The Famous Baulois Chocolate Fondant
Remember the “Half Baked” (Mi-Cuit in French) I posted? The one that sometimes mistakenly called a Chocolate Soufflé, but the closer name is Chocolate Fondant? So let’s add another twist to the plot. In France, Chocolate Fondant is a very soft and fluffy cake, one whose texture is neither liquid nor spilled, but very soft. I mean, Chocolate Fondant is actually different from “half baked”, you could say they are from the same family, but the fondant is more solid than the “half baked”.
Confused?
Chocolate Soufflé – based on egg whites, full of air (hence its name). Due to the fact that it is full of air, a few seconds after it comes out of the oven, it drops and therefore needs to be eaten immediately, which is also the reason why few restaurants serve it.
“Half-baked” – in French Mi-Cuit, the same dessert served in many restaurants, a kind of small chocolate cake that is baked a relatively short time (hence it is called half-baked). Due to the short baking time the cake is liquid on the inside and when you open it with the spoon it is poured on the plate. Since it’s a bit strange to call a dessert “half-baked”, the translation of the name did not really catch on and the dessert gets various names like Lava Cake, Chocolate Soufflé, Chocolate Fondant, Hot Chocolate Cake, but the correct name when translated from French is “Half-Baked” (If we still want to call it In a more catchy name, the product closest to it is chocolate fondant).
Chocolate Fondant – a very moist chocolate cake with very few dry ingredients. In contrast to the Chocolate Soufflé and the “half-baked”, its texture is velvety, dense and slightly sticky (one that slightly sticks to the palate), this in light of the caramel cream and the caramel aroma created due to the long baking time at low temp’ (as opposed to the “half-baked” short-baked).
So now that everything is clear one can talk about the best Chocolate Fondant I have ever tasted, the fondant that comes from the town of Baule hence its name, Fondant Baulois. I have tasted this fondant so many times and each time I fall in love with it again. It has a wonderful combination of excellent moist texture, a deep chocolate flavor combined with a hint of salty caramel flavor, one that develops with every bite and envelops the entire mouth with delicate saltiness.
After tasting it so many times, I decided to try making this excellent fondant at home. I made a few attempts and eventually came up with a product that in my opinion very close to the original product. There is no way to describe in words this texture that on the one hand melts in your mouth and on the other hand is not too liquid, something between mousse and cake and the taste, oh the taste.
The Famous Baulois Chocolate Fondant
Round cake pan 20-22 cm
Ingredients
170g dark chocolate 70%, chopped
50g milk chocolate, chopped
80g unsalted butter + 120g half-salted butter*
50g salted caramel cream (possible, click for recipe)
300g eggs (around 5 medium eggs)
100g light brown sugar
60g Muscovado sugar or brown sugar
20g all-purpose flour, sifted (for gluten-free version use potato flour)
*If you can’t find half-salted butter, use 200g (in total) unsalted butter + 4g salt
Preparation
1. Line cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave. Add butter and stir until the butter is completely melted.
3. Remove from heat and add salted caramel, stir until combined.
4. In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar until a fluffy mixture is obtained.
5. Gradually pour the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture while stirring, until a uniform mass is obtained.
6. Add the flour and fold it into the mixture.
7. Pour the mass into the pan, cover and refrigerate for two hours. Towards the end of the two hours, preheat the oven to 210 degrees Celsius.
8. Bake for 5 minutes at 210 degrees Celsius and another 35-40 minutes at 120 degrees Celsius. Attention, the baking process is very important! The fondant is ready when the outside that touches the sides of the mold is baked, yet center is still jiggly.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature overnight. Eat only the next day (hard to resist but a must 🙂), can be served with a whipped cream or ice cream.
*Each oven works differently. Fondant is a matter of getting to know your oven, try it once and according to the result you will be able to adjust the exact baking time.
Sharon
Maria Basch
This sounds delightful for special occasions- is it possible to make with almond flour?
Thank you !
Maria Basch
Paris Chez Sharon
Thanks 🙂 I didn’t try it but I think it’s possible.
Or
Thanks for the recipe.
When you change from 210 degrees baking to 120 degrees do you suggest to leave the cake inside the oven while it cools down? Open the door so the temperature drops? Switch ovens?
Paris Chez Sharon
No, just change the temp (נראה לי שעניתי לך גם בעברית)
עופרה
בוקר טטב איך אני מתרגמת לעיברית בשביל הדיוק של המתכון
Paris Chez Sharon
אם לוחצים על דגל ישראל המתכון מופיע בעברית
Daisy
Do you put it in the oven immediately after taking out of the refrigerator or let sit out for a while first?
Paris Chez Sharon
Yes 🙂
Sierra
Would the oven temp remain the same if we used individual smaller size rings? (4cm?)
Paris Chez Sharon
Yes but you must adjust the baking time.
Jamie
What happens if I don’t wait till the next day to eat it?
Paris Chez Sharon
It will be too soft but yummy 🙂
Shey Thiebard
Hi sharon! Im trying this recipe now and the 5 medium eggs = 300g isn’t possible. Even if i put 5 large eggs it wouldn’t even meet 300g… there must have been a typo error??? Pls help!
Paris Chez Sharon
no there is no error, just put 300g
Naseema Rawoot
Love all things chocolate. Your bakes looks amazing. Where can i get the rest of your recipes pls
Paris Chez Sharon
Thanks 🙂
Lili
How do you think would the texture change if I don’t add any sugar only chocolate?
Paris Chez Sharon
I didn’t try but I think it wont be ok.
Nina
Hi Sharon!
Would the temperature be the same for a fan forced (convection) oven? I tried the recipe today but it cracked on the top while cooling. Why did this happen?
TIA !
Paris Chez Sharon
Hey – I don’t know as I didn’t try it but i guess in google you can convert. You must follow the recipe to get the perfect result, for example 2h in the fridge are MUST to get a nice surface.
Sherna Doongaji
Hi, do you measure 300 gms eggs before breaking (whole eggs), or 300 gms after breaking (no shells)?
Paris Chez Sharon
after, always
Namrata Govil Khandelwal
Hi! I didn’t get a nice crust on the fondant when it cooled…is it because I didn’t chill it in the fridge enough while baking?
Paris Chez Sharon
For a nice crust you must follow the recipe, i don’t know what you did so I can’t answer.
Naty
Hi. I just made this and it turned out great! 2 questions, how to store this fondant and can you microwave it if i were to store in fridge?
Paris Chez Sharon
Yes you can 🙂 Great to hear!
Elise
How do you store this cake
Paris Chez Sharon
You can keep it in the fridge but take it out 30 minutes before you eat it 🙂