Perfect French chocolate fondant (easy recipe)

🤔What is chocolate fondant?

Chocolate fondant is one of the most famous, classic french desserts. It refers to a large, simple cake (6-8 servings).

It's not the same as chocolate lava cakes, that we usually call "moelleux au chocolat" (you can also see "coulant au chocolat" in some French restaurants) here in France. The difference is that chocolate lava cakes are usually a single-serve cake and that their center is completely liquid. In the chocolate fondant, the center is gooey and fudgy, but not liquid, strictly speaking. 

💙Why you'll love it

• So easy to prepare - it's a real cinch and it uses only basic ingredients.
• Amazing texture - a gooey, fudgy and melting cake with such a rich chocolate taste...
• Special occasion...or not - wether you're hosting a dinner party, a birthday party, a family dinner, a tea party or a date night, chocolate is always a good idea and this cosy dessert will put everyone on the same page! Trust me, it's THE perfect dessert for almost everything!
• Can be kept for several days, which is actually super practical...even though I'm sure that there won't be a crumb left a few minutes after it's been placed on the table.

🍫Ingredients

You can find a full list of ingredients and measurements in the recipe card below. Here are a few ingredient notes to make this decadent dessert.

• Dark chocolate - use a good quality chocolate, fairtrade if possible. Discover the Eco Tips I wrote about chocolate!
• Unsalted butter - I'm sure you could try with semi-salted butter if you prefer, but I've never tried it.
• Room temperature whole eggs - ideally pasture-raised organic. You can refer to the Eco Tips I've written on eggs to help you choose the right ones.
• Cocoa powder - completely optional. But if you want a stronger chocolate taste, remove 10 g of flour and replace it with 10 g of cocoa powder.

🍓What to serve it with

Feel free to serve this recipe with whatever you like. Here are some suggestions:

• Vanilla custard sauce (I give you my authentic French recipe in the recipe card)
• Berries
• Chocolate ganache
• Homemade chantilly
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla ice cream
• Orange zest

✨How to make this chocolate fondant cake?

Recipe details and quantities are in the recipe card below.

• Preheat your oven to 180°C in natural convection/static heat mode.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over very low heat. Mix well during melting, then remove the pan from the heat.

• Add sugar to the chocolate mixture, then mix well. 
• In a small bowl, crack the eggs and beat them with a fork. Add the mixture to the pan, and mix again perfectly combined.

• Then add sifted flour (and optional, cocoa powder), and mix one last time.
• Pour the fondant batter in a non-stick mold. If you don't have a non-stick mold, use a traditional one, generously greased with butter.

• Bake for 17 to 20 minutes (baking time varies according to your oven and mold). Serve with vanilla custard cream, fresh berries or whatever you like!

👩🏻‍🍳Chef's tips

1. As European, I'm used to working in grams and milliliters. For savory dishes, the American measuring system can work just perfectly. But for anything sweet, I really recommend using a digital scale, which is much more precise. That way, you'll be sure to succeed with your recipes.
2. Melt chocolate with butter on very low heat, stirring often - if not, you might burn your chocolate and there's no making up for it. So you'd have to throw the mixture away and start again, and I wouldn't want that for you!
3. The size of your mold is crucial too - I use a 9.5-inches/24 cm mold. If you use a smaller or larger mold, the baking time won't be the same, and the texture of the cake will be affected (because its height won't be the same too). My mold is a non-stick one, but you can completely use a regular one and put a little butter on the bottom to prevent the cake from sticking.
4. The baking time may slightly vary, because every oven is different. In my oven, the chocolate fondant reaches the perfect texture at 17 minutes.

💡Frequently Asked Questions

❄️Storage

If you have leftovers, make sure they are completely cold and wrap them tightly in a plastic wrap. You can also put them in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible before closing, or in aluminium foil. Keep it at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

I really wouldn't recommend freezing it...