French Chocolate Cake

This nearly flourless French Chocolate Cake is dense, full of rich chocolate flavor and yet surprisingly light in texture. It’s an elegant dessert choice for chocolate lovers.

French Chocolate Cake is truly unique. It’s somewhat rustic but completely refined at the same time. An almost flourless cake batter results in a dense, almost fudgy cake, but the texture isn’t heavy at all. Au contraire! It is light and lovely and unlike any other cake in my collection.

This is a great special occasion cake that is sure to impress. Over the years I’ve baked it for everything from a teacher appreciation luncheon, to a 4th of July BBQ, and as a luscious chocolate treat for Valentine’s Day. Chocolate just always works.

What is French Chocolate Cake

This recipe for French Chocolate Cake calls for just enough flour to give the cake some structure, but unlike flourless cakes, it slices well and has a nice crumb to it. The cracks on the surface of the cake are not imperfections. They are the result of the beaten egg whites in the batter that rise during the baking process to create the light top crust. Egg yolks are added to the batter separately to create a more dense, fudgy chocolate interior. It is delicious served with a simple dusting of powdered sugar but a scoop of vanilla ice cream is a natural fit. Especially in the summer months.

Ingredient Notes

• Granulated white sugar
• Bittersweet chocolate – I use a Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar broken into pieces. I don’t recommend using extra bittersweet chocolate (above 70%) for the best flavor.
• Semisweet chocolate chips – For the semisweet chocolate, I use chocolate chips since I always have them in my pantry and they melt so easily. Choose a nice quality brand like Nestle or Ghirardelli.
• Unsalted butter
• Pure vanilla extract
• Eggs – You’ll need 5 large eggs.
• All-purpose flour– Spooned and leveled.
• Salt – Just a pinch.
• Confectioners’ sugar – For decorating the finished cake.

How to Make French Chocolate Cake

1. Break the chocolate into pieces and place them in a large, heavy-bottomed pan along with the cubed butter and all but 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar.
2. Cook over low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted, and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla, and leave the mixture to cool slightly.
3. While the chocolate mixture is cooling, separate the eggs.
4. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the salt and beat until the mixture becomes puffy and white and you can see peaks when you pull the beaters out. Sprinkle reserved sugar over egg whites, and beat until stiff and glossy and set aside.

1. Beat the egg yolks into the slightly cooled chocolate mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Add the flour and beat just until combined.
3. Beat ⅓ of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture and then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites with a spoon or rubber spatula.
4. Carefully pour the batter into the prepared 9-inch springform pan (see Tips section below) and bake for about 35 minutes to 45 minutes in a preheated 325 degree F oven or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

How to Remove Cake from a Springform Pan

After baking, set the pan on a wire cooling rack. Remove just the sides of the springform pan and allow the cake to cool completely on the base. Once cooled, run a knife along the edges to gently separate the cake from the base and use a spatula to help lift and move it to a serving platter.

Tips for Success

• Allow your eggs to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before starting. If you forget, don’t fret! Just place whole eggs in a bowl with warm (not hot!) water and let them sit for about 5 to 10 minutes.
• To line your springform pan, you can purchase pre-cut parchment rounds or cut your own parchment paper. To ensure the cake will release from the pan, coat the parchment paper and the sides of the pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• To properly measure your flour, spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off.
• If the cake doesn’t seem to be rising evenly, rotate it about halfway through the baking time.
• For the best, dense fudgy result, be careful not to overbake this cake. It will continue to cook a bit as it cools on the base of the springform pan.
• For a fun decorative touch, use a cake stencil to create a pretty pattern on the top of your cake with confectioners’ sugar.

Storage

The quality of this cake will be best within the first 24 to 48 hours after baking. To store leftovers, cover the cake with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 4 days. To freeze, wrap the completely cooled cake in a layer of plastic wrap and then wrap it again in aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 to 3 months.

More Chocolate Recipes You’ll Love

• Molten Chocolate Cakes
• Chocolate Cream Pie
• One Bowl Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Adapted from Allrecipes

This post was originally published on March 7, 2012. It has been updated with new text and images.