Follow this easy French chocolate cake recipe to make the 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 husband who is a great chocolate lover.
Our kitchen has a good stock of dark chocolate in case if I decide to bake something chocolate.
This cake is one of the delicious desserts 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 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.
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What is French chocolate cake?
There is a short story behind this French chocolate cake that is called Suzy.
The original recipe of the cake was created by a friend of French chef 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!
Why you should try this recipe
- This French chocolate cake is the best chocolate cake you have ever tried.
- Its recipe is so easy that the cake becomes a go-to chocolate dessert for any occasion.
- It is a one-bowl cake recipe, which is a bonus.
- The recipe calls for only five basic ingredients.
- 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 exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.
Dark chocolate: use top-quality dark chocolate (not chocolate chips) such as Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *, 70% cacao. Read on how to choose dark chocolate below.
Butter: the recipe calls for unsalted 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.
Need To Adjust Your Baking Pan Size?
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 the last thing to look at with buying high-quality chocolate is to avoid Dutched dark chocolate.
This type of chocolate is treated with alkali which 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 make chocolate cake
Heat oven to 355 degrees F/180 degrees C. Butter a 9-inch/23 cm pie pan, cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, butter the paper, and set aside (photo 1).
Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave or water bath (read on 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 mixer or a 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 melted chocolate, and mix until it is incorporated.
Keep the same low speed, add flour to the chocolate mixture, and mix until it disappears from the dough, but do not overmix. (photo 4)
Pour batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula (photo 5), and bake in the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes.
It may happen that the top of the cake 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 and moist crumbs will appear on the surface of the blade.
Take the cake out of the oven and place it (still being in the cake tin) on a wire rack and let it cool down.
Once the cake has cooled at 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.
How to serve
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.
Storage
You can easily store the cake for two or three days at room temperature. Keep it away from sunlight and cover it with a clean tea towel in the same way as bread.
If you want, you can freeze it for up to two months.
Expert tips
- Use a high-quality Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *, 70% cacao.
- Serve the cake in a pan without chilling if you prefer.
- 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.
- Cut the cake, wiping the knife off before each cut.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, dark chocolate boosts memory, stimulates concentration, and improves the quality of sleep. It lows the risk of heart disease and stroke due to its flavonoids. It significantly decreases LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, increases HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and lowers total cholesterol. Finally, dark chocolate is an excellent source of powerful antioxidants and protects the skin from sun damage.
To make a cake moist, here are a few simple tips to achieve this result. Replace water with milk or use real butter instead of margarine. Instead of plain yogurt, choose cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and/or add a tablespoon of crème fraîche. Or add 3 to 4 whole eggs instead of two. Extra yolks give the cake ultra-moistness: replace two whole eggs with three egg yolks. Or replace some butter with oil.
Since the moist chocolate cake is made with little flour, it is less compact after baking and, therefore, very fragile. The great 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), and pour a cake batter.
Love chocolate desserts! Try these next!
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Recipe card
French Chocolate Cake
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?
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz (250 g) dark chocolate 70%
- 8.8 oz (250 g) butter, softened
- ⅔ cup + 3 ½ tablespoons (200 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoons (70 g) all-purpose flour
*Don't you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
** If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- Heat oven to 355 degrees F/180 degrees C. Butter a 9-inch/23 cm pie pan, cover the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and set aside.
- Melt the dark chocolate in a microwave or water bath (read on 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 mixer or a stand mixer until the mixture is creamy and the sugar is perfectly amalgamated. Add eggs (at room temperature) one by one, beating for about a minute each time. The mixture will become granular: it is all right. Reduce the speed to a minimum, pour the cooled melted chocolate, and mix until incorporated. Keep the same low speed, add flour to the chocolate mixture, and mix until it disappears from the dough, but do not overmix!
- Pour the batter into the pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula, and bake in the preheated oven 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. Check the readiness of the cake: when you insert a knife in the center of the cake, some stained dough and moist crumbs will appear on the surface of the blade.
- Take the cake out of the oven and place it (still being in the cake tin) on a wire rack and let it cool down. Once the cake has cooled at room temperature, refrigerate it for 1-2 hours to facilitate the removal of the cake. Next, turn the cake over, remove parchment paper, and place it on a plate. Let the cake come to room temperature before cutting and serving.
Notes
- Use a high-quality Scharffen Berger dark chocolate * or Valrhona dark chocolate *, 70% cacao.
- Serve the cake in a pan without chilling if you prefer.
- To facilitate removing the cake, bake it in a 9-inch/23 cm springform pan, fluted tart pan, or glass bottom springform pan. Or use your favorite pan and precut circle cake pan liners.
- Cut the cake, wiping the knife off before each cut.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 559
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 215 mg
- Fat: 41.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 25.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 8.9 g
- Protein: 6.1 g
- Cholesterol: 160 mg
Keywords: French chocolate cake, moist chocolate cake, French chocolate cake recipe, gâteau au chocolat
The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
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.
Diana says
Hi, did I miss adjusted baking time when one doubles or triples the recipe?
Irina says
Hi Diana, thanks for your interest in the recipe. I would suggest recalculating ingredients using this simple cake pan calculator. If the height of the cake stays the same, the baking time is usually the same, too. But you will need to watch the cake while baking. Unfortunately, I cannot suggest how many minutes more you would need to add while double or triple the recipe.
Ken H. says
I actually forgot to add the butter which I had left to soften in the microwave! I discovered it after I had baked, cooled and removed the cake from the pan. I was ready to dump the cake but tasted it - and it was still delicious!
Irina says
Hello Ken, Wow, I am surprised that the butterless cake recipe worked out. 🙂 Next, it's worth making again, but with butter. Thanks for coming back and your comment.
Rachel says
If I want to make this cake dairy free, could I use a stick of marg instead of butter?
Irina says
Hi Rachel, Yes, you can replace butter with the same amount of margarine. Happy baking!
Betsey says
This cake was SO delicious. A big hit for my (adult) daughter's birthday. I served it with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. Everyone raved about it. It is kind of an elevated gooey brownie, which doesn't sound near as good as French Chocolate Cake. I baked it in a 9" springform – easy peasy to remove. The instructions and tips were great. Mine baked a few minutes longer and was still so moist. Use good chocolate, for sure. Thanks for the recipe. It's a keeper.
★★★★★
Irina says
Hello Betsey, Thank you for making the recipe and the lovely comment!
Nancy says
Used erythritol as the sugar and King Arthur one-for-one gluten-free flour. Baked in spring form pan. It tastes like a cross between regular cake and flourless cake. Not bad.
★★★★
Irina says
Hello Nancy, thanks for your comment. It might be helpful for those who want to swap sugar for a sweetener and use a GF blend.