I can scuba-dive, speak french, spanish and a little bit of portuguese, I can tell you all about psychoanalysis and travel the world needing nothing but a camera, but goddamn – i can not cook. So up until this point, my contribution to international recipes for you guys has been rather hesitant non-existant, but there is one thing even I can make and that is chocolate cake. But not any ol’ chocolate cake, it’s French and there is no flour in it. I think the proper name is Fondant au chocolat.
Yum. So what do you need?
Ingredients
4 eggs
200g of sugar
200g of butter
400g of dark chocolate
(variably) a pack of vanilla sugar
Preparation
The chocolate, butter and sugar go together in a pot to melt. make sure you stick them in a pot that is heated by boiled water, as direct exposure to the oven surface is ikely to burn the chocolate, rather than melt it.
While that stuff is melting, separate your eggs into yolks and eggwhites. Once you’ve dont that, get a mixer to beat your whites into a fluffy texture.
With your eggwhites done, and your chocolate/sugar/butter mix melted, add eggyolks and vanilla sugar to the latter.
Stir everything and put the mixture into a bowl. Now carefully fold your eggwhites in with your chocolate mixture….
…until you’re left with a soft, creamy, fluffy batter.
Now grease in a cakepan with butter before pouring your batter in it. Bake for 45minutes at 180°C and voilà !
Personally I think it’s better cooled than hot out of the oven, but that’s according to personal taste. I love having it with hot cherries and fresh whipped cream.
Voilà – your perfect gateau francais!
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