Chocolate Fondant, originally uploaded by FotoosVanRobin.

If you are a great lover of thick, rich, creamy dark chocolate, (and want a quick and satisfying fix for your cravings) then this recipe is just for you!

Chocolate fondant, (also known as lava cake, or molten chocolate cake) is an unbelievably decadent and delicious concoction, and a personal favorite of mine. The pleasantly bitter creaminess of dark chocolate and the soft richness of butter are perfectly melded together in a gooey molten chocolate filling, held inside a cakey exterior, and garnished with a splash of cream (or scoop of ice cream) as the finishing touch to this chocolate masterpiece.

Although this lovely and delicious dessert originated in France, I experienced my first chocolate fondant (which was quite a memorable occasion) while traveling in Indonesia, in a charming restaurant in the small town of Lovina, in Bali. Once I tried my first fondant, and delighted over the flowing layers of chocolate wondrousness, I was changed forever. Ever since that eye-opening experience, I have tried desperately to recreate the perfection of this first taste.

Using the knowledge gained from previous fondant making experiences (after which the recipe was lost!) as well as the guidelines of this video, I was able to finally reproduce the chocolate fondant once again. The recipe listed below is almost identical to the recipe used in the video, only with a couple of slight adjustments, and with added U.S. measurement conversions.

(The addition of mint used in the video was unnecessary in my opinion, but may turn out very nicely if tried, and will perhaps be something that I will try later!)

This video is also very helpful to watch if you are unfamiliar with certain baking methods such as sifting flour, and whisking. I have provided another link here (also listed below) as well, with help in melting the chocolate.

You will need:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick/100g/3.5oz) butter
  • 1/2 cup (100g/3.5oz) dark chocolate (I actually used semi-sweet chocolate chips, and it worked extremely well- though I suggest using dark chocolate with 70% cacao for a richer flavor)
  • 1/2 cup (50g/2oz) plain flour
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup (100g/3.5 oz) sugar
  • a sprinkling of cocoa powder (about 1/3 cup or 1 oz or 30g)
  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz) of heavy cream, to pour on top when finished (or a scoop of ice cream)
  • 5 ramekins (or small oven-proof containers)

(This recipe only takes about 15 minutes, from start to finish!)

First: preheat the oven to 356 degrees, (180 celsius)

Then begin!

  1. Coat the ramekins with a lining of butter.
  2. Line the insides of the ramekins with cocoa powder, turning each slowly to fully cover the interior in order to prevent the fondant from sticking.
  3. Melt the chocolate and butter portions using either a bain-marie (3-4 mins) on the stove, or in the microwave <–click here for video example (in the microwave, cook for approximately 2 mins- stop and stir every thirty seconds until melted).
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs in a circular motion, beaten until they leave a trail when drizzled across themselves. More whisking will make a lighter fondant and less will make the fondant more dense.
  5. Slowly incorporate the sugar into the eggs, while continuing to whisk lightly.
  6. Sift in flour with a sieve and mix (with the eggs and sugar).
  7. Combine the egg, sugar and flour mixture with the chocolate and butter mixture.
  8. Pour into the ramekins, filling each all the way to one inch (about 3 cm) from the top of the container.
  9. Cook for 6 minutes….then check the fondants (do not cook for longer than 10 minutes).

Once finished, the fondants should be slightly firm on the outside, but soft and gooey on the inside. As soon as a doughy, cakey surface has formed on the top of the fondants, they are ready to be taken out!

If you love the combination of cream and chocolate, pour a bit of cream over the top of the fondant as a garnish, or garnish with a scoop of ice cream!

Enjoy!

Please comment, and share your chocolate fondant experiences…I would love to hear about how this recipe worked for you!