The fondant au chocolat is a rich chocolate cake made of only five ingredients. Not to mention the fact that it is also gluten free. Even though it is one of the easiest cake to bake, it has been for years one of the signature dessert of three-Michelin stars Chef Paul Bocuse.
Today, I want to share with you this recipe as a proper tribute to Paul Bocuse who passed away on Saturday at the age of 91. Also known as the Pope for French Cuisine, he is a legend. Unfortunately, I never got the chance to meet him in person, not even to taste his cuisine. However, I have a deep and sincere respect for “Monsieur Paul”. Especially for his cuisine philosophy. As he used to say, “Il n’y a qu’une seule cuisine, la bonne” (There is only one cuisine, the good one).
Simplicity was his motto. A simplicity he brought to perfection thanks to his work, talent and know-how. Even though his cuisine may now look old-fashioned, he was a visionnaire by being the first one to source the finest ingredients at small local producers.
Enough talk, let’s bake this scrumptious fondant au chocolat to enjoy it with a thought to a great Chef.
Ingredients for 8 servings
- 300g good-quality dark chocolate (60% minimum)
- 180g unsalted butter
- 80g almond flour
- 5 eggs
- 180g caster sugar
Directions
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt them in a bain-marie with the butter. Set aside a small amount of butter to grease your cake pan. When the chocolate and butter are melted, whisk in the almonds flour.
- Pre-heat the oven to 360°F (180°C). Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Pour the sugar into the yolks and whisk until the mixture is almost white and fluffy. Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, add 1 tbsp of caster sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Combine the yolks into the chocolate mixture. Once it is homogenous, gently fold in the egg whites just until incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Eat the cake while it is still lukewarm.