Decadent chocolate fondant

Chocolate. Molten core. Moist texture. Need I say more? There are countless ways to make a chocolate cake, but this one — that I like to define as "decadent" — has been my favorite for years. It's rich, indulgent, and definitely not the lightest option, but sometimes, that's exactly what you need.

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate¹
• 200g unsalted butter
• 150g crystal sugar
• 5 eggs
• 100ml milk²
• 30g flour
• 10g baking powder

Optional:

• Icing sugar

Recipe

Start by melting the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler, or in the microwave if you don't have one.

While preparing this, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).

Stir until everything is perfectly smooth.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture turns pale and fluffy.

Then, pour in the melted butter and chocolate mixture, and mix thoroughly.

Next, add the flour, baking powder, and milk, stirring until the batter is completely smooth. This cake is incredibly easy to prepare, but baking it just right requires some attention.

To achieve a moist texture with a semi-lava core, you need the right baking pan. I used a 20x6cm springform pan with a flat bottom for this one. The cake will rise significantly in the oven before collapsing slightly as it cools, so to prevent overflow, I lined the pan with extra parchment paper to accommodate the rise.

Baking time will vary depending on the size and height of your cake batter in the pan. For my cake, it took 38 minutes to reach the perfect texture. To check doneness, insert a knife in two spots — near the edge and in the center. The edges should be almost dry, while the center should be slightly sticky but not liquid. If you get that result, it's ready.

Once baked, let the cake cool at room temperature for about one hour. Once cold, I recommend dusting the top with a thin layer of powdered sugar.

From there, if you prefer a hot, molten center, you can enjoy it right away. However, I recommend putting the cake in the fridge for at least an hour so the molten core becomes a slightly gooey, more intense experience.

Going further

You can also make individual fondants using this same recipe with a muffin tray or similar molds. The baking time for smaller portions will be much shorter — around 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrition facts

Approximately 376kcal per 100g.

Note: nutritional value may vary depending on the specific brands and ingredients used.