A true chocolate lover's dream: this indulgent molten chocolate cake features a rich, gooey center with an airy, delicate crumb. With its glossy finish and intense cocoa flavors, this is the perfect dessert for special occasions or a luxurious treat for yourself.
⏱️60 min
📊Medium
👥6 servings
🍽️Dessert
vegetarianfamilyfestive
Ingredients
200 gdark chocolate 70%
150 gunsalted butter
5 pièceseggs
120 ggranulated sugar
40 gwheat flour
20 gunsweetened cocoa powder
1 pincéefine sea salt
1 cuillère à caféliquid vanilla
Instructions
1PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 180°C: Set your oven to 180°C (thermostat 6) using convection or conventional heat mode. Meanwhile, prepare a 20 cm round cake pan by generously buttering it or lining it with parchment paper. This step is crucial to prevent the cake from sticking to the pan walls and to ensure even baking.
2MELT THE CHOCOLATE AND BUTTER: Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces and place it with diced butter in a heat-resistant bowl. Pour hot water (not boiling) into a saucepan and place the bowl on top to create a double boiler. Stir regularly with a spatula until you achieve a smooth, homogeneous mixture, about 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure the bowl does not touch the boiling water to prevent overheating. Allow to cool slightly to room temperature.
3WHITEN THE EGGS WITH SUGAR: Separate the egg whites from the yolks into two different bowls. In one bowl, combine the yolks with sugar and liquid vanilla. Using an electric whisk or hand whisk, beat this mixture for 3 to 4 minutes until you achieve a pale, light, and voluminous texture. This step aerates the yolks and creates the characteristic lightness of a molten cake.
4INCORPORATE CHOCOLATE INTO THE YOLKS: Pour the slightly cooled chocolate-butter mixture into the whitened yolks. Fold gently using a spatula with upward sweeping motions to avoid deflating the air bubbles. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and fine salt directly into the mixture, then fold in gently until no white streaks remain. The mixture should be smooth and glossy, without lumps.
5WHIP THE EGG WHITES: In the bowl containing the egg whites, add a pinch of fine salt and whisk with an electric whisk until you achieve stiff peaks with a glossy, meringue-like appearance. This will take about 3 to 4 minutes. The whites are fundamental to the cake's tender crumb, as the air incorporated will transform into bubbles during baking.
6ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Add the whipped egg whites to the chocolate mixture in three additions. For each addition, fold gently with a spatula using upward motions, lifting the batter to avoid deflating the whites. This technique preserves the volume and creates the airy texture characteristic of a molten cake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface lightly.
7BAKE AND COOK: Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. The cake is ready when the surface has formed a slight crust but the center still jiggles slightly when you move the pan (indicating the center will remain molten). To check doneness, insert a toothpick in the center: it should come out with a few moist crumbs, not completely dry. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.