Moelleux au Chocolat (Soft Chocolate Cake)
Fall in love with this Moelleux au Chocolate Cake—a French dessert recipe that’s pure chocolate bliss. It’s a larger, slightly easier version of Molten Lava Cake that will impress anyone you serve it to!
The Most Indulgent Chocolate Cake!
This Moelleux au Chocolat might just be the perfect chocolate cake. It’s naturally gluten-free, incredibly rich and indulgent, and the molten lava topping will have you melting with every bite. And with 7 eggs, you might even be able to get away with calling it high protein 😉
This cake recipe is a bit technical, but at its core, it’s very rustic and simple—it’s the flavor and lava-like topping that make it feel sophisticated and impressive. And it goes by many names: Molten Chocolate Cake, Soft Chocolate Cake, and Marry Me Chocolate Cake, among others!
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Rich chocolate flavor, best served with whipped cream or ice cream and fresh raspberries to bring balance.
Texture: A soft, dense base that’s a cross between brownies and cake, then a gooey molten chocolate layer with a thin crust on top.
Ease: 6/10
Pros: Naturally gluten-free, incredibly indulgent, technical but simple.
Cons: Makes lots of dishes.
Would I Make This Again? Yes, this is definitely a new go-to for me to bake on special occasions.
Soft Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- Salted Butter – I highly recommend using a grass-fed or European-style butter for the high fat content.
- Dark Baking Chocolate – We tested this with dark chocolate up to 72% and preferred the flavor with a chocolate between 55 and 60%. Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar ended up being my go-to, but Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% worked great, too; it’s just more expensive.
- Dutch-process Cocoa Powder – We tested with both unsweetened and Dutch, and preferred the Dutch.
- Espresso Powder – Technically optional, but it enhances the rich chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Fine Sea Salt – Don’t let the small amount fool you: it has a huge impact on the cake’s flavor and should not be skipped!
- Large Eggs – Make sure they are room temperature for the best results. The cake depends on the volume of the whipped egg whites, since there’s no flour or leavening agents.
- Granulated Sugar – This is listed in two separate lines in the recipe to make it easier to follow and reduce the risk of accidentally adding all the sugar in the wrong place.
- Vanilla Bean Paste – I prefer paste over extract, but you can use either. Many of my baking recipes use paste, so if you invest in a big bottle, I promise you’ll get lots of use out of it by baking more of my dessert recipes.
How To Make Moelleux au Chocolat
- Melt the butter and chocolate together.
- Sift the dry ingredients.
- Separate the eggs
- Beat egg yolks with sugar until pale.
- Add the chocolate mixture to the egg yolk mixture.
- Whip egg whites until soft peaks for then add sugar a whip until stiff.
- Fold egg whites into the chocolate egg yolk mixture until no whites are visible.
- Add two-thirds of the batter to a prepared springform pan and bake.
- Allow to cool for a couple of hours before adding the remaining third of batter to the top of the cake and baking.
- Allow the cake to rest for a few minutes before slicing and enjoying.
Rebecca’s Soft Chocolate Cake Tips
- A kitchen scale will be your best friend when making this cake (and any other baked goods).
- Make sure you use a quality chocolate. I usually use a square less than half of a Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar, which is 55% cocoa content. But have also used Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet chocolate, and it was delicious. I do prefer the 55%. Do not use traditional chocolate bars such as Hershey’s.
- The gooey lava factor does go away the longer this cake sits, as it sets up more. If you want that impressive gooey top, I recommend serving within 1 hour of baking.
How To Store Molten Chocolate Cake
This cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
What To Serve with Molten Lava Cake
This is an incredibly rich dessert. I highly recommend serving it with whipped cream or ice cream and fresh raspberries. And a glass of milk or espresso to wash it down with!
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
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Moelleux au Chocolat (Molten Chocolate Cake)
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted butter 227g
- 8 ounces dark chocolate 227g, chopped (55-60%)
- ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 75g
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder
- ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 7 large eggs room temperature, separated
- ⅔ cups granulated sugar 133g
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- ⅔ cups granulated sugar 133g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉, line the bottom of a springform pan with parchment paper, and grease the pan with a light coating of neutral oil.
- Add 1 cup salted butter to a medium bowl with 8 ounces dark chocolate and microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between each one until melted and combined.
- Sift the ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, ½ teaspoon espresso powder, and ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt into the butter and chocolate mixture and stir to incorporate. Set aside.
- Separate 7 large eggs. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer and the yolks to a separate large bowl.
- Add ⅔ cups granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste to the egg yolk mixture, and beat until pale and thick; the granules should be very few when the mixture is rubbed between your fingers.
- Whip the egg whites until soft peaks form, and add in the remaining ⅔ cups granulated sugar while the mixer is on low speed. Increase speed and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form.
- Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until mostly combined; you should still see some yellow swirls.
- Gently fold the stiff egg whites into the chocolate and egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula, doing your best to fully incorporate so that no white remains, but the mixture doesn't lose all its air and volume.
- Add 2/3 of the batter to the prepared baking pan (about 700g) and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The cake will be slightly puffed and have a matte top, with some jiggle in the center when done. Remove the pan and place it on a wire rack to cool.
- Cover and store the remaining 1/3 of the batter until ready to use. Room temperature is fine if you are planning to let the cake cool for just a few hours before using it; otherwise, refrigerate.
- Allow the cake to cool for about 3 hours, then preheat the oven again to 375℉.
- Spread the remaining 1/3 of the batter on top of the cake, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a thin crust forms and the center is no longer wet or glossy.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Remove the sides of the springform pan and allow the cake to cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream and fresh raspberries.
Notes
- This is an incredibly rich dessert. I highly recommend serving it with whipped cream or ice cream and fresh raspberries.
- Make sure you use a quality chocolate. I usually use a square less than half of a Trader Joe’s Pound Plus Dark Chocolate Bar, which is 55% cocoa content. But have also used Ghirardelli 60% Bittersweet chocolate, and it was delicious. I do prefer the 55%. Do not use traditional chocolate bars such as Hershey’s.
- The gooey lava factor does go away the longer this cake sits, as it sets up more. If you want that impressive gooey top, I recommend serving within 1 hour of baking.
Nutrition
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