooey chocolate brownie and a chocolate lava cake.
This recipe has been adapted from the amazing Linda Limelino’s blog. It’s a firm favorite in our house for years now!
Love chocolate? Then you must try these delicious chocolate raspberry brownie bites, decadent chocolate chickpea cake, and my favorite - chocolate babka!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
✨This cake is special! It’s so decadent, gooey, and soft, you will keep coming back for more!
✨The Swedish sticky chocolate cake is naturally gluten-free as it is flourless, which means that really all you will taste is dark chocolate, with a beautiful coffee aftertaste that just takes it to another level.
✨The Swedish chocolate cake is ridiculously simple to make. This flourless chocolate cake needs just 6 basic ingredients and no fancy technique.
✨Beautifully rustic yet elegant, this rich chocolate Swedish cake is easy to make ahead of time and is perfect for entertaining.
Recipe Ingredients
Chocolate: Use the best-quality chocolate you can get. Really, this is the cake you need that really good stuff for! I recommend 70% dark chocolate, though you could also make it with 55% dark chocolate.
Butter: I used salted butter. If using unsalted butter, add a ¼ tsp of salt to the batter.
Eggs: They provide structure and stability to the cake. They also help in leavening as this recipe does not have any baking powder or baking soda.
Coffee: Strong brewed coffee enhances the deep chocolate flavor here.
Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works well.
Please see the recipe card for full information about ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Swedish Chocolate Cake
Step 1: Grease a 9″ spring-bottom pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180 °C/350°F.
Step 2: Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Once it's all melted, add the coffee and keep it aside. Let it cool for 5-10 minutes.
Step 3: In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and doubled in volume.
Step 4: Gently stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared pan.
Step 5: Bake for about 40-50 minutes. It will get puffed up and then fall once it cools. Run a knife around the edges and let the cake cool completely.
Step 6: I let the cake cool in the pan and then refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours before releasing it from the pan.
Step 7: Carefully remove the cake from the pan. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Top Tips
- Keep all the ingredients at room temperature. It makes everything mix together well and gives the cake the right texture.
- Mix the egg-sugar mixture with the melted chocolate, gently so that the whipped-up mixture doesn’t deflate.
- Getting the cake out of the pan is a teensy bit tricky. I recommend doing this once it is completely cooled, which can take a few hours. I prefer baking it a day before so that it sets well.
- Cover the outside base of the tin with foil. Because you’re using a loose-bottom pan, drips and leaks are possible. It happens to me ALL the time! The foil catches them all and prevents a messy oven.
- Line the tin with parchment paper for easy removal of the cake.
- Since the kladdkaka doesn’t include any leavening agent like baking powder, the cake will rise, then fall. So please don’t panic when it sinks!
- You will not be able to test this cake with a toothpick as it is meant to be gooey in the center. When the edges of the Swedish cake seem a little set and the top gets puffy, but still has a bit of jiggle, it's time to take out the cake! It's better to have the cake slightly under-baked than overdone.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for better and consistent results every time!
Serving the Swedish Chocolate Cake
Getting the sticky Swedish chocolate cake out of the pan can be a tad tricky. Run a knife around the edges once the cake is out of the oven. Remove the cake from the pan once it is completely cooled, which can take a few hours. I prefer baking it a day before so that it sets well.
The 9-inch cake should comfortably serve 8 to 10 people, as this is a rich cake!
You can enjoy the Swedish chocolate cake while it’s still warm and indulge in its silky, sticky goodness. Serve it with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. We really enjoy this cake when it’s been refrigerated for a few hours, preferably overnight. Chilling it makes the texture wickedly dense and fudgy.
More Delicious Chocolate Cakes
Recipe
Swedish Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup Butter I used salted butter
- 8.8 oz 70% dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup Brewed strong coffee 1/3 cup hot water + 1 tbsp coffee powder
- 4 Eggs
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Grease a 9″ spring bottom pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Pre heat the oven to 180 C.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Once its all melted, add the coffee and keep it aside. Let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes.
- In another bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until light and doubled in volume.
- Gently stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for about 40-50 minutes. It will get puffed up and then fall once it cools.Run a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen the cake.
- Let the cake cool in the pan and then refrigerate it for at least 2-3 hours before releasing it from the pan.
- Note : You will not be able to test this cake with a tooth pick as it is meant to be gooey in the center.
Notes
-
- Keep all the ingredients at room temperature. It makes everything mix together well and gives the cake the right texture.
-
- Mix the egg-sugar mixture with the melted chocolate, gently so that the whipped-up mixture doesn’t deflate.
-
- Getting the cake out of the pan is a teensy bit tricky. I recommend doing this once it is completely cooled, which can take a few hours. I prefer baking it a day before so that it sets well.
-
- Cover the outside base of the tin with foil. Because you’re using a loose-bottom pan, drips and leaks are possible. It happens to me ALL the time! The foil catches them all and prevents a messy oven.
-
- Line the tin with parchment paper for easy removal of the cake.
-
- Since the cake doesn’t include any leavening agent like baking powder, the cake will rise, then fall. So please don’t panic when it sinks!
-
- You will not be able to test this cake with a toothpick as it is meant to be gooey in the center. When the edges of the cake seem a little set and the top gets puffy, but still has a bit of jiggle, it's time to take out the cake! It's better to have the cake slightly under-baked than overdone.
- Use a kitchen scale to measure the ingredients for better and consistent results.
Would you be able to use espresso powder or are you better off brewing some regular coffee?
Natasha Author
Hi Erin, I've always made this with brewed regular coffee. Though I feel espresso powder would also work. Your batter could be a bit thicker. I'd love to hear how this cake turned out for you. Happy baking!
this was amazing, thanks for such a easy recipe! I'm new to baking and found it very simple to make
Natasha Author
I'm so glad to hear that, Sahitee! Welcome to the world of baking - there are lots of goodies ahead of you 🙂 Thanks for stopping by xx
been making this swedish chocolate cake for almost all of the birthdays in my house, everyone loves it! thank you so much for this recipe
Natasha Author
I'm so happy to hear that, Elena! Thank you for stopping by xx
Made this yesterday, turned out amazing. Was so easy
Natasha Author
I'm so glad to hear that, Mohini! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
This is my go to chocolate cake! Soo good!
Natasha Author
Its a huge favourite here too. So thrilled its your fave too! xoxo
What sugar should you use?
Natasha Author
Hi Donna, please use regular white sugar here. 🙂