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Chocolate Fondant (Fondant au Chocolat)

A single slice of fondant au chocolate on a white plate.
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This best fondant au chocolat recipe makes the famous French fondant Baulois with a rich chocolate melt-in-your-mouth texture. Serve it with custard or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the best chocolate experience.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 7.4 oz. (210 g) bittersweet dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
  • 7 oz. (200 g) salted butter
  • 3/4 cup (150 g) light brown sugar
  • 5 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon salted butter caramel

Instructions

  1. Prepare an 8-inch (20 cm) springform pan or a cake ring wrapped in aluminum foil, forming its bottom. Using softened butter, grease the bottom and sides of the pan or ring and line it with parchment paper. Place the prepared cake ring on a baking sheet.
  2. To make the cake batter, chop the chocolate and cut the butter into small cubes. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or bain marie, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Alternatively, use the microwave with 30-second increments or the stovetop with low heat. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.
  3. Place the salted butter caramel in a small, heatproof bowl, warm it in the microwave, and add it to the melted chocolate mixture.
  4. Place sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. The mixture will double in volume and look foamy. Pour the cooled, melted chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs and sugar preparation and whisk on low speed. Add the sifted flour and gently mix with a rubber spatula.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared mold and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
  6. Heat the oven to 410°F (210°). Bring the mold to the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for 5 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 250°F (120°C) and bake for another 40 minutes. Watch out for creating a meringue crust on top of the cake and a slightly wobbly center.
  7. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate it for at least 4 hours, better overnight.
  8. Unmold the cake and let it stay at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving to regain its melting texture. To remove the cake from the cake ring, pass a thin knife between the parchment paper and the ring to loosen the cake from the edges.
  9. For slicing, use a long, sharp knife dipped in hot water, drying it between slices. 

Notes

  1. Opt for a mold with a removable bottom, or use a cake ring wrapped in aluminum foil. Using a regular cake tin makes it challenging to remove the cake.
  2. For the best results, use an 8-inch (20 cm) pan. The baking time is calculated to achieve the cake's desired texture. Use this simple cake pan calculator to recalculate ingredients for a different cake pan size. However, you will need to experiment with the baking time to get the desired texture.
  3. Don't overbake the cake. The cake is ready when the thin crust forms on top, and the center is slightly wobbly.
  4. Respect the resting and chilling time for an authentic fondant au chocolat experience.
  5. For slicing, use a long, sharp knife dipped in hot water, then dry it between slices.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.bakinglikeachef.com/fondant-au-chocolat/