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
Some of the links above are affiliate links, which pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Del’s cooking twist.
LadyMilonguera says
February 20, 2019 at 9:10 amComme il a l’air top ton gâteau au chocolat ! Et la cuisson est juste parfaite !
★★★★★
Carolane says
February 20, 2019 at 7:13 pmCa à l’air délicieux ^^
Anne C says
February 21, 2019 at 6:12 amA 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.
Delphine Fortin says
February 21, 2019 at 4:04 pmAh 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.
Patricia says
February 21, 2019 at 6:50 amBonjour, 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
★★★★★
Bozu says
February 21, 2019 at 11:40 amUn 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
★★★★★
Vy Platt says
February 23, 2019 at 8:31 pmThis 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.
Delphine Fortin says
February 24, 2019 at 6:45 pmOh thank you SO much for your adorable words. They mean the world to me 😀
Johanna says
February 24, 2019 at 4:42 amParfait ! C’est bien le gateau au chocolat de notre enfance parfaitement équilibré, fondant. Une recette incontournable. Merci Del !
★★★★★
Delphine Fortin says
February 24, 2019 at 6:43 pmMerci beaucoup Johanna! Ravie d’apprendre que cette recette te plaise et te rappelle à toi aussi des souvenirs d’enfance 🙂
Alex says
February 28, 2019 at 1:00 pmDo I butter the springform pan and/or lay a sheet of parchment down on the bottom? Thank you!
Delphine Fortin says
February 28, 2019 at 3:02 pmHi Alex! Yes, it’s better to grease the springform with butter before adding the batter. I will add it to the recipe. Del
Liz says
March 3, 2019 at 1:09 pmI 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
Delphine Fortin says
March 3, 2019 at 1:37 pmHi 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
Corinne says
March 18, 2019 at 12:18 pmDo you use unsweetened baking chocolate, or semisweet, or bittersweet?
Delphine Fortin says
March 18, 2019 at 2:42 pmHi Corinne! I use 70% dark chocolate, but you could go for semi sweet baking chocolate too.
Steve Durant says
May 4, 2019 at 12:10 pmhi do you use white caster sugar or brown sugar? thank you
Delphine Fortin says
May 7, 2019 at 3:31 amHi Steve! I used caster sugar for this recipe. Del
Lorraine says
May 8, 2019 at 1:09 pmCan you substitute the butter for coconut oil for this awesome recipe. If you can, do you less the amount of the coconut oil ??
Delphine Fortin says
May 13, 2019 at 8:45 pmHi 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.
Stephanie says
May 20, 2019 at 10:25 pmWhat kind of milk is ideal for this recipe, and would it be possible to use non-dairy milk?
Delphine Fortin says
May 21, 2019 at 2:34 pmOh 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!
Bhuvaneswari E M says
June 15, 2019 at 11:54 amHi , 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 ?
Delphine Fortin says
June 17, 2019 at 3:40 pmHi! 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.