What is Moelleux au Chocolat?

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!

What can I serve with this Moelleux au Chocolat?

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.

Can I make this Moelleux au Chocolat in advance?

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 chilled from the fridge. The bottom transforms into a fudgy brownie while the top becomes a creamy dark chocolate mousse. Honestly, it is unbelievably good.

Moelleux au Chocolat

Print Recipe

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4.8 from 6 reviews

This has to be one of the best melt in the middle chocolate cake recipes I have ever made. Moelleux au Chocolat - think of it like a giant rich and gooey dark chocolate lava cake. It tastes amazing warm from the oven with cold cream… Although the leftovers served chilled from the fridge are pretty difficult to resist too!

Author: Margie
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes
Yield: Serves 8 - 10 1x
Category: Dessert and Cakes
Method: Baking
Cuisine: French/Global
Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

Ingredients:

225g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing (16 tbsp / 1 cup)
225g good-quality 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped (8oz / 1 cup)
75g cocoa powder (3/4 cup)
Pinch of salt
7 large eggs
265g caster sugar (1 1/3 cups / 9.3 oz)

To serve:

Double cream, ice cream or custard

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180C 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 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.

Notes

Don't panic if the cake collapses in the middle when you take it out of the oven, sometimes these cakes are called chocolate "slump" cakes for this reason.They don't contain any flour so they can collapse a little but that's part of their charm. For the cake you are going to fill the middle with the remaining batter anyway, so you won't notice after the second bake!
Serving suggestions: this decadent Moelleux au Chocolat is perfect on its own. Although it is really decadent with a drizzle of double cream or custard, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I also love to serve it with fresh raspberries or cherries. Alternatively, berry coulis is also delicious.
Make ahead: once you’ve cooked the bottom layer, you can leave it to cool completely, cover and chill in the fridge for 1-2 days. Continue as per the instructions when ready to finish the cake.
Leftovers: leave the cake to cool completely before covering and chilling in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/moelleux-au-chocolat/