Some desserts leave their mark, and this chocolate fondant is one of them. Hard to resist: it’s one of those cakes that combine everything we love — a melting texture, an intense chocolate flavour, and that magic that works from the very first bite (I imagine the photo is already making you dream, isn’t it?)
I discovered this recipe on the blog Desert Island Dishes — I literally drooled over her photos. What makes this cake so unique is that it’s baked in 2 stages. A first time for the cake, then you add the remaining batter on top for a very quick bake. You thus get an incredibly fudgy cake with, on top, a thin chocolatey crust that lets a barely cooked batter flow out (a sort of ganache, in the end).
Straight out of the oven, it’s warm, soft, almost molten… pure bliss with a little crème anglaise or a scoop of ice cream. And if you’re lucky enough to have some left the next day, you’ll discover another side of this cake: it becomes dense and fudgy like a brownie, while the top takes on an almost mousse-like texture. Two desserts in one!
The advantage of this chocolate dessert is that it has very few ingredients and contains no flour. Gluten-free fans will be delighted!
Ingredients & method
1 component · Full recipe
Cake
Ingredients
- 225 g (7.9 oz) Valrhona Caraïbe 66% dark chocolate
- 225 g (7.9 oz) butter
- 75 g (2.6 oz) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 7 large eggs
- 265 g (9.3 oz) sugar
- a pinch of salt
Method
1
In a bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave, then stir with a spatula until smooth and homogeneous.
2
Once the mixture is smooth and glossy, add the fleur de sel and sift the cocoa powder over the bowl through a fine-mesh sieve. Mix until fully incorporated. Set aside.
3
Separate the eggs: pour the whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and place the yolks in a separate bowl.
4
Add 135 g (4.8 oz) of caster sugar to the egg yolks. Whisk with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is pale, thick and lightly foamy.
5
Meanwhile, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks: start at medium speed, then gradually incorporate the remaining sugar, continuing to whisk until firm and glossy.
6
Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks. Add two spoonfuls of the whipped whites and mix vigorously to loosen the batter.
7
Add the remaining whipped whites in several additions, folding them in gently with a spatula so as not to deflate them.
8
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
9
Weigh the batter, then pour two thirds into the prepared tin. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cake is well risen and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin. Don’t worry if the centre sinks a little when it comes out of the oven. The lack of flour can cause a slight dip. In any case, the centre will be filled with the remaining batter before the second bake, so it will not show at all. Transfer the remaining third of the batter into a bowl. Cover with cling film and refrigerate. This will form the fudgy top layer.
10
Preheat the oven again to 180°C / 350°F.
11
Once the cake is completely cooled, carefully unmould it and place it on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Pour the remaining third of the batter over the top of the cake (if it has been in the fridge, give it a brief whisk before spreading it with a spatula).
12
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until a thin crust forms on the surface while the inside remains slightly wobbly.
Gallery
