Delicious, decadent warm Swedish gooey chocolate cake, dressed up for Valentine’s, that just happens to use basic pantry items and is ready to eat in less than 30 minutes!
This delicious gooey chocolate cake can be made and enjoyed anytime with basic pantry items. What’s more, It is made with just a bowl and a whisk (no mixers required!) and is ready to eat in less than 30 minutes from start to first warm, gooey bite!.
And if all of that doesn’t convince you, I have just two words for you … Gooey. Chocolate. (Do we really need to know anything more than that?!!)
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Cake flour – The recipe calls for cake flour. If you don’t have cake flour, you can make your own cake flour, if you like. Simply measure out 1 cup of all-purpose flour. Remove 2 Tablespoons and replace them with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch. Whisk together and use in the recipe below. In a pinch, all-purpose flour could be used.
Cocoa Powder – you can use any cocoa powder you have on hand, either Dutch-processed or natural.
Recipe tips!
- You owe it to yourself to enjoy this cake warm from the oven, but be assured that left-overs are also lovely. The cake will become a little less gooey with re-heating though.
- I didn’t feel like this cake needed anything else with it, though a bit of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream would never be a bad idea.
- To make the heart decorations, I printed a heart template out (the internet is full of them!), cut them out and arranged them on top of the cake before dusting with icing sugar. Carefully lift off and discard to reveal a pretty heart pattern.
Making ahead, storing and freezing
As noted above, this gooey chocolate cake is best enjoyed warm from the oven. If you need to make it ahead, slightly re-warm it in the microwave or with a few minutes in the oven.
Store at room temperature for 2-3 days. This cake will also freeze for up to 3 months.
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Get the Recipe: Swedish Gooey Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled plus more for greasing pan
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 7 Tablespoons cocoa powder, plus more for dusting pan
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, reduce to a pinch if using salted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup cake flour, sifted *see note 1 below for DIY cake flour
- Icing/confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375° F. (non-convection/not fan-assisted).
- Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper and spray the parchment and sides of the pan with cooking or baking spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt until well mixed. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk until smooth. Fold the flour into the batter just until it is combined, then scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.
- Tip! The precise baking time to get the perfect consistency of this cake will vary from pan to pan (darker pans will cook more quickly) and from oven to oven. The toothpick test for doneness is helpful, but we aren't looking for the toothpick to come out clean. Instead, test in the very centre, where it should be quite wet, then test about halfway out from the centre, where it should be less wet and more set. If the second test is as wet as the one from the centre, let it bake another minute or two.
- Bake until the cake forms a thin skin on top, but the batter is still loose in the centre, about 13-15 minutes (it is typically 14 minutes in my oven). Let it stand for a few minutes, then run a knife around the outside and loosen and remove the ring. Slice and enjoy. Leftovers can be refrigerated.
Notes
More chocolate cake recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Wow! I can’t get over how wickedly ooey & gooey that center is. It looks completely irresistible and, frankly, I don’t know how you even made it through the photoshoot without eating the entire thing. I don’t think I would’ve been able to pull that off. Oh. . .and I’m definitely going to have to dig up that Saveur 100 list.
Thanks so much Lynn and yes, they do a 100 list every year and it’s always a good read (full of great food!)
My goodness, this is delectable! You certainly saved the recipe for the perfect event! And I’m so glad you did! I agree – this needs nothing else! Perfetto!
Thanks so much, Annie :)
There’s nothing better than warm and gooey chocolate cake! This is the perfect Valentine’s treat :)
Thanks Laura!
Oh my, warm chocolate cake sounds so decadent and wonderful. Love the photography. It is a show-stopper and the subtleness of the sugar hearts keeping that gooey chocolate company makes me smile from ear to ear.
Thanks so much, Cindy :) I had a lot of fun cutting out these hearts. Took me back to when my kids were little!
This is dangerous Jennifer! Almost too pretty for words, super easy and insanely delicious. I’m ready to crank up the oven!
It is all that, Chris (including the dangerous ;), but that said, chocolate therapy is a thing in my world, so I’m going to love having this one in my back pocket!
Goodness! I can see why you couldn’t stop eating this. It’s so pretty and you just can’t go wrong with gooey chocolate!
Thanks so much, Rachelle :)
Goey chocolate? Yes, please! That is my favorite sweet combination. :-) I don’t eat many sweets, so I’m afraid this one would really get me in trouble. Gorgeous Valentine’s Day treat, and I’m happy to make a new virtual friend! Happy Valentine’s Day <3
Thanks so much, Tamara and so lovely to a virtually meet you, too! Happy Valentine’s!
YIKES this is pretty! I love the stenciled hearts and I love the gooey interior, pinning and sharing the heck out of this one ~ and then I’m blog hopping to all the others ~ it’s going to be a yummy day :)
Thanks so much, Sue and yes, this is dangerously delicious. But what fun is life without a little of that ;)
Now it’s on my list for 2017! I can see why you dug right into it…. I know I would have done the same. Just gorgeous!
Thanks so much, Traci and yes, please don’t wait as long as I did to make this lovely cake :)
Goodness, Jennifer, this cake is just gorgeous! I love the hearts on top with the powdered sugar!! I seriously can’t believe this beauty is so quick and easy to make! Boy will go craaaazy for this chocolaty deliciousness! Pinned! Cheers!
Thanks so much, Cheyanne :)
Wow – this is absolute perfection. So simple, just so delicious. Your powdered sugar design is so beautiful, just enough for Valentine’s Day, if you ask me. I don’t need lots of pink and red, give me simple chocolate any day. Pinning and sharing!
Thanks so much, Tricia and yes, the way to my heart is definitely goey chocolate, too!
i would be do the exact same thing Jennifer! one slice of this warm, gooey chocolate cake would definitely not be enough. can’t wait to give this recipe a try!
Thanks Cathy :) I highly recommend this cake for chocolate therapy at any time!
It definitely is important to taste test ;) Love that this comes together in 30 minutes! I need to make this, like, now! The hearts on the top are just too cute! Pinned! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Lol, yes taste testing is critical! :) Thanks so much Dawn and Happy Valentine’s to you, too. (I’m making this cake again!)
Oh, I’ll definitely NEED to try this one Jennifer, without a doubt! I’d have to photograph this one on a full stomach too or I’d never get through the shoot! The perils of being a food blogger! My Valentine would LOVE this!
Too true, Mary Ann! I rarely eat the props right away like that, but my gosh, it was irresistible! :)
Warm, gooey chocolate cake? Oh my yes. It looks divine and I can only imagine how good it tastes. So happy to be in this virtual Valentine’s Day party with you! Cheers!
Thanks so much, Karen and cheers to you, as well!