Marry Me Chocolate Cake
By Anina Giannini, @lechefswife
Marry Me Chocolate Cake
By Anina Giannini, @lechefswife
Yield/Serves:
4 - 6
There are desserts you bake because they are practical, and then there are desserts you bake because you want to express your love. This French chocolate cake belongs firmly in the second category.
Known in France as moelleux au chocolat, this rich chocolate cake is softly set on the outside with a rich, molten center that flows when you cut into it. Elegant, simple, and deeply chocolatey, it is the kind of dessert that feels special without being complicated.
What Makes This Cake Special
This recipe relies on classic technique rather than complicated steps.
- No frosting
- No layering
- No special equipment beyond good bakeware
The key is timing. The cake is baked just long enough to set the edges while keeping the center soft and luscious. With quality chocolate, the right tools, and a careful eye on the oven, the result is effortless and impressive every time.
Ingredients:
- 250 grams of semi sweet chocolate (1.5 cups)
- 125 grams of butter, unsalted (9 tbsp)
- 8 large eggs
- 160 grams of white sugar (1 ⅓ cups)
- 120 grams of all-purpose flour (1 cup, and ½ tablespoons)
- 4 Strawberries (for garnish)
Create a “Bain Marie” to melt the chocolate
Fill a sauce pot halfway with water, bring to boil.
Chop up the chocolate into slivers – place in a heat resistant mixing bowl.
Set the mixing bowl on top of the sauce pan of boiling water (the base of the bowl should not be touching the water) – this is the “bain marie”. Stir the chocolate as it melts over the steam. Once it is melted and shiny, take the bowl off of the sauce pan and give it a good stir with a whisk.
In a small bowl, melt the butter (in the microwave is fine)
In another large bowl, beat the 8 eggs with a whisk until frothy (1 minute)
Add sugar to the eggs and continue to whisk for another minute until dissolved – add to the chocolate & butter and whisk again
Place the sieve over the chocolate bowl and slowly add in the flower.
Mix again with the whisk until all the ingredients are well integrated.
Cover with saran wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour
How to Bake the Moelleux
30 minutes before you are ready to cook your moelleux, heat the oven to 350 on the convection setting if you have one. You will want the oven to be nice and hot
Cut out the parchment paper so that you have a square for the base of the pastry circle and a tall strip to place inside the circle. Cut a strip 6 inches deep then cut off the last 3rd of the strip to be the base. The other piece fits into the pastry circle. The parchment paper collar should be higher than your circle. Repeat 4 times.
Place each square of parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Place a pastry circle on top of each square of parchment paper. Then a strip of parchment paper inside each pastry circle. Spray the insides with the cooking oil spray
With a spoon (or a piping bag to keep it really neat), carefully fill the pastry circle to the brim with the chocolate mixture. It should be 175g of chocolate mixture if you care to measure it out. You will want to avoid getting the pastry mixture on the top rims of the parchment paper. This is fussy, I know, but it is so worth it!
Cooking time
Place in the oven on the middle rack with the convection setting on and cook for about 20 minutes. The top should be just firm to the touch. If your finger leaves a wet dent, place it back in the oven for a minute. Be careful not to let the cake cook too much or you won’t get the lava effect inside!
Carefully remove from the oven. Using a long spatula, slide the spatula under the pastry ring (above the parchment paper square) and set on a dessert plate.
Using a kitchen towel, grasp the pastry ring and gently slide it up over the cake.
Remove the parchment paper.
Garnish Le Chef's Moelleux au Chocolat with a strawberry and serve immediately for the signature molten center.
How to Serve
The beauty of this dessert is its simplicity. Let the chocolate speak for itself.
This cake needs very little embellishment:
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- A spoonful of crème fraîche or lightly whipped cream
- Fresh berries, optional
Tips for Success
- Use the best chocolate you can find. Quality chocolate makes all the difference.
- Do not overbake. Pull the cake from the oven sooner than you think.
- Serve immediately for the best texture and flavor
Recipe first appeared: https://lechefswife.com/le-chefs-moelleux-au-chocolat/