Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
A Classic of the French repertoire, a Chocolate Moelleux Cake is a decadent and intensely chocolatey cake, relying on only a few ingredients: eggs, sugar and a solid amount of butter and good-quality dark chocolate. Made with no flour, hence naturally gluten-free, this cake combines the richness of chocolate cake with the airiness of a mousse. A must for all chocolate lovers! What are French Moelleux Cakes? Moelleux Cakes, literally translating to “soft” cakes, are staples from the French Repertoire. The most famous version of “moelleux” is this one, a…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 30 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 7 oz (200g) dark chocolate (70% cocoa), roughly chopped
- ¾ cup + 2 tbsp (200g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 6 large eggs, at room temperature. yolks and whites separated
- 1 tbsp (10g) cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- For greasing the pan:
- 1 tsp butter + 1 tsp flour (or unsweetened cocoa)
Instructions
- 1
Make sure your read the tips in the article above before starting.
- 2
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F (180°C) with a rack in the middle. Grease a 8”or 9” circular springform pan with butter and dust with flour (or unsweetened cocoa powder). Set aside.
- 3
Step 1 – In a medium steel bowl, over a bain-marie, melt the 7 oz (200g) of chopped chocolate with the butter. Once melted, set aside to cool for 10-15 minutes.
- 4
Step 2 – In a large mixing bowl, whisk together ½ cup (100g) of sugar with the egg yolks, until pale and foamy. While whisking, pour in the melted butter and chocolate. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, and whisk to combine.
- 5
Step 3 – In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the 6 egg whites and salt to a stiff peak. Add the rest of the sugar (1/2 cup - 100g), gradually while still beating. With a spatula, fold about ¼ or less of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold gently and stop mixing when just uniform. In three or four more additions, fold in the rest of the egg whites. The batter should be airy and "jiggly".
- 6
Step 4 - Pour the batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cake looks puffy. The edges should be set and the middle still slightly wobbly. Transfer onto a cooling rack; the cake will deflate as it cools and the top will wrinkle. Let cool at least 15 minutes and remove from the pan.
- 7
Enjoy slightly warm (melty texture), at room temperature (soft texture) or chilled (firmer texture).