Chocolate Gateau

From the kitchen of Carly

A dense, fudgy French chocolate cake with no flour-and-butter pretensions. Five eggs, a slab of dark chocolate, and an hour in the oven. Serve in thin slices because it punches well above its weight. Don't open the oven before the 45-minute mark. The cake's center sets in the last 10 minutes and a draft will sink it.

Chocolate Gateau

70% dark chocolate and soft butter cream together into something rich and almost silky, the kind of gateau that looks fancier than it actually is. The trick is watching the batter for signs of breaking when you add eggs, then folding the flour in just enough to marry everything without overworking the crumb. The result is a tender, fudgy center that makes you look like you spent all afternoon in a French kitchen.

Prep
20 min
Cook
55 min
Total
1 hr 15 min
Servings
8
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

8 servings

  • 9 oz(250 g)dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
  • 6 oz(175 g)unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tbspwhole milk
  • 5large eggs
  • 6 oz(175 g)granulated sugar
  • 4 oz(125 g)all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch springform pan and line the base with parchment paper.

  2. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler (or in the microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds). Let it cool slightly while you do the next step.

  3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together with a hand mixer until the mixture turns pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

  4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each. If the batter looks broken, sprinkle in a tablespoon of the flour to bring it back together.

  5. Pour in the cooled melted chocolate and the milk. Stir until smooth.

  6. Sift in the flour and fold gently with a spatula. Stop the moment you can't see streaks of flour. Overmixing now means a tougher cake.

  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

  8. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, until the cake is set in the middle and a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

  9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge, release the springform, and turn out onto a rack to cool completely before slicing.

Tips from the kitchen

  • If the batter breaks or looks grainy after adding eggs, sprinkle in a tablespoon of flour and beat until it tightens up again. This usually means the eggs or chocolate were too cold against the butter.
  • Cool the melted chocolate slightly before folding it in. If it's hot, it can cook the eggs and make the batter grainy.
  • Don't skip the double boiler for melting the chocolate if you can avoid it. Microwave is fine at 50% power, but watch it closely. Chocolate seizes fast and there's no coming back from that.

Variations

  • Add a tablespoon of espresso powder or strong brewed coffee to the melted chocolate for deeper flavor without tasting like coffee.
  • Stir in the zest of one orange with the milk for a gentle citrus note that cuts the richness.
  • Dust the top with fleur de sel and cocoa powder before baking for a salted chocolate finish.
  • Use 150g chocolate and fold in 50g toasted hazelnuts or walnuts with the flour for texture and earthiness.

Make ahead and storage

Store the cooled gateau wrapped well at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days for a denser, fudgier crumb. Freezing works for up to 3 months, thawed at room temperature before serving.

Substitutions
  • dark chocolate to semi-sweet chocolate (60%). Slightly sweeter result. Cut the sugar by 25g if you want to keep the balance.
  • all-purpose flour to almond flour for a flourless version. Use 100g almond flour. The cake gets even denser and naturally gluten-free.
  • milk to espresso. Two tablespoons of strong espresso deepens the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.

Pairs well with: A scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, Lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh raspberries, A small glass of port, espresso, or armagnac