This classic Gauteau au Chocolat Fondant - French Chocolate Cake is made with just five ingredients. A fudgy texture and indulgent chocolate flavor, this cake is ideal for satisfying your sweet tooth and adding elegance to any occasion.
Thanks to the easy to source ingredients in this cake, you can bake this no matter where you reside. The beauty of this chocolate cake is how such a simple recipe requires no unusual ingredients and comes together with minimal time and equipment.
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Why you'll love this
Rich and decadent
This French Chocolate Cake recipe is the perfect indulgence for anyone with a love for rich and decadent chocolate desserts. With a blend of high-quality chocolate and simple ingredients, this cake is the perfect balance of sweet and indulgent flavors.
Easy to make
Despite its impressive flavor, this recipe is actually easy to make thanks to only five ingredients. It's a perfect dessert for those who want to impress their guests with a stunning dish without spending hours in the kitchen. This French Chocolate Cake is perfect for a casual family dinner or a formal celebration with loved ones.
Ingredients and substitutions for French Chocolate Cake
- Dark chocolate: 54% dark chocolate was used thanks to it's overall higher quality. If you prefer, you could replace with milk chocolate in equal measure, though the final result will likely be a lot sweeter.
- Butter: Unsalted butter was used, though salted butter also works here.
- Sugar: The best sugar here is superfine or caster which helps dissolve into the eggs and remaining cake batter. You could half and half the sugar with raw sugar or light brown sugar and caster sugar as I do not recommend completely substituting out superfine or caster sugar.
- Eggs: The eggs help to bind the cake and give us the fudgy final texture.
- Flour: You don’t need much so this can be substituted with gluten free flour to make this gluten free friendly.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make French Chocolate Cake:
Coat the tin: Greaseproof your tin and sprinkle a little flour into your tin and tap to remove the excess.
Melty: Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth.
1
Whisk: Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until lightly frothy.
2
Sift: Sieve the flour into the eggs and whisk until smooth.
3
Pour: The warm chocolate and butter and whisk to combine until smooth.
Ready to bake: Pour into your cake tin and bake until the cake is beginning to go golden at the edges.
Cool: Remove from the cake tin and allow to cool fully.
Slice and serve: Serve with a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream and your favorite hot beverage.
Dig in: Enjoy!
Equipment needed to make this
Saucepan: You’ll need a small saucepan to melt the butter and chocolate.
Mixing bowl: A medium mixing bowl works best here to make the cake batter.
Whisk: The cake batter can easily be whipped up with a large whisk.
Springform cake tin: A springform tin makes getting the cake out of the tin easy work! This is best baked in a 20cm or 8 inch tin or smaller for a cake that isn't flat.
FAQ's for the best French Chocolate Cake
Dark chocolate is superior to milk chocolate as it relies less on dairy and aids in regulating sugar content in baking. Using dark chocolate in baking helps the sugar counteract the chocolate's bitterness, resulting in a more well-rounded flavor.
You can! Best served within 2 days of baking, this will last up to 4 days when kept covered in a container.
More chocolate cake recipes you’ll enjoy
French Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 200 grams / 7 ounces dark chocolate roughly chopped
- 200 grams / 7 ounces butter cubed
- 220 grams / 4 large eggs room temperature
- 150 grams / ¾ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 80 grams / ½ cup plain flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F and grease a springform cake tin and place 2 teaspoons flour into the tin.
- Tap and swirl the tin to coat fully and upturn to discard any excess flour. Set aside.
- Place the butter and chocolate into a saucepan on low heat, stirring to melt evenly. Set aside.
- Place the eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk to combine until lightly frothy.
- Sift the flour therein and whisk to combine until smooth.
- Pour in the warm chocolate and butter and whisk to combine until smooth.
- Pour into your cake tin and tap lightly smooth.
- Bake for 25 minutes or the cake is lightly risen and beginning to go golden at the edges.
- Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the cake tin.
- Remove from the cake tin and allow to cool fully.
- Slice and serve with a dollop of yogurt or whipped cream and your favorite hot beverage.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Dark chocolate: 54% dark chocolate was used thanks to it's overall higher quality. If you prefer, you could replace with milk chocolate in equal measure, though the final result will likely be a lot sweeter.
- Sugar: The best sugar here is superfine or caster which helps dissolve into the eggs and remaining cake batter. You could half and half the sugar with raw sugar or light brown sugar and caster sugar as I do not recommend completely substituting out superfine or caster sugar.
- Springform cake tin: A springform tin makes getting the cake out of the tin easy work! This is best baked in a 20cm or 8 inch tin or smaller for a cake that isn't too flat.
- You can make this ahead: Best served within 2 days of baking, this will last up to 4 days when kept covered in a container.
Nutrition
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