The chocolate “fondant Baulois” is a rich and decadent chocolate cake with a soft, melt-in-the-mouth center and a delicate, crispy meringue crust on top. Originating from La Baule, a seaside town on the west coast of the Atlantic in France, this indulgent dessert combines intense chocolate flavor with a subtle hint of salted caramel.
Perfect for chocolate lovers seeking a truly luxurious treat! This is one of the best chocolate fondants, with an ultra-melting texture, and very easy to make at home.
This chocolate fondant is an absolute gem! This is the best chocolate cake I’ve had so far, and yet I’ve made quite a few. It has a perfect texture, which can be adjusted with a longer or shorter baking time to achieve a more or less creamy center.
What makes Baulois fondant so famous is its unique texture and subtle taste of salted butter caramel with a hint of salt. It features a thin, crispy meringue layer on top, while the inside is intensely soft with a creamy, melt-in-the-mouth center. Rich in chocolate, it remains light and is neither dense nor heavy.
Another advantage is that it keeps for a long time, up to 2 weeks at room temperature (though if any is left, it tends to disappear quickly). It’s a real travel cake.
It is with the Nantais cake very famous in the region.
Table of Contents
What are the ingredients of chocolate Baulois fondant?
NB: Find the quantities of ingredients below and in the complete recipe card. at the end of the article, which you can print out. Below are tips and instructions, which you can also view in images.
Although the recipe for the Baulois fondant sold commercially is kept secret, the ingredients and preparation method that achieve this result can be guessed. Several chefs have shared their recipes, including Christophe Adam, known for his creation of the Éclair de Génie brand.
Some recipes contain salted butter caramel, others do not. Since I started making this fondant, I’ve taken the opportunity to test several versions: with and without caramel, with more flour, or using only 70% dark chocolate. In the end, I found the right combination to create a Baulois fondant to die for.
Chocolate: The main ingredient, so don’t skimp on quality – it’s what makes all the difference. Some chocolates are less sweet, which makes the fondant lower in calories. The cocoa percentage is also important: the higher it is, starting from 70% cocoa, the more intense and bitter the fondant will be, but also less sweet.
A middle ground allows for a good balance. 66% dark chocolate is ideal, but I prefer using a mix of 70% dark chocolate and milk chocolate. The result is impeccable.
Eggs: Large eggs that I weigh without the shells to obtain the same result every time. They must be at room temperature to rise properly. Whisk them with the sugar for a long time until you get a pale mixture that triples in volume, similar to a sponge cake batter.
Butter: You need semi-salted butter to give it its characteristic taste, but if you only have soft butter, add a little fleur de sel.
Sugar: No white sugar, but brown sugar and wholegrain muscovado sugar for a caramel-like flavour.
Flour: It contains very little flour, which gives it its lightness.
Salted butter caramel: Based on its taste, it’s suspected to contain salted butter caramel, an iconic ingredient from the region. However, after several trials with and without caramel, it’s the semi-salted butter and brown sugar that give it that subtle caramelized flavor. However, I prefer to add salted caramel for an even richer flavour.
Fleur de sel: Not essential, but I like to add 1 or 2 pinches. Use fleur de sel de Guérande, preferably from the same region.
Tips for the best chocolate Baulois fondant
Choose good chocolate: Use 66% cocoa dark chocolate for a balanced taste. If you choose chocolate with more than 70% cocoa, mix it with milk chocolate to soften the bitterness while maintaining a fudgy texture. The quality of the chocolate is essential.
Let the chocolate cool: After melting it with the butter, let it cool before incorporating it into the sabayon to avoid cooking the eggs.
Whisk the eggs well: You need to whisk the eggs and sugar until they turn pale and triple in volume. This will add lightness and create the meringue-like crust on top, which contrasts with the fudgy interior.
Two-step baking: Bake the fondant for 5 minutes at 200°C (392°F) to form the meringue crust, then lower the temperature to 120°C (248°F) for 35 to 45 minutes, more or less, for an ultra-melting center. Keep an eye on it starting at 35 minutes. The center should remain slightly wobbly.
Preparation steps
NB: Find the quantity of ingredients in the complete recipe card. at the end of the article, which you can print out. Below you’ll find tips and instructions, which you can also view in images.
1. Grease a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan and place a round of parchment paper at the bottom, then flour it.
2. Melt the chocolate with the butter using a double boiler or in the microwave.
3. Remove from heat and add salted butter caramel and stir until smooth. Let cool before starting to whisk the eggs. Add it cold to the egg-and-sugar mixture.
4. Whisk the eggs with the brown sugar and muscovado sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed (4) using the KitchenAid. You can use a hand mixer. This takes about ten minutes, but it is important that the mixture whitens and triples in volume.
5. Add the melted chocolate and butter along with a pinch of Guérande sea salt (optional), then mix on speed 8 until well combined.
6. Sift in the flour and whisk well to combine.
7. Pour into the mould and leave to rest for 30 min at room temperature, then place in the fridge for 1 h 30 before baking.
Note: This resting time allows air bubbles to rise to the surface and form the crunchy meringue crust on top when baked.
8. Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) on fan-assisted mode.
9. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 120°C (248°F) and extend the baking time for about 35 to 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it starting at 35 minutes.
Note: Cooking time is important to obtain the right texture and depends on each oven. To adjust the baking time for your oven, keep an eye on it starting at 35 minutes. The center should remain slightly wobbly. If you overcook it, you won’t get any lava in the fondant.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 1 hour before unmolding. The fondant will pull away from the edges of the pan, but you can run a knife or a wooden skewer around the edge to help with unmolding
11. Leave it at room temperature for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. So you can enjoy its extra-melting texture. If you wish it a little firmer, place it in the refrigerator.
12. Serve it cold or warm by reheating it for a few minutes in a preheated and turned-off oven.
Tips of storage :
You can store it in the refrigerator for over 15 days (if you make several, as it tends to disappear quickly) and up to 2 months in the freezer. Make sure to always keep it well wrapped.
The great advantage of this chocolate fondant is that you can make several and, after cutting into slices, freeze them. At any time, you can take out the number of pieces you want and reheat them in a preheated and then turned-off oven for about ten minutes. The fondant then regains its texture, as if it had just been baked.
Baulois chocolate fondant
EQUIPEMENTS
INGREDIENTS
- 180 g dark couverture chocolate or 66% Caraïbes Valrhona baking chocolate or your choice (6.35 oz)
- Or
- 100 g 70% dark chocolate Guanaja Valrhona or your choice (3.53 oz), and
- 80 g milk chocolate Ghana from Cacao Barry (2.82 oz)
- 180 g salted butter (6.35 oz)
- 120 g brown sugar (4.23 oz)
- 30 g Muscovado sugar (1.06 oz) (you can use only brown sugar if preferred)
- 5 eggs 257 g without the shell (9.07 oz)
- 20 g flour (0.71 oz)
- 25 g salted butter caramel 1 tablespoon, optional for an even richer flavor (0.88 oz)
- 1 to 2 pinches of fleur de sel optional
PREPARATION
- Grease a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan and place a round of parchment paper at the bottom, then flour it.
- Melt the chocolate with the butter using a double boiler or in the microwave.
- Remove from heat and add salted butter caramel and stir until smooth. Let cool before starting to whisk the eggs. Add it cold to the egg-and-sugar mixture.
- Whisk the eggs with the brown sugar and muscovado sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed (4) using the KitchenAid. You can use a hand mixer. This takes about ten minutes, but it is important that the mixture whitens and triples in volume.
- Add the melted chocolate and butter along with a pinch of Guérande sea salt (optional), then mix on speed 8 until well combined.
- Sift in the flour and whisk well to combine.
- Pour into the mould and leave to rest for 30 min at room temperature, then place in the fridge for 1 h 30 before baking.
- Note: This resting time allows air bubbles to rise to the surface and form the crunchy meringue crust on top when baked.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) on fan-assisted mode.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 120°C (248°F) and extend the baking time for about 35 to 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it starting at 35 minutes.
- Note: Cooking time is important to obtain the right texture and depends on each oven. To adjust the baking time for your oven, keep an eye on it starting at 35 minutes. The center should remain slightly wobbly. If you overcook it, you won't get any lava in the fondant.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 1 hour before unmolding. The fondant will pull away from the edges of the pan, but you can run a knife or a wooden skewer around the edge to help with unmolding
- Leave it at room temperature for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. So you can enjoy its extra-melting texture. If you wish it a little firmer, place it in the refrigerator.
- Serve it cold or warm by reheating it for a few minutes in a preheated and turned-off oven.
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