A Classic of the French repertoire, a Chocolate Moelleux Cake is a decadent and intensely chocolatey cake, relying on only a few ingredients: eggs, sugar and a solid amount of butter and good-quality dark chocolate. Made with no flour, hence naturally gluten-free, this cake combines the richness of chocolate cake with the airiness of a mousse. A must for all chocolate lovers!
What are French Moelleux Cakes?
Moelleux Cakes, literally translating to “soft” cakes, are staples from the French Repertoire. The most famous version of “moelleux” is this one, a chocolate moelleux cake, made with a solid amount of chocolate and butter – and no flour – for an utterly rich yet soft texture, as it’s naturally gluten-free. Another trait of this chocolate moelleux cake is the use of stiff-whipped egg whites, which gives it a light and airy textured mouthfeel, despite the richness from the chocolate and butter.
In comparison to a “French Fondant cake” (rich and dense in the center) or to a “Mi-cuit Au Chocolat” (Molten cake, with a oozy center), a Chocolate Moelleux Cake keeps its shape once sliced – meaning you won’t get a puddle of chocolate in your plate once you cut into it. Yet it still has a very soft texture, especially when enjoyed warm or at room-temperature.
Other types of moelleux cakes usually have a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crumb and come nestled with seasonal fruits, such as a Plum Moelleux Cake or a Strawberry Moelleux Cake.
Tips for making this Chocolate Moelleux Cake (1/2):
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- Gently melt the chocolate over a bain-marie – meaning over barely simmering water in a double boiler. If heated too rapidly, the chocolate risks to separate or break.
- Use great-quality chocolate. With just a few ingredients in this recipe, the flavor and texture of this cake relies a lot on the quality of your ingredients, and especially of the chocolate. I recommend splurging a bit for this recipe and buying top-quality chocolate – you won’t regret it.
- Beat the eggs whites to a stiff peak. Not soft, not firm, but stiff: meaning peaks will stand straight up when the beaters are lifted.
- Use older eggs. For best results in getting stiff egg whites, choose eggs that aren’t too fresh (3 to 4 days), and make sure you take them out of the fridge 1 hour before starting, to allow them reach room temperature. When beating older egg whites at room temperature, their proteins will have more elasticity. They will stretch and welcome in more air, rather than break if too fresh or cold.
Tips for making this Chocolate Moelleux Cake (2/2):
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- Use pristine equipment. When beating the egg whites, make sure you are using a bowl and beater that are perfectly clean. Egg whites tend to refuse to whip if they encounter any residual fat or even if there are tiny amounts of egg yolk.
- Let the chocolate and butter cool. After melting the chocolate with the butter, allow it to cool at least 10-15 minutes before mixing it into the egg and sugar mixture. It should come to a barely warm temperature, so it incorporates perfectly with the eggs. If too warm, it will “cook” the eggs and form little hard chunks. If too cold, the chocolate could seize up.
- Fold, don’t stir. When folding the egg whites with the chocolate mixture, use a large rubber spatula and be gentle. The important thing is not to stir, but fold. In small additions, carefully place a portion of the egg whites on top of the chocolate mixture and fold it in by using a flipping motion. Stop when the batter is just uniform – do not over-mix.
- If you have a gluten allergy, you can use unsweetened cocoa for the pan, instead of flour. Other than that, this cake is naturally gluten-free.
How to store this Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake
- Chill it. After making (and enjoying) this cake – if you have any leftovers – you can cover it with plastic film and store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Don’t freeze it. I don’t recommend freezing this cake. The texture is delicate, and the cake will likely get soggy/mushy when thawing.
I hope you’ll love this Classic French Chocolate Moelleux Cake as much as I do! If you have any questions, please leave a comment.
105 comments
I am making this today. It looks delicious!
Thank you and enjoy!
Superbowl dessert!!
Enjoy!
I just made this, and for some reason, the egg whites fell apart when I added tge sugar. That has never happened to me before. I’m sure it will be delicious. I will make it again soon.
The eggwhites fell apart? I wish I knew what could have caused that, Mary, that sounds very strange! My best guess (and it is only a guess) would be that perhaps the whites were either under or overbeaten when the sugar was added. Really hard to know, but “falling apart” almost seems like there was an issue with the eggs themselves, and not something that you did.
So sorry to hear that, Mary.
Made this last night. Amazing!
Fantastic, thank you for your feedback!
OMG. I have baked many cakes in my life, but this is so amazing! I’ll see how the big cake is tomorrow after sitting tonight — it’s for a work meeting. But I made a sample cupcake, ate it warm, and wow. SO good. And not really hard at all. I did cut the sugar just a little, and I’m unsure if I had more egg whites than needed — I use local farm eggs and they tend to be a little larger. Definitely a keeper recipe.
Thank you for your feedback!
So smart to make sample cupcake!!!!! Best idea
I made the cake three times already and it is the best and easiest recipe. Delicious as well and I loved the cake. When
Thanks so much for your feedback Ursula!
Wow this was surprisingly quick, easy and absolutely amazing! Now I wonder if one could use this as corpus layers…. So good.
Topped it with raspberries and whipped cream for dinner, but ate it as-was for breakfast too…
Thank you for your feedback!
[…] Day coming up it’s the perfect excuse to indulge in something chocolatey. This Chocolate Moelleux Cake looks perfect and super easy to make. I think I would top it with some fresh berries and a dollop of […]
Audrey, I made this last night for a special dinner with friends – it was absolutely delicious! I (reluctantly) sent a little of the leftover cake home with the friends and also saved enough for another small slice each tonight – woo hoo!!! Thank you for sharing such a terrific recipe with great instruction.
Thank you for your great feedback!
This is third recipe I have made Audrey merci beaucoup. Made it for mon Cherie for Valentine’s Day, however probably will not last last Super Bowl.
Thank you for your feedback!
A really nice little rich treat to end a dinner with friends. It kept well in the fridge overnight. I made a half recipe, which was plenty for four of us older women, with a little left over. There was a bit too much batter for my small springform pan, so I baked the extra in a small buttered custard cup (too lazy to also flour it), and had it the evening I did baking, without bothering to try to turn it out. It works well in this format too.
Thank you for your feedback Michele!
Hmm. I have milk chocolate, and 90% chocolate— can I melt them down together to achieve the right taste? Or is that wishful thinking?
Hi Caro – I would recommend sticking to dark chocolate only (70%). Milk chocolate has a higher sugar content, which would alter the taste and texture of the cake, even if blended with dark chocolate. I hope this helps!
LOVE LOVE LOVE
I couldn’t be happier, Anastasia! Merci!
I just made this again, fabulous and easy, as before. This time I took the extra from my half recipe and baked it in little ramekins, prepped with butter and cocoa, which made a second lovely treat (for 3). This time I used a couple of frozen raspberries on top of each serving (saved from last summer’s farmer’s market bounty). All my ‘tasters’ agreed that the little bit of sweet/tart acidity is a perfect foil for this great cake.
Thank you for your feedback!
Second time making this. It was a very big hit at crawfish boil here in Louisiana.
Fantastic, thank you!
It is great samples of food and cakes
totally delicious – amazing
Much appreciated, Murrae! So glad you enjoyed this wonderfully decadent cake.
Thank you for this recipe – it was like an intense chocolate cloud.
Your recipes, instructions , and photographs are consistently excellent and I can make them and know they will turn out to be worth the effort .
Thank you for the wonderful words, Lorna. They are most appreciated, as this is my main goal for this blog – to make recipes easy and accessible. Wish I had a slice right now!
[…] 1. Classic French Cake […]
[…] 1. Classic French Cake […]
I adore this recipe and it’s a family favourite.
I am making it for a high tea and would like to offer whipped cream and berries. Which berries are most suitable? Raspberries or Strawberries?
Hello, Adelle! Whipped cream and berries are a lovely offering for this cake. In my humble opinion, while both berries would be an excellent choice, there is just something special about raspberries and chocolate. So that would be my 1a choice, with strawberries as a strong 1b.
Happy baking!
Looks so delicious!!
What is the best sub for the corn starch? I am allergic to corn.
Thank you, Lisa. While I have to admit I’ve used neither in this recipe, arrowroot and potato starch seem to be the most common replacement for corn starch.
If you try it, Id love to know how it turned out.
This looks so good! What a fun recipe to make for special occasions!
Great for special occasions and even for the occasion of just having a delicious bite to snack on! 🙂
Thanks Suzanne!
Best sub for the cornstarch? I am allergic to corn.
Hello, Lisa. While I have used neither, Potato Starch and Arrowroot Powder seem to be known as the best substitutes for Cornstarch in dessert recipes. I hope this helps!
I’m looking forward to trying several of your recipes.
I appreciate that, Elaine! Feel free to drop a line, comment, review or question any time! I can’t always respond immediately, but I check daily!
I do not have a baine Marie. Can I do this in the microwave?
Hello, Mark. A microwave could work, but it can be tricky… But I’m here to let you know that a baine-marie is just a fancy French cooking/baking term used to mean a pot of simmering water. So, you take your steel bowl with the butter on chocolate, and place it over top a pot of simmering (not boiling) water. This heats the bottom of the bowl at a consistent and “low” temperature so it melts slowly and doesn’t sieze or clump. Here is a great youtube guide to show you, in case you’re still unsure. Click here.
Good luck! You’ll nail it, I’m certain!
Looks like a Version of Portuguese Pão de ló de Ovar which is made with egg yolks but no chocolate… Although there are now chocolate versions that will probably be identical to this
I had to google this recipe, Andre, and you’re right – it looks very, very similar, just without chocolate. I wonder is the texture is the same or not, but it looks to be pretty close. It always makes me smile to see how different countries and cultures can share so many similar recipes, just under different names, and with slight variations based on the climate. The world truly is small!
This is a flour-less cake?
Pao de Lo is a sponge cake with flour, so it’s not similar.
I’ve had chocolate, flourless cake and it’s wonderful.
I cannot wait to try your recipe.
The instructions are clear and precise.
Thank you, Mel. I hope you’ll enjoy it! Would love to hear back once you give it a go 🙂
Correction: Andre is correct, this recipe is similar to PÃO de LÓ (de OVAR).
turned out well.
Think I’d bake for the 30-35 minute span. Is it me, or does the recipe omit when to add the yolk and sugar mixture? I only ask because I understand that for this cake to come out correctly you do have to follow a sequence.
Hello, George! Glad you enjoyed the recipe. I believe what you’re looking for is in “Step 3” – “With a spatula, fold about ¼ or less of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.” The chocolate mixture is the sugar, egg yolk, melted butter and chocolate mixture from Step 2.
Hope this helps and glad it turned out! 🙂
Can’t wait to try this!
Please report back if you do. Hope you’ll enjoy it!
This cake was fabulous! I think I could have cooked it a little longer. It’s like a cross between a flourless chocolate cake and a molten lava cake. Soooooo freakin’ good! Can’t wait for an excuse to make it again.
Merci, Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed it. For me, the perfect excuse would be “What if I baked it 2 extra minutes?” 🙂
Research is vital!
I baked this cake for 30 minutes, then let it sit for 30 minutes. To me, “remove from the pan” means to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform as well as the sides. I removed both and put the cake on a wire rack to finish cooling. Most of the cake quickly fell through the wire rack, leaving me with a top crust and a mess to clean up. The crust was delicious, people enjoyed it and I had a ridiculous story to tell but I wonder if I did anything wrong beside removing the cake from the bottom of the springform pan.
I want to bring this cake to a pot luck. Will it hold up if it sits out for several hours?
Hello, Diane. You shouldn’t have much problem at all. I’d suggest perhaps chilling the cake beforehand and that way as it cools it will start to soften again. But it always stays delicious the next day for me at room temperature as well. Good luck!
How does one decorate this cake or is it served dusted with icing sugar? I am very willing to try it .
Hello, Stephen. Great question. This is typically just just as is, but that doesn’t mean you have to. A dollop of whipped cream or even a dusting of icing sugar would both go great with this moelleux cake without turning it into something else.
It’s summer now, so even a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream would go great with this. Conversely, even just a few ripe raspberries on top would make this a wonderfully summery dessert.
I see a springform pan..but no size is mentioned..or I missed it..is it 9”?
Correct, Nancy, it is a springform pan. The measurement is mentioned in the article, but there’s a lot of informaiton there, so easily overlooked. This recipe requires a 8” or 9” circular springform pan. Just ensure you butter it beforehand to prevent sticking!
Best of luck and I hope you’ll enjoy it!
cannot wait to bring this to a dinner we are attending this weekend. Quick question…as one guest does not eat butter…can I replace butter with olive oil in this cake without compromising the texture…and if so, same weight as butter? Thank you!
I really hope you’ll enjoy the cake! I wish I could give you a more positive answer on this one, but I wouldn’t personally recommend using olive oil, as it would alter the taste and texture a bit too much for my liking.
That said, I do have a chocolate cake that uses olive oil, that can be found here.
It’s not a moelleux, I know, but I know it tastes great and uses olive oil instead of butter.
Happy baking!
This easy, yet absolutely delicious cake put a huge smile on my husbands face! And while he was smiling, I went back for another slice!
That made me smile too, Elana! So glad you both enjoyed it 🙂 Merci.
I made this lovely chocolate cake. The instructions were very easy to follow. The outcome was superb! I will be making it again in a few days for a GF group. I’m excited to share something so special! Very chocolate-y, light and fluffy!
Merci, Francie! This is definitely a great cake to share, people genuinely seem to love when a slice gets placed in front of them. If you want to go one step further, a scoop of vanilla ice cream would pair well, but a slice on its own is just perfect. Thrilled you enjoyed it.
Best chocolate cake ever!!!!!! I made it and it was great. It is light, creamy and you feel the chocolate in every piece. I used 100g of 70% chocolate and 100g of 53%chocolate and reduced the amount of sugar for half cup for all the recipe. Thank you very much for sharing such simple and precise recipe.
You’re so very welcome, Mimi! Few things in life are are satisfying as a delicious chocolate cake, and this one really might be it. Glad it hit the spot for you 🙂
Yup! Definitely a keep! Soo good!! ..simple and easy to make as well. Perfect! I would cut sugar the next time as for me it was a bit too sweet but my friends looved it so much! They said it was in a perfect level <3
Thank you so very much, Kiomarys! Cutting the sugar is no problem at all if that’s your preference. Just be aware that in some recipes, cutting the sugar yields a slightly difference end result, so start off slow with the removal of sugar until you find the sweet spot (pun intended)!
This came out perfectly!
That’s what I love to hear, Elana! Sounds like you nailed the recipe, congrats to you 🙂
Looks delicious! Will this work with vegan butters (for someone who can’t have cow dairy)?
I can’t honestly say I’ve used vegan butters at all, Shelly. Sorry! But if you have experience with baking with them and find that they do turn out decently well, then this is a recipe I think it would work well in. While there is a good amount of butter in the recipe, it isn’t the “star” and thus, an alernative should work ok. If you’ve never baked with a butter alternative, I’d probabaly suggest a recipe with a bit less butter to start. Good luck!
ps: I do have a chocolate cake recipe with olive oil as a base – Olive Oil Cake and you can replace the milk with the milk of sheep or an alternative, perhaps.
I am planning to make this to bring to a friend on Christmas. Should I make it the day of or day before. If the day before, should I put in refrigerator?
So I’m going to give you two answers, Sara. First is either is acceptable and the cake will be delicius either way. If made the day ahead, just let it cook 100% and then wrap tightly in plastic wrap in place in the fridge. Second answer is that I think it’s best day of, my husband think it’s better the next day. It all comes down to personal preference (he says it’s a bit fudgier the next day). Point is, you’re absolutely safe to make it either day and have it still taste delicious! Do what’s best for you, time wise) Happy Holidays!
I made this for the first time for Christmas Eve dinner tonight. Definitely didn’t fall asleep much and the top cracked. Not sure what I did wrong. Just praying it will taste good no matter how it looks
I’m not sure I’ve had one where the top has cracked before, but it could be from either overbeating, or perhaps your oven runs a bit hotter than displayed? Those are my guesses. Either way, I do predict that it should still taste delicious. Hope you get a good rest and have a very happy holiday!
in the oven. Looks good/. Do you remove it from the pan entirely when it’s cool?
I tend to serve this directly from the pan, Sara. It can be very difficult to remove the pan, as it’s very fudgy. But if you really want to, I’m sure with patience you could remove it to plate it in something else, but it risks breaking. Please enjoy, and happy holidays!
Made the cake, and served it the next day. It was very good, not dense like some flourless cakes. I wanted it a little more “chocolatey”= wondering if a pinch of expression powder would help. Also what would you think of adding a little liquor = like chambourd? And if so, what amount would be right. I served it with fresh whipped cream and raspberries.
So glad you enjoyed it, Sara! Sounds like you nailed the recipe. Instant espresso powder is not authentic, but I have absolutely no issue at all with adding it – it always makes the chocolate flavor pop! I use it quite often when I bake with chocolate as well. As for alcohol, I think it should be fine, it shouldn’t alter the texture at all, but I’d tread lightly with just a splash or two at most. A concentrate might be the best bet.
Great recipes
Merci, Sonja! Feel free to reach out if you ever have questions or to leave a review if you try something. Appreciate the support!
Is a spring-form pan essential or would a regular cake pan work?
P.S. This is my first time commenting but love your blog and really enjoying making recipes from your cookbook! I used to live in France and expanding mes connaissances of French cooking is a little way to keep that connection.
Hello Katie, and thank you so much for the kind words! I really appreciate the support and love that you’re keeping that connection with France alive.
To answer your question, a springform isn’t mandatory, but the cake might prove hard to remove without one. If you’re ok with keeping it in the pan, and cutting slices like that, use any ol’ cakepan! But if you want to remove it for service, you might find it difficult to remove.
Hope you’ll enjoy it!
Thank you! This was delicious.
The instructions don’t specify when to add the salt, so I did while folding the chocolate mixture into the egg whites- presumably it doesn’t matter when?
Thank you so much, Mat, I’m thrilled you enjoyed it! So, the salt goes in during step 3 (while beating the egg whites), which is likely why you missed it 🙂 Just means you have to try it again and see if there is a difference in the final outcome!
Can you give more tips on how to know when the cake is done? Just took mine out of the oven softer 27 minutes, but still not sure…..
Hello, Mary! how did it turn out? This is one of those cakes where you can’t really test it to see if it’s done, due to it’s luscious interior. I just always follow the intructions I wrote on the blog, which state “bake 25-30min or until the cake looks puffy. The edges should be set and the middle still slightly wobbly”. The edges looking baked and the centre having a bit of wobble are the major tells. Depending on how yours turned out, you’ll know for sure if you baked it perfectly, or if it needed a few more (or less) minutes in the oven. But it’s very forgiving, even if under or overbaked.
I made this and as astonished at the ease, the flavor and the sense from my guests that I had accomplished a time-consuming miracle! LOL
Nothing wrong with telling them it took you countless hours and science to make this, John 🙂 Thrilled that you and your guests enjoyed it, and hope you have a slice left to enjoy today. Feet up, of course!
This is amazing. It was pretty easy and decadent. It is fluffier than flourless chocolate cake usually is while still being fudge. I will definitely be making this again. The only changes I made were to use duck eggs and vanilla extract
Thank you so much, Kristen, and thrilled that you enjoyed this French classic cake. Few things are better when I’m craving something super chocolately. I might need to prepare one for this weekend 🙂
Daughter Sarah just made this. Delicious and decadent! Recipe is perfect and will be a Family tradition. Thank you and now she wants to go to France asap!
Your recipes are Michelin quality…
Scott Family
Congrats to your daughter, sounds like she absolutely nailed the recipe! It’s a prefect choice to make a family tradition, it’s something that typically everyone would always want a slice of.
And the doors to France are always open to visit, Sarah! It’ll be waiting for when you’re ready. 🙂
I have to make this the night before. Do I need to refrigerate it or can it stay out on the counter? I imagine this is so much better when it’s not cold. Last time I made it, there were no leftovers. So delish!!
So glad you enjoy it, Heather! I almost always stick it in the fridge, which does change the texture to slightly more fudgy. You could perhaps leave it on the counter, or put it in the fridge, and remove from the fridge an hour or two ahead, then reheat it before serving at a very gentle heat in the oven for just a few short minutes. That should work (with the caveat that you have to be sure not to overbake during the initial cook). Enjoy!