This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
I am going to make a bold statement. I think this Moelleux au Chocolat might just be one of the best chocolate cakes of all time. There, I have said it. The best way to describe it is like a giant melt in the middle chocolate cake. Although I rather like the fancy French name! It is rich, gooey, decadent and delicious. Especially when served warm from the oven. What’s more, if you pop the leftovers in the fridge, the base transforms into a fudgy brownie while the top sets into a heavenly dark chocolate mousse.
You might look at the recipe and think a twice baked chocolate cake is complicated. Trust me, it is much easier than it sounds and hard to get wrong. It is even simpler than my Melt in the Middle Chocolate Puddings as it is baked in one tin! It does involve separating eggs, but once you’ve got the knack of that, there’s nothing to it. And this Moelleux au Chocolat requires only 5 ingredients.
When it is warm, like a lava cake, I love to serve it with double cream or ice cream. Both are perfect accompaniments to a naturally gluten free chocolate cake. Sometimes I add something fruity. A handful of plump and juicy sweet raspberries, sliced strawberries or pitted cherries are all delicious. Although, when fresh berries aren’t in season, a mixed berry coulis is a great alternative…
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- It is a naturally gluten free cake.
- It has the most delicious decadent flavour and texture. The rich dark chocolate transforms into a gooey melt in the middle chocolate cake.
- It uses just 5 ingredients which you are likely to already have at home.
- It looks impressive but is actually very hard to go wrong. A dream dinner party dessert.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Butter – opt for unsalted so you can control the salt level in this Moelleux au Chocolat.
Dark chocolate – the starring ingredient in this twice baked chocolate cake! Opt for the best quality you can find, ideally 70%, for the most delicious results.
Cocoa powder – make sure you use the unsweetened variety. Definitely not hot chocolate powder!
Substitutions and Variations:
Caster sugar: you can swap for granulated or golden caster sugar if that is what you have.
Berries: serving with a sprinkling of berries cuts through the rich dark chocolate. I like strawberries, raspberries or pitted cherries. You can also opt for a fruity berry coulis. Bonne Maman has a lovely Cherry Compote if you want to stick with the French vibes. If serving to adults, cherries in kirsch work very well too.
Dairy: this gooey lava cake is perfect served just as it is. However, I love to add a drizzle of double cream or custard. Alternatively, a scoop of vanilla ice cream is also utterly delicious.
Nuts: as a melt in the middle chocolate cake, this Moelleux au Chocolat has a soft and gooey texture. If you want to add a bit of contrast, sprinkle with toasted chopped nuts. Almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts work really well.
Here’s how to make Moelleux au Chocolat:
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe below for detailed instructions.
ONE: Melt diced butter and chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, stirring often, then sift in cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
TWO: Separate eggs; whisk yolks with caster sugar until pale and thick. In another bowl, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, gradually adding remaining sugar until stiff.
THREE: Combine the chocolate mixture with egg yolks, then fold in a couple of spoonfuls of whisked egg whites. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites.
FOUR: Pour ⅔ of the batter into a buttered, lined 23cm springform tin and bake at 180C Fan for 25 minutes. Cool completely. It may collapse or fall as it cools, this is very normal – sometimes this cake is called a chocolate slump cake and it will still be delicious, it’s just part of the charm
FIVE: Keep the remaining batter in the fridge.
SIX: Once the cake is cool, spread the reserved batter on top. Bake again for 10-15 minutes until a thin crust forms and the middle is still soft.
Cooking Tips:
Weigh the batter: if you want your Moelleux au Chocolat to have perfect ratios, weigh your batter and divide into thirds. Bake ⅔ first and keep ⅓ back.
Folding in egg whites: gently folding in your egg whites is key to the perfect gooey Moelleux au Chocolat. The 2 spoonfuls are ‘sacrificial’ and can be mixed in normally. After that, be very gentle so as to keep in as much air as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
The word ‘Moelleaux’ means ‘soft’ in French. It is usually to describe wines or cakes that are particularly mellow, soft or smooth. As soon as you taste this rich and gooey dark chocolate cake, you will see it is the perfect name!
There are so many things you can serve with my Moelleux au Chocolat. A bit like a gooey chocolate lava cake, fresh berries work really well. I love the balance of sweet, fruity raspberries, strawberries or cherries alongside rich dark chocolate. A dusting of icing sugar also looks very pretty. However, if berries aren’t in season, a fruit coulis or compote is lovely too. Bonne Maman has a wonderful Cherry Compote if you want to max out the French vibes.
I also love serving a dark chocolate pudding with a drizzle of double cream. The contrast of the hot melt in the middle chocolate cake and cold cream is divine! Alternatively, a scoop of good-quality vanilla ice cream is really yummy. You can even serve it with warm custard or a homemade crème anglaise.
This Moelleux au Chocolat is all about the soft and gooey texture. However, if you like a bit of crunch, sprinkle it with toasted chopped nuts. Almonds, pistachios or hazelnuts work really well. If you are feeling confident, you could even make praline shards.
Yes! You can bake the bottom layer, leave it to cool then cover and pop in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then simply spread with the chilled final ⅓ of cake batter and bake as stated in the recipe when you are ready.
You can also make the whole twice baked chocolate cake in advance and serve it room temp. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to serve so it’s not fridge-cold. The bottom transforms into a fudgy brownie while the top becomes a creamy dark chocolate mousse. Reheating the whole cake is tricky as you don’t want to risk cooking the top layer through, so serving at room temp (or a few hours after baking it) is ideal.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like the sound of this Moelleux au Chocolat, try my Classic French Chocolate Mousse or my Self Saucing Chocolate Pudding. I also have the most delicious Melt in the Middle Chocolate Puddings or a Chocolate Fudge Cake.
Easy Baking Recipes
Lemon Loaf Cake
Easy Baking Recipes
Raspberry and Chocolate Cake
Easy Baking Recipes
Jaffa Cake Cake
Easy Baking Recipes
White Chocolate and Raspberry Cake
If you tried this Moelleux au Chocolat or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a comment and let us know how it went!
Moelleux au Chocolat
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 225 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing (16 tbsp / 1 cup)
- 225 g good-quality 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped (8oz / 1 cup)
- 75 g cocoa powder, 3/4 cup
- Pinch of salt
- 7 large eggs
- 265 g caster sugar, 1 1/3 cups / 9.3 oz (known as superfine sugar in the US)
To serve:
- Double cream, ice cream or custard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C Fan/355F Fan (or 200C/400F if not fan). Generously butter a 23cm (9-inch) round springform tin with butter and line the base with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl. I usually do this in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring well each time until smooth. Or you can place in a heatproof bowl over a pan of “just” simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t come into contact with the water (or the chocolate will burn).
- Once you’ve got a smooth, glossy mixture, pop a sieve over the bowl and sift in the cocoa powder and salt. Stir until smooth. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs, putting the whites into the bowl of a stand mixer and the yolks into another large bowl.
- Add 135 g caster sugar to the egg yolks and whisk using an electric whisk for about 2 minutes – or until pale, light and thick.
- Meanwhile, using the stand mixer (or you can use the electric whisk – it just needs to be really clean otherwise the egg whites won’t whisk in the way you want them to), whisk the egg whites until you have soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining sugar, whisking until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.
- You should now have three bowls that need to be mixed together. First, pour the melted chocolate mixture into the egg yolks and stir gently. Then add two spoons of the whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture and stir quite vigorously so it is well incorporated. This is often called the ‘sacrificial spoon’ as we don’t worry too much about keeping in the air at this stage.
- Next, gently fold in the remaining egg whites, taking care to keep in as much air as possible. You shouldn’t see any of the egg whites after you’ve folded it together.
- Pour ⅔ of the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 25 minutes – or until the cake is well risen, puffy and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
- Meanwhile, pour the remaining ⅓ of the cake batter into a medium bowl and set aside, or cover with cling film and pop into the fridge if using much later. This will become the molten chocolate top layer of the cake.
- Preheat the oven, once again, to 180C Fan/355F Fan (or 200C/400F if not fan) and line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Set aside.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, remove from the tin and place on the prepared baking tray. Add the reserved ⅓ of the cake batter on top of the cake – you can pour it or, if it has been in the fridge, gently spread using a palette knife.
- Bake the cake for about 10-15 minutes or until you see a thin crust on the top but the middle is still soft and jiggly underneath. Remove from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Cut into slices and serve warm with double cream, ice cream or custard. You can also serve it chilled from the fridge.
- The video below will help with this recipe.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved it. So decadent and delicious
Hello! I plan to make your flourless chocolate cake and have a question: can I make this a day before (including the melted top layer) or should I only bake the cake the day before and continue the rest the following day? Please let me know! Also if I do make the whole cake the day before, how should I reheat it in the oven?
Hi Dana. Yes! You can bake the bottom layer, leave it to cool then cover and pop in the fridge for up to 2 days. Then simply spread with the chilled final ⅓ of cake batter and bake as stated in the recipe when you are ready.
You can also make the whole cake in advance and serve it room temp. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before you plan to serve so it’s not fridge cold. The bottom transforms into a fudgy brownie while the top becomes a creamy dark chocolate mousse. Reheating the whole cake is tricky as you don’t want to risk cooking the top layer through so I would avoid if you can.
Not difficult to make and SOOOOO good. I can’t wait to make again.
I have never in my life tasted such a devine chocolate cake! I made this a couple of months ago and my husband and I were blown away! I have since made it three times and I will keep on making it. I have also shared it with my family and they all let me know what a delicious cake this has been and asked for the recepy.
Absolutely love this cake and really easy to make. I make a raspberry coulis to go with it to cut through some of (delicious!) richness.
Hi, Is it possible to freeze the first layer after cooking? If so does it need defrosting or can you just cook it again with the gooey layer on top?
Hi Emma, we haven’t tried it so can’t be 100% sure but I do think you could freeze it! Bake the bottom layer, top with the second layer and then cover well with plastic wrap and foil. Defrost when ready to bake, either defrost and then bake the top layer or you could try baking from frozen but like I say, it’s hard to advise timings here as I haven’t tried it. Just start with 15 minutes as written and see. It will likely need longer from frozen. Please do let us know how you get on! Good luck
This is the best chocolate dessert ever – thank you! Well worth concentrating on the different stages, but actually relatively easy, and I would certainly make it again. It is so chocolatey and very light – a real hit with the family. I served it with a raspberry coulis.
Thank you Elisabeth! So glad you loved it!
I always did the french cake named Le Nègre and thought this was the better cake I could made.
Yours is superb. Love to make and eat!!
Thank you
This is very easy to make and is delicious. Highly recommend it. Great recipe – thank you.
Hi, can I halve your recipe?
Hi Trish, I haven’t tried it but someone else commented and said they “halved the recipe and used a 16 cm cake tin” which worked well, so you might like to try that? But as I say, I haven’t tried it and would always advise to do it as written for the most perfect bake! Let us know how you get on 🙂
Gorgeous light chocolate cake. Recipe worked perfectly. Huge hit with the whole gang. This will be on repeat .
Hi, if I only have an 8-inch round springform tin, do you have any advise on the baking time?
It will probably just take a few minutes longer, but won’t be far off what is written above. So just use the visual cues ie. the bottom layer should be well risen, puffy and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The top layer should have a thin crust on the top but the middle is still soft and jiggly underneath. 🙂
Knowing that there are different types of cocoa powder, is there a recommendation for one that works best for this specific cake?
I often bake with Green & Black’s Organic Cocoa Powder which is Dutch processed but in this recipe, natural cocoa powder will work too.
Will Hersheys unsweetened cocoa powder work?
Yes it will do!
One word. Amazing!!
I have made this recipe a few times and I love it! I want to bake it for someone who is dairy free- is it possible to sub out the butter?
Hi Chantel, you could try using dairy free butter (I think Flora have one). I haven’t tried it myself but I think it should work. Let us know how you get on!
Hi! I would like to make this a week ahead. Could I possibly bake both layers and freeze it?
Hi Kathryn, we haven’t tried it so can’t be 100% sure but I do think you could freeze it! Bake the bottom layer, top with the second layer and then cover well with plastic wrap and foil. Defrost when ready to bake, either defrost and then bake the top layer or you could try baking from frozen but like I say, it’s hard to advise timings here as I haven’t tried it. Just start with 15 minutes as written and see. It will likely need longer from frozen. Please do let us know how you get on! Good luck 🙂
While making it, and despite the instructions being very clear about it, I thought it was a lot of dishes for a chocolate cake. It is absolutely worth it. It’s really good, decadent, and although it’s extremely chocolatey, even my non-sweet-tooth-husband loved it ! A new favourite, thank you !
Great recipe! It has a beautiful soft mousse like texture in the middle. I just found it a little too bitter with the 70% dark chocolate and cocoa powder for my taste. So adjust depending on your taste because it’s not sweet at all as the current recipe stands. In the future, I’ll adjust for a lower percentage dark chocolate:)
What is the reason for removing the cake from the tin for the second bake?
When you bake it the second time, the very top of the layer you just spread on will set and then underneath will be molten and jiggly, like you can see in the photos, so that’s how you get the melt-in-the-middle cake. Hope that helps!
Hello! I want to make this for a group of 14 for my birthday. If I double the recipe, should I still use a 9 inch dish and bake it longer or just a bigger dish? Any tips/ suggestions?
Hi Azli, I would either use a bigger dish or make two regular sized cakes in two 9 inch dishes, that way you can follow the recipe to a T. If you use a larger tin, I haven’t tested this and don’t know exact oven timings, so just keep a really close eye on it as you definitely don’t want to overbake the top part!
Not a big fan of dark chocolate, any idea how using a lesser percentage dark chocolate or milk chocolate might change things? With the 70% dark chocolate is there any noticeable bitterness?
Hi Lilah, I wouldn’t use milk chocolate here. The 70% isn’t bitter at all in this cake though as there is a lot of sugar and butter to balance it, so it’s definitely not like eating a square of dark chocolate. I’d say you should try with the 70% chocolate, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised! There is the option of using 54% cocoa solids chocolate (semi-sweet) but I haven’t tested the recipe with this so can’t be sure of how it would go. Let us know how you get on!
Hi! Is lining the spring form pan with baking paper a must?
Hi Florencia, I would highly recommend it to avoid any sticking as it would be such a shame to ruin this gorgeous cake from that. If you have a really great non-stick pan, you could just generously butter it but I just always recommend baking paper as a safety net. Let us know how it goes!
Best chocolate desert ever and SO easy to make. 100% recommended!
Was a massive hit and just so delicious! A tip for those who prefer their cake warm and gooey — you can still refrigerate the whole cake so it lasts longer, and then microwave individual slices of cake for 30-45 seconds to return it to its soft and warm just-out-of-the-oven state, without any ill effect to the cake.
This cake is wonderful. I’ve been using the same chocolate cake recipe for some time now but not anymore, this is my new go to chocolate cake! I was a little worried at how much my cake collapsed whilst cooling but I needn’t have been as it turned out beautifully after the reserved batter went on and it had its second bake.
Make this cake. It’s delicious and really easy. The only hard part is trying not to eat the whole thing!
Ita the best choclate cake i ever madeeeee by far
Going to make this for my wife for Mother’s Day! When you say “Fan” do you mean convection?
Oh that’s a lovely thing to make! No, fan is 20c less than convection x
Nothing but delicious. This is a brilliant cake, perfect for us deep chocolate lovers who say “give me all the chocolate, I dare you”
I did make some process changes that streamlines things a bit. This reminded me of an ina garten recipe where instead of doing this whip the egg whites whip the egg yolks separately business, she whips them all together until they reach “ribbon” stage and are exceptionally thick, pale and fluffy, then I proceeded to fold and bake as directed. I also added a smidge of espresso powder as I do with most chocolate desserts.
I had no change to the rise or expected outcomes! This made an exceptionally chocolatey dessert, just what I was looking for.
Ooh that’s a great tip, thank you! I will try it out, thank you! x
Please explain the eggs part and thereafter as i would love to save time making this
The cake is baked and ready to be covered later tonight with the extra batter.
2nd time making it. It’s the best chocolate cake recipe.
This tastes really good, but this recipe is not nearly as easy or as quick as advertised. Don’t be foolish like I was! Read all the directions before starting!
Thank you for your comment. Glad you enjoyed the cake. Absolutely, I definitely always always recommend reading through a recipe before you begin, it’s key! x
My boyfriend said this was restaurant grade chocolate cake .. it was so easy to make so fudgy and so good!
This is honestly such an easy yet decadent dessert.. I made this for dinner with friends and everyone devoured it as it was so delicious! My only recommendation would be to use good quality chocolate like it says in the recipe 🙂
Such an easy fun recipe that was absolutely delicious! Great GF option and a recipe I’ll definitely be remaking
Made this for a dinner party recently, it was devine. Rich but unbelievably light, it had such a depth of flavour but was not too sweet as other cakes and desserts can be.
I want to make this tomorrow, would a larger baking tin be okay? I don’t have a nine inch one sadly. Also, since I’d like to take it to school, is it still fine to serve not fresh out of the oven?
Yes you can make in a larger tin but just bear in mind that it will be shallower and therefore won’t take as long to bake. Just keep a really close eye on it as you definitely don’t want to overbake the top part!
It doesn’t have to be hot when you serve it, so that’s no problem to serve it at school. It will still be gooey if baked correctly. Enjoy!
Es delicioso y la receta explica bien el procedimiento me encanto…gracias chef por su receta
Looks amazing! Do you use Dutch processed or natural cocoa?
Either works here. I often bake with Green & Black’s Organic Cocoa Powder which is Dutch processed but in this recipe, natural cocoa powder will work too.
Perfetta e goduriosa. Grazie
This cake blows it out of the water with effort to result ratio! Simple ingredients, no flour-y mess to clean up. The final result was dense, chocolate-y and not too sweet – the cake of my dreams. I baked this for the first time for a birthday yesterday and am already making another one for myself today again. Thank you!
just made this and omg i love it. halved the recipe and used a 16 cm cake tin (ended up perfect for the volume of batter). i’ve made a meringue before but for some reason was unable to get stiff peaks in my egg whites, so i just folded the soft peaked egg whites. don’t know how much it affected the texture but i thought the texture was perfect. definitely making again for my next party, hopefully with better luck with the egg whites!!
I was craving something ooeey, gooeey, chocolatey today and decided to take matters into my own hands. I am in no ways a baker – I barely turn up my oven twice a year, but this was so simple, easy to make.
And it’s so, so incredibly good – I am definitely making this for friends and family in the future too!
Forgot my stars!
Surprisingly simple to make and has the wow factor. Everyone was impressed when I made this at New Year. Delicious and rich – a small slice with raspberries and vanilla ice cream is perfect. Next time I will be more gentle when I mix in the whisked eggs.
I made this last minute for my husband’s birthday cake. He specifically asked for something small and chocolate, which I figured this fit. It ended up being really easy to make and was a HUGE success. I’ve made many cakes over the years, and the entire family agreed it was the best one, yet. I’ll certainly be making this again, someday. In the meantime, I’m going for another slice.
What is the sauce you used at the end of your Instagram video?
Just double cream. Creme fraiche is also really good to cut through the richness. x
Haven’t made it yet but I had 2 questions to help me in the process please:
1. I want to do the first bake about 24 hours before the second. Will the remaining 1/3 batter remain okay in the fridge till the second bake?
2. The second bake is just 10-15 mins will the eggs cook in then it by then? As in will they cook or be raw….
Thank you so much for all your help!!!
Hi!These are good questions, let me help!
1. Yes that will be absolutely fine. The remaining 1/3 batter will firm up a lot in the fridge so you just have to spread it not the cake as best you can – beat it around in the bowl a little to loosen it before spreading. But it will be absolutely fine.
2. This is quite similar to a chocolate fondant or “melt in the middle chocolate pudding” in that the eggs in the remaining 1/3 you add on for the second bake will not fully cooked, which is what creates the gooey melting layer. They won’t be raw – as it’s all hot but I wouldn’t be able to tell you they are cooked all the way through.
Hope that helps xx
Hi, am back to say the cake is insanely delicious, did make with regular sugar,did not have the courage to try coconut sugar, but if you do please post or with maple syrup. Thank you.
Oh I’m so pleased xxx
I made this for Christmas Day pudding and it was insanely good! Highly recommend!! Will definitely be making again!
I made this twice this Christmas. All my guests asked for the recipe. It was one of the best chocolate desserts I’ve ever made. Highly recommend this one! Especially with some hot custard. I can’t wait to try more recipes xx
Hello, the cake looks amazing but my question is…If I am baking the cake untl a tester comes out clean, letting it sit and then spreading on remaining cake batter and putting back in oven, how on earth would the center still be jiggly? Just curious. Thanks
It’s referring to the middle of the top layer. When you bake it the second time, the very top of the layer you just spread on will set and then underneath will be molten and jiggly, like you can see in the photos. Hope that helps. Margie
Hi, want to make it tonight, and only have coconut sugar will.that work instead of castor sugar. Thanks
Ooh coconut sugar behaves quite differently from normal sugar and has a different flavour profile. That’s not to say it won’t work but I haven’t tried it so can’t advise you. Do let me know how you get on though, I’d love to know! Margie
This was really easy, incredibly delicious and a big hit at a dinner party!
Excellent, easy to follow recipe. Turned out fantastic and will be staple on special occasions ☺️
Made this for Christmas Eve, and it was amazing!! The base is a rich, fudgy chocolate cake, but the whipped in meringue adds a lightness to it. The molten layer on top makes it so indulgent and delicious. I served it with vanilla ice cream.
I made this and it’s fantastic! Family loved it! Had it with Vanilla ice cream. I will definitely be making this again.
Thank you so much for this recipe.
i made it todayyy
the process of the recipe was so fun i enjoyed it a lot and i’m not a pro baker i just do something every once in a while and the recipe was so easy to follow .
it was really good my whole family loved it
Easy to make and delicious with salted caramel ice cream. I also drizzled some sea salt flakes on top of the cake. Thanks so much for the recipe
Its perfect! After the first bake of 25min it didn’t sink. Also the skewer didn’t come out clean. But i left it overnight for about 7hrs till the second bake. It turned out great. The 1st bake layer was fluffy! And was fully baked. The 2nd layer had a crust but it was gooey and slightly runny when the cake was cut.
I love it<3 thank you.
This was absolutely incredible! I made it for a dinner party last night and everyone loved it. I’m not a great baker so half expected it wouldn’t turn out for me but it was perfect. This will be my new go to dessert recipe!
This is the best cake i’ve ever made. Thank you so much for this easy to follow recipe 🙂
Mine didn’t have a thin crust on top. I tried baking it for 10 mins first, then extended it to 15 then extended for another 4 mins but still no crust.
Someone else said this and sent me their photo and there was definitely a “crust”. I think perhaps the word crust is not the right one in this case – the top should just be set – like the very top layer or “skin” (that’s not a great word) on brownies. If you had it for 10-15 minutes it will be great!
So easy, so sinful, so decadent & so good. Saw this on your insta and had to try immediately. Served it with lemon yogurt & whipped cream (things we had on hand)
My first bake sunk while cooling – any reasons you think could have caused this?
That’s very normal! Don’t worry at all – the cake is flourless, sometimes this cake is called a chocolate slump cake because of the way it sinks when it cools. Just top it with the remaining batter and it will be amazing xxxx