This ultra-fudgy soft chocolate cake, I’d spotted it years ago on the Instagram page of Karim Bourgi. Honestly, I don’t know why I waited so long to make it! It’s as simple as it is delicious.
It’s made up of a soft chocolate hazelnut cake (I replaced the almonds with hazelnuts) and a baked chocolate ganache. And it’s really this ganache that makes all the difference. It brings an unrivalled meltingness and a lot of indulgence; it’s absolutely insane!
How do you get this chocolate hazelnut soft cake right?
First of all, you need to be careful to use the right mould to make this dessert. The ideal is a springform tin, which will prevent the batter and the ganache from making a run for it (I speak from experience…). I didn’t have one, so I used an entremets ring, but it leaked… If you use a ring like me, I advise you to close off the bottom of the ring with aluminium foil and, to prevent the cake from sticking to the foil, to place a circle of baking paper on top. There, you should be fine!
Last recommendation, and not the least: you absolutely must respect the cake’s resting time. Don’t remove the ring too quickly and, above all, put the cake in the fridge for at least an hour, so that the ganache has time to set a little. It’s a cake that’s quite fragile when it comes out of the oven. For the record, I was too impatient and wanted to move the cake onto a serving dish. Of course, it flipped over and broke in 2, a real carnage (for the photos at least). And that’s how my family-sized cake turned into little individual cakes.
Ingredients & preparation
2 components · Full recipe
Chocolate Hazelnut Fondant
Ingredients
- 110 g (3.9 oz) de sucre semoule
- 110 g (3.9 oz) de noisettes
- 18 g (0.6 oz) de maïzena
- 1,7 g (0.1 oz) de levure chimique
- 82 g (2.9 oz) d’œufs entiers (1 œuf et demi)
- 35 g (1.2 oz) de jaune d’œuf (2 jaunes)
- 1 cuillère à café d’extrait de vanille
- 110 g (3.9 oz) de crème liquide entière
- 50 g (1.8 oz) de chocolat noir Caraïbes 66% de Valrhona
Method
1
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 325°F (320°F).
2
Roast the hazelnuts in the oven for 10 minutes.
3
In a bowl, gently melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
4
In a small saucepan, heat the liquid cream and bring to a boil.
5
Pour one third of the cream over the dark chocolate and mix with a spatula to create an emulsion. Then pour a second third then a third to obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture. For this ganache, I used Valrhona Guanaja 70% chocolate.
6
Then add the whole eggs, egg yolks and vanilla and blend again for 5 seconds.
7
Finally fold the chocolate ganache into the previous mixture and mix with a rubber spatula.
8
Pour the batter into an 18 cm (7.1 in) springform pan that has been previously buttered. If you use a pastry ring, I recommend wrapping it with aluminium foil to properly seal the ring.
Cooked Milk Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
- 190 g (6.7 oz) de crème liquide
- 230 g (8.1 oz) de chocolat au lait Azelia 35% de Valrhona (ou 140 g (4.9 oz) de chocolat noir Caraïbes 66% de Valrhona)
- 35 g (1.2 oz) de lait
- 35 g (1.2 oz) d’œufs entiers
- 1/2 cuillère à café d’extrait de vanille
- 1 pincée de sel
Method
1
In a bowl, gently melt the milk chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
2
In a small saucepan, heat the liquid cream and bring to a boil.
3
Pour one third of the cream over the chocolate and mix with a spatula to create an emulsion. Then pour a second third then a third to obtain a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
4
Pour the ganache into a pitcher and add the milk, whole eggs, vanilla and salt. Blend with an immersion blender for a few seconds.
5
Pour the ganache over the fondant and bake again for 17 minutes. The cream should be set on the edges but still slightly wobbly in the center.
6
Leave to cool for 1 hour without unmolding. Carefully remove the ring (you can use a small knife to help) then refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the ganache to set. This cake is even better the next day.
Questions fréquentes
Comment réussir ce moelleux chocolat noisette ?
First of all, pay close attention to using the right pan for this dessert. The ideal is a springform pan, which will prevent the batter and ganache from leaking (speaking from experience…). I didn’t have one, so I used an entremet ring — but it leaked… If you use a ring like I did, I recommend sealing the bottom with aluminium foil, and to prevent the cake from sticking to the foil, place a circle of baking paper on top. That should do the trick! Last but not least, it is absolutely essential to respect the resting time. Don’t unmould too quickly, and above all, refrigerate the cake for at least one hour so that the ganache has time to set slightly. This cake is quite fragile straight out of the oven. For the record, I was too impatient and tried to move the cake onto a serving plate. Naturally, it flipped over and broke in two — an absolute disaster (at least in terms of the photos). That’s how my family-sized cake turned into individual little cakes. For this ultra-fudgy chocolate hazelnut cake, I used Valrhona Caraïbes 66% dark chocolate and Azelia 35% milk chocolate (it has lovely little hazelnut notes that pair perfectly with the cake). You could just as well use only dark chocolate as the chef does and replace the Azelia with Jivara.
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