Fluffy French chocolate cake, moist in texture and topped with a thin crispy crust. My go-to chocolate cake for any occasion.
It was about time I shared it with you. After no less than a few hundreds of recipes on the blog, I had never posted a simple chocolate cake recipe. And by chocolate cake, I mean the kind of chocolate cake I grew up with during my childhood in France. I’m always up for a chocolate cake and I tested many different recipes over the years. But for some reason, I always go back to this one, a classic and easy French chocolate cake.
If you read my previous blog post about my birthday retreat in Grandpa’s cabin, you might recognize the cake I’m talking about today, as it is the one I baked for my birthday! Although we had a very basic kitchen there, I came prepared, making my birthday cake ahead of time and bringing it to the cabin. No way I would have a birthday without a cake!
I could have baked a special cake for the occasion, something sumptuous or at least a little bit sophisticated. But no, it was not what I was looking for. Sometimes, there is nothing better than simplicity, with authentic flavors and no extra stuff around. Given that we were about to spend the weekend in a cabin, I figured a classic chocolate cake was appropriate. I could already picture the families who lived in the cabin at the beginning of the previous century, getting busy baking this cake in their tiny kitchen.
As I was telling you earlier, I have tested many chocolate cake recipes in my life, to the point that I developed a slight obsession about them. But if I had to choose only one, a classic one that never fails or disappoint, I would for sure go for this one that I got many years ago through my dear friend Marie F. It’s an amusing coincidence that I chose to bake this cake on my birthday as both Marie and I were born on the same day, same year, and we both share a profound love for good food.
I remember this one time she invited me over for dinner and prepared the cake for me. I had hardly finished the last piece that I was already writing it down on a tiny piece of paper detached from a notebook. I could have lost it so many times since, but I always managed to keep it with me. The recipe followed me from Tours to Paris, then to Stockholm and now Chicago! Still today, every time I need a last minute cake idea before heading to friends’ place, I go for this one. It’s quick, easy, never disappointing and it pleases both children and grown-ups.
The secret of this cake comes from its soft and pillowy texture, making each bite melt in your mouth. All this is possible thanks to the use of beaten egg whites turned into light and fluffy soft peaks. It’s also what creates the macaron-like thin crust on top, leading to a wonderful contrast of textures. Then. the yolks and butter bring some richness to the cake, making it half way between moist and fondant. P.e.r.f.e.c.t.i.o.n.
Note that the proportions are very small and work for a 9-inch (23 cm) spring form. If you happen to use a bigger form, I recommend you double the proportions or at least multiply them by 1 1/2 to make sure you get a high enough cake.
Also, the baking time can vary from one oven to another, so keep an eye on it to make sure the cake is not over-baked. Let cool completely before eating and serve with some whipped cream, vanilla cream, or as is. Enjoy!
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Fluffy French chocolate cake, moist in texture and topped with a thin crispy crust. My go-to chocolate cake for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 4.4 ounces (125g) baking chocolate of good quality
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1/2 cup (125g) salted or unsalted butter, diced
- 2/3 cup (125g) sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, white and yolks apart
- 1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease a 9-inch (23 cm) spring form.*
- In a medium-size saucepan place on low heat, melt the chocolate with the milk. Add the butter and allow to melt, stirring as needed.
- Turn off the heat, then add the sugar and the yolks, one at a time, stirring between each addition. Sift in the flour and stir well.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Carefully incorporate to the chocolate mixture in two or three additions.
- Pour into the prepared spring form and bake for about 30-35 minutes.
Notes
* If using a bigger form, double the recipe proportions or multiply by at least 1.5%.
Shop the recipe
Here are a few items I used for this recipe:
Digital Kitchen Food Scale | KitchenAid Hand Mixer | Glass Mixing Bowl Set | Saucepan | Non-Stick Pan
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Comme il a l’air top ton gâteau au chocolat ! Et la cuisson est juste parfaite !
★★★★★
Ca à l’air délicieux ^^
A la lecture, on a l’impression que tout le gateau se fait dans une “small saucepan”, ou le chocolat fond avec le lait, et on y ajoute finalement tous les ingredients, y compris les oeufs battus en neige! Pauvre petite casserole, j’espere qu’elle a des pouvoirs d’extension… pour ma part, je verserai la preparation au chocolat dans un bol ou un saladier avant de poursuivre. 🙂 Ceci dit, les photos sont allechantes et j’ai hate d’essayer cette recette.
Ah oui je fais toujours dans l’efficacité, moins il y a de vaisselle, mieux je me porte 😀 Cela dit, tu peux effectivement parfaitement verser le chocolat dans un saladier pour avoir plus de place.
Bonjour, et merci d avoir partagé la recette de ton gâteau , samedi je suis invité chez des amis , et ta recette gâteau au chocolat tombe à pic , je vais leur faire ainsi qu’un pain cuit en cocotte ☺
Merci encore
Patricia
★★★★★
Un très bon moelleux au chocolat, tout le monde aime cela, tel qu’il est, il est parfait !!!
J’aime ta façon de cuisiner toujours en apportant du plaisir … Voila un beau dessert pour ce soir, je sais que mes invités adorent le moelleux-fondant, et nous aussi ! Merci, Belle journée
★★★★★
This chocolate cake is delicious! Thank you for sharing!
You are the queen of chocolate cakes/puddings!!
My kid’s and I have enjoyed trying many of your recipes and they never fail to please us.
Oh thank you SO much for your adorable words. They mean the world to me 😀
Parfait ! C’est bien le gateau au chocolat de notre enfance parfaitement équilibré, fondant. Une recette incontournable. Merci Del !
★★★★★
Merci beaucoup Johanna! Ravie d’apprendre que cette recette te plaise et te rappelle à toi aussi des souvenirs d’enfance 🙂
Do I butter the springform pan and/or lay a sheet of parchment down on the bottom? Thank you!
Hi Alex! Yes, it’s better to grease the springform with butter before adding the batter. I will add it to the recipe. Del
I am looking forward to making this, but how long should I let it sit in the springform pan after taking it out of the oven? How long does it need to cool before serving? And do you recommend cooling on a rack? I would appreciate your advice. Thank you!
Liz
Hi Liz! It’s really up to you. I like to let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, and no you don’t need to transfer it to a cooling rack. I hope you’ll enjoy! 🙂 Del
Do you use unsweetened baking chocolate, or semisweet, or bittersweet?
Hi Corinne! I use 70% dark chocolate, but you could go for semi sweet baking chocolate too.
hi do you use white caster sugar or brown sugar? thank you
Hi Steve! I used caster sugar for this recipe. Del
Can you substitute the butter for coconut oil for this awesome recipe. If you can, do you less the amount of the coconut oil ??
Hi Lorraine! This is a major adjustment to the recipe and I would need to do some recipe testings to make sure it works. If you feel like testing yourself, you are welcome to share your experience with me 🙂 Del.
What kind of milk is ideal for this recipe, and would it be possible to use non-dairy milk?
Oh yes you can totally use any dairy milk of your choice, from a lactose-free milk to any plant-based milk (almond, cashew, etc.). I hope this helps!
Hi , I tried this cake , followed the recipe and tasted awesome. Just one doubt I had too much butter left in cake tin and butter in hands when I had a piece . Where could I have gone wrong ?
Hi! Hmmm, not sure what happened exactly. Depending on the oven you use, the baking time may change a little and you might want to place the rack a little bit lower to prevent the cake from over-baking with butter sweating next time.
Hi Del, I couldn’t find 70% only 60% chocolate. Do you think I can reduce the sugar to account for the difference? Thank you! Excited to try this recipe.
Hello! No worries, you can do the exact same recipe with just regular chocolate. You don’t need to cut the sugar, the cake is never too sweet anyway. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
The cake was so good! I just made it and loved it! I put a scoop of vanilla icecream on top and it was so yummy! Merci pour cette recette.
So happy you loved it Flora! Many thanks for your feedback 🙂
Hi , thank you for this very tasty cske everybody is asking for more . I just need to know if I can do it gluten free avec de la poudre d amande et quelle sera la quantité
Merci
Bonjour Rita! Heureuse que ce gâteau plaise à tous 🙂 Pour ce qui est de le rendre gluten-free, j’opterais à votre place pour un mélange de farines sans gluten prête à l’emploi, car remplacer par de la poudre d’amande changerait radicalement la texture de ce gâteau. En espérant vous avoir donné quelques éléments de réponse. Bien à vous. Del
Hi would you mind translating this reply into English? I am not confident if you are saying this is impossible or ok but the texture would change.
Sure! I was saying that the best option is to use a gluten-free flour mix. I wouldn’t go for almond flour though, as it would change the taste of the cake completely. I hope this helps! Del
Hello, I’ve actually started baking since I found your blog! Really enjoy it! I have a question on this one, should there not be any baking powder? should I use plain or self raising flour?
If I double the recipe, is the cook time the same? The pan is 9”, but don’t want it to come out too flat. Thank you.
Hi Cathy! In this case, the best is to check the baking time regularly by inserting a toothpick inside. When the cake is slightly crispy on top and well-baked on the edges but almost-done (= slightly moist/wet) in the middle, it’s time to remove it from the oven and let it cool until set. This way you will have a very moist cake with a cracky topping. Just the perfect texture! I hope this helps and I wish you a happy baking! 🙂 Del
It was a HIT!!! I baked it in a convention oven for 35 min., and it was perfect. Will be making this again. Thanks so much.
I just made this cake for our Thanksgiving feast. Paired it with homemade raspberry sauce and the combination is heavenly. Thank you!
★★★★★
So happy you liked it, thanks for your feedback and kind words, Marta!
Good evening, Del,
May I ask, would it be possible to cover this cake in fondant? I would really, reaaally like to bake this cake for my daughter’s birthday (turning 5 soon, she simply loves chocolate, chocolate cakes and pretty much everything that is loaded with chocolate). Could you recommend me a cream that I could use for the purpose, that could hold fondant?
Thank you very much and best of luck! I am very happy to have found your blog!
Ana
Hi Ana! Happy to learn you like this chocolate cake. I’ve never tried with chocolate on top but my guess is that you could try with the chocolate ganache from this recipe: https://www.delscookingtwist.com/coffee-brownie-cheesecake/ Just skip coffee of course! Best of luck and happy birthday to your little one! Del
So I’ve made this cake twice now. Fantastic flavor, good texture, but mine is a lot thinner than your photo, (I have the right size pan, though it is a fairly deep springform), and my second one is very flat and even on the top, like a layer cake. Am I folding the mixture too much? I love the rustic look of your photo—with the cake higher on the sides. How to achieve this?
Hello! It can have something to do with the depth of your springform. The one I use is not very deep, hardly more than the cake. Maybe try with another form or simply double the quantity. I hope this helps 🙂
Hello, Delphine,
What brand of chocolate are you using? This looks wonderful!
Hi Lana! It really depends. I can use Lindt dark baking chocolate or Guittard. I hope it helps! Del
My dad has his last day of French classes this week and asked me to bake a French cake for the class so thought I’d give your recipe a go. I am doubling the recipe and using a 10” tin…how long would you cook it for? Thanks
Bonjour Mariona! So happy you’re making this cake for a French class! I’m not so sure about the baking time though as it can also depends from your oven. So my recommendation is to keep a close eye on the oven while the cake is baking. Once you get this thinly crust on top and can feel that the cake is firm on the side but still slightly jiggling in the middle, you can remove it from the oven. Also, make sure you allow the cake to cool before slicing so it has time to set. I hope this helps! Del
Thanks. I made it, it looked delish and although I wasn’t there when they cut the cake I understand it was slightly gooey inside so all good. I gave my dad the cake with a tub full of lime flavoured whipped cream (adapted from a Nigella margarita cream) which I thought would go well with the rich dark chocolate. It was apparently a huge hit and there wasn’t any left to bring home for me to try.
Do I use sweet or semi sweet. Chocolate
What percentage of cocoa
Hi! I use semi-sweet or dark chocolate, around 55-60% cocoa is fine but I also like it when I use chocolate with 70% cocoa. It’s up to you!
Hi, is it unsweetened baking chocolate or sweetened?
For this recipe I use sweetened chocolate, usually 55-60% cocoa and up to 70% cocoa is fine. I hope this helps! Del
Hi! Always go for sweetened chocolate for this recipe – my best recommendation is to use 60% cocoa baking chocolate. I hope this helps! Del
Can this be made in a regular 9 in cake pan? Or does it have to be springform?
Hi Rachel! A regular springform would do too 🙂
Was craving chocolate cake and found your recipe and oh goodness… this is so good!!
I did have to make an adjustment, and wanted to share just in case it would be helpful to someone else! I didn’t have baking chocolate, just cocoa powder. I know they’re not recommended to be interchangeable – but wasn’t going to let that get between me and chocolate cake. For your base recipe calling for 125g of baking chocolate, I used 5.5 tbsp (roughly 78g) cocoa powder and 3.5 tbsp (roughly 47g) coconut oil and it worked pretty great! I’m sure the texture is a bit different, so I still look forward to trying this cake again when I get more baking chocolate.
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Evy! Thank you so much for sharing all these adjustments, they might be useful for the readers who need to adapt the recipe a little bit. And I’m glad you liked the recipe 🙂 Del
Hello! I just made this and it’s delicious! Came out very gooey and moist throughout even though tooth pick came out clean? It’s also very thin? Also when you say caster sugar, do you mean granulated sugar or powder sugar (icing sugar)? I cannot get out perfect slices as it’s a bit sticky? Thanks so much! I will try it again to take to a friends
Hi, I noticed that this recipe uses 125g of butter and sugar, though the measurement by cup differs. It states 1/2 cup butter and 2/3 cup of sugar – would just like to check if both measurements states are accurate? Thanks!
Hi! The difference is just about a few grams so it doesn’t really matter for this recipe. But if you want the perfect measurements, always go for the metric version, more precise, and especially here since it’s a French recipe. That being said, I’ve baked this cake countless times, both in cups and grams and it always turns out very well anyway 🙂 I hope this helps! Del