French Chocolate Cake Recipe

Follow this easy French chocolate cake recipe to make famous Suzy cake. Rich and decadent, soft and fluffy, this super-moist five-ingredient cake is made in one hour! Could you resist not making it?

I always look for some chocolate to enrich and sweeten up my life, and to surprise my guys at home who are great chocolate lovers. Our kitchen has a good stock of dark chocolate in case if I decide to bake something chocolate.

There is one cake that I can make even at 9 p.m. on a Friday, after a busy working week. It satisfies my chocolate craving and works as a kind of psychotherapy. This chocolate cake is called Suzy cake which is a French chocolate cake.

It is a super moist chocolate cake, or "gâteau au chocolat moilleux" in French. The cake is made with only five ingredients and represents one of the easiest French cakes.

Jump to:

• History of Suzy cake
• What makes a cake moist?
• Is dark chocolate good for you?
• How to choose dark chocolate?
• How to unmold a chocolate cake
• Why you should try this chocolate cake
• Ingredients
• How to make a moist chocolate cake
• Expert tips
• Frequently Asked Questions
• More delicious chocolate recipes you will love
• Recipe
• Comments

History of Suzy cake

Why is this chocolate cake called Suzy? The cake was created by a friend of Pierre Hermé, Suzy Palatin, an outstanding cook, who wrote many books.

For Pierre Hermé, this cake was as a revelation; he described it as being "extraordinarily good and very simple to make," which is indeed the case!

What makes a cake moist?

Have you ever wondered how to make a super moist cake, and therefore excellent? Here are FIVE simple tips to achieve this result.

1. Replace water with milk.
2. Add 3 to 4 whole eggs instead of two. Moreover, extra yolks give the cake ultra-moistness! Replace two whole eggs with three egg yolks.
3. Instead of plain yogurt, choose cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and/or add a tablespoon of crème fraîche.
4. Use real butter instead of margarine.
5. Replace some butter with oil.

Is dark chocolate good for you?

Dark chocolate never stops to amaze us! It boosts memory, stimulates concentration, and improves the quality of sleep.

Dark chocolate lows the risk of heart disease and stroke due to the flavonoids it contains. It also has a role in decreasing blood pressure.

It significantly decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, increases HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and lowers total cholesterol for people with its high level.

Dark chocolate is rich in fiber and minerals such as iron, magnesium, copper, and manganese. It is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants. So, do not forget to include dark chocolate on your anti-aging food list.

Finally, dark chocolate protects the skin from sun damage. Next time you go on vacation, increase the amount of consumed dark chocolate!

How to choose dark chocolate?

Choose dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 70% or higher. The higher the cocoa content, the more beneficial dark chocolate.

Try to avoid brands of dark chocolate that contain trans-fat, milk, artificial flavorings, and high amounts of sugar.

Choose dark chocolate made from fair-trade and organic cacao beans. And that last thing to look at with buying high-quality chocolate is to avoid Dutched dark chocolate.

This type of chocolate is treated with alkali that changes the color of the chocolate and reduces its bitterness. This chocolate also contains fewer amounts of antioxidants.

My top preference is Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *, which contains 70% cacao.

How to unmold a chocolate cake

Since the moist chocolate cake is made with little flour, it is less compact after baking and, therefore, very fragile.

The best way to get a chocolate cake out of the pan is to use buttered parchment paper with lift tabs. Butter the mold, place precut circle cake pan liners at the bottom (try to avoid wrinkles). This tip will allow you to remove the cake from the pan easily.

Why you should try this chocolate cake

1. This French chocolate cake recipe is so easy that the cake becomes a go-to chocolate dessert for any occasion.
2. It is a one-bowl cake recipe, which is a bonus.
3. The recipe calls for only five basic ingredients.
4. This intensely chocolatey and incredibly moist chocolate cake is made of pure chocolate: no cocoa powder is used.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for detailed amounts and instructions. I recommend making this recipe as written for the best results. 

Dark chocolate: use a top-quality Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *, 70% cacao.

Butter: take it out of the fridge 1 to 2 hours before you start.

Sugar: use granulated white or caster sugar.

Eggs: the recipe calls for large eggs. Take them out of the fridge at least two hours in advance to room temperature so they are ready when you incorporate them into the other ingredients.  

Flour: use all-purpose flour to make the cake.

How to make a moist chocolate cake

Preheat oven to 355 F/180 C. Butter a 9-inch/23 cm pie pan, cover the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and set aside (photo 1).

Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave or bain-marie/water bath (click here to read how to melt chocolate), set aside, and let it cool. The chocolate should be slightly warm to the touch.

In a bowl, whisk butter and sugar with an electric or stand mixer until the mixture is creamy, and the sugar is perfectly amalgamated (photo 2).

Add eggs (at room temperature) one by one, beating for about a minute each time. The mixture will become granular: it is all right (photo 3).

Reduce the speed to a minimum, pour the cooled chocolate, and mix until it is incorporated. 

Keep the same low speed, add flour, and mix until it disappears from the dough, but do not overmix. (photo 4)

Pour the dough into the pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula (photo 5), and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.

It may happen that the top will become cracked, and the cake will not look cooked entirely in the center, which is all right (photo 6).

Check the readiness of the cake: when you insert a knife in the center of the cake, some stained dough will appear on the surface of the blade.

Take the cake out of the oven and place it (still being in the pan) on a wire rack and let it cool down. Once the cake has cooled at the room temperature, refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours to facilitate the removal of the cake.

Turn the cake over, remove parchment paper, and place it on a plate. Let the cake come to room temperature before cutting and serving.

Expert tips

1. Use a high-quality Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *, 70% cacao.
2. Serve the cake in a pan without chilling if you prefer.
3. To facilitate removing the cake, bake it in a 9-inch/23 cm springform pan, fluted tart pan, or glass bottom springform pan is the best. Or use your favorite pan and precut circle cake pan liners.
4. Cut the cake, wiping the knife off before each cut.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to serve moist chocolate cake

Serve the cake at room temperature or completely cold according to your taste. Serve it on its own, drizzle with chocolate sauce or accompany with whipped cream or ice cream.

If you plan to serve it cold, leave the cake in the refrigerator for a few hours. However, remember to bring it to room temperature one hour before serving.

How to store this cake

You can easily store the cake for two or three days at room temperature. Keep it away from sunlight and cover with a clean tea towel in the same way as bread. If you want, you can freeze it for up to two months

More delicious chocolate recipes you will love

• French Chocolate Ganache Tart
• French Dark Chocolate Mousse
• Chocolate Terrine Dessert

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Recipe

The nutrition information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator and is intended for informational purposes only and should be used as a general guideline. If the nutrition information is important to you, you should independently verify it using your preferred tool. Please, read the disclaimers in our Privacy Policy.

The recipe was adapted from https://perleensucre.com/. It was originally published on February 24, 2019. The recipe has been revised to include improved content and photos. All posted pictures are mine.