Gateau au Chocolat Recipe
This decadent gâteau au chocolat is rich, gooey, and deeply satisfying. Made with melted chocolate, whipped egg whites, and just a touch of flour, it’s the perfect balance of light and fudgy. A French classic best enjoyed with cream or fruit.
Equipment
- Ovenproof dish
- Mixing bowls (at least 2)
- Electric whisk or hand whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Fine sieve
- Measuring scale or cups
- cake tin (greased or lined)
Ingredients
- 155 g min 70% dark chocolate
- 4 fresh eggs
- 155 g soft brown sugar
- 35 g all-purpose flour
- 115 g butter
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C and place the chocolate and butter in an ovenproof dish to melt gently in the warming oven.
- Once melted, remove and set aside to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar and a pinch of salt until the mixture becomes pale and frothy.
- In another clean bowl, beat the egg whites into firm peaks.
- Combine the cooled chocolate-butter mixture with the yolk-sugar mixture, then sift in the flour and mix gently.
- Add a small amount of the whipped egg whites to loosen the batter, then carefully fold in the rest, ensuring no streaks of white remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes.
- Though some prefer 35 minutes, a slightly gooey centre is ideal—check with a knife; it should come out with a smudge of batter.
- Once the cake is just cool enough to handle, turn it out of the tin.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve with cream, ice cream, or fresh fruit.
Notes
- For best results, use high-quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa.
- Be sure the bowl for whipping egg whites is completely clean and grease-free—any residue can prevent stiff peaks.