Fondant Baulois Recipe
Fondant Baulois is a rich and decadent French chocolate cake featuring a glossy, meringue-like crust and a perfectly tender, molten center. The cake combines dark chocolate and salted butter with caramel for a deep, complex flavor. Its preparation involves carefully folding airy eggs with chocolate and resting the batter before baking to achieve a delicate texture that is both fudgy and airy.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Mixture
- 200 g dark baking chocolate (50% to 60% cocoa)
- 200 g high-quality salted butter
- 1 generous tablespoon salted butter caramel (homemade or store-bought)
Egg Mixture
- 5 medium eggs at room temperature
- 200 g brown sugar (cassonade)
Dry Ingredients and Miscellaneous
- 1 heaping tablespoon flour (about 20 g), sifted
- Butter and sugar for greasing and lining the mold
Instructions
- Prepare the Chocolate: In a bowl, melt the broken chocolate pieces with the salted butter using a double boiler or microwave at low power. Stir until smooth and shiny. Then, incorporate the salted butter caramel and mix well. Allow the mixture to cool to lukewarm.
- Prepare the Eggs: In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, vigorously whisk the whole eggs with the brown sugar for about 5 minutes. The mixture should blanch, double in volume, and become very frothy—this is the key to achieving the meringue-like crust.
- Combine the Mixtures: Gently fold the cooled chocolate-butter-caramel mixture into the egg-sugar mixture using a spatula.
- Add the Flour: Sift the flour over the combined mixture and carefully fold it in with a spatula. Use a lifting motion to avoid deflating the eggs and maintain airiness.
- Rest the Batter: Butter a round 20-22 cm mold and line it with parchment paper. Pour the batter into the mold and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours. This crucial step allows air bubbles to rise to the surface.
- Bake the Cake: Preheat the oven to 210°C with convection (fan) heat. Bake the cake for 5 minutes to set the crust. Without opening the oven door, reduce the temperature to 120°C and continue baking for 35 minutes.
- Cool the Cake: When removed from the oven, the center should still be slightly wobbly. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for Texture: Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving to restore the full fondant texture.
Notes
- Resting the batter before baking is essential to develop the meringue crust and the delicate texture inside.
- Using good quality dark chocolate and salted butter enhances the flavor complexity.
- Do not open the oven door during the initial bake time to maintain temperature stability.
- The cake center remains slightly molten even after baking and cooling, providing its signature fondant texture.
- Bringing the cake to room temperature before eating ensures optimal softness and melt-in-the-mouth experience.
Keywords: Fondant Baulois, French chocolate cake, molten chocolate cake, salted butter caramel dessert, meringue crust cake
Find it online: https://lieblingsmahlzeit.com/fondant-baulois-recipe/
