Chocolate Fondant Baulois is a rich French chocolate cake with a shiny, crackly top and a soft, fudgy center that is creamy, slightly gooey, and melts in your mouth, with a subtle hint of salted caramel. It is hands down the best chocolate fondant cake I have ever had, and it is surprisingly easy to make at home!
Originally from La Baule in France, this chocolate fondant is known for its unique texture and deep chocolate flavor. What makes it truly special is the delicate hint of salted butter caramel, balanced with a subtle touch of sea salt.
The top of the cake forms a thin, crackly meringue-like crust, while the inside reveals a soft, velvety center with a light, mousse-like texture that is slightly gooey.. Deeply chocolatey yet light in texture, this French chocolate fondant is a true classic for chocolate lovers.
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What are the Ingredients for Chocolate Baulois Fondant ?
Note: You’ll find the exact ingredient amounts below and in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Although the original recipe for the Baulois fondant remains a closely guarded secret, it is possible to guess the ingredients and techniques behind its unique texture. Several pastry chefs have shared their own versions of this famous French chocolate cake.
Some recipes include salted butter caramel, while others skip it. After testing several variations, I finally found the perfect balance to make an incredibly rich and decadent chocolate fondant.
Chocolate: This is the key ingredient, so use good-quality chocolate. The cocoa percentage also matters. The higher it is (around 70% ), the more intense and slightly bitter the cake will be, and the less sweet it becomes.
Finding the right balance is important. Dark chocolate around 66% cocoa works very well, but I personally like using a mix of 70% dark chocolate and milk chocolate for a perfectly balanced flavor.
Eggs: Use large eggs and weigh them without the shells to ensure consistent results every time. They should be at room temperature so they whip up properly. Beat them with the sugar until the mixture becomes pale and triples in volume, similar to a sponge cake batter.
Butter: Use salted butter to give the cake its signature flavor. If you only have unsalted butter, simply add a pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt.
Sugar: No white sugar here, only brown sugar and muscovado sugar, which give the cake its deep caramel-like flavor.
Flour: Just a small amount, which is what keeps it light and airy.
Salted butter caramel: Salted butter caramel: Based on its flavor, many believe this cake contains salted butter caramel, a signature ingredient from the region. However, after testing several versions with and without caramel, I found that the combination of salted butter and brown sugar is what creates that subtle caramelized flavor. Still, I like to add a touch of salted caramel for an even richer taste..
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 Gooey Chocolate Fondant Ever
Choose good chocolate: Use dark chocolate with about 66% cocoa for a well-balanced flavor. If you prefer chocolate with more than 70% cocoa, mix it with milk chocolate to soften the bitterness while keeping a rich, fudgy texture. The quality of the chocolate really makes a difference..
Let the chocolate cool: After melting it with the butter, let it cool slightly before adding it to the egg mixture to avoid cooking the eggs.
Whisk the eggs until pale and fluffy: You need to whisk the eggs with the sugar until they turn pale and triple in volume. This adds lightness and helps create the meringue-like crust on top, which contrasts with the fudgy interior.
Two-step baking: Bake the chocolate fondant for 5 minutes at 200°C (392°F) to form the meringue-like crust, then lower the temperature to 120°C (248°F) and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes for a very soft, melt-in-your-mouth center. Start checking the cake after about 35 minutes. The center should remain slightly wobbly..
Ingredients
- 180 g (6.3 oz) dark couverture chocolate, such as Valrhona Caraïbes 66%, or any dark chocolate of your choice, or a mix of dark and milk chocolate as shown below
- 100 g (3.5 oz) 70% dark chocolate, such as Valrhona Guanaja, or any dark chocolate of your choice
- 80 g (2.8 oz) milk chocolate, such as Cacao Barry Ghana
- 180 g (6.3 oz) salted butter
- 120 g (4.2 oz) brown sugar
- 30 g (1 oz) Muscovado sugar (you can substitute with brown sugar if preferred)
- 5 large eggs (257 g / 9 oz without shell)
- 20 g (0.7 oz) all-purpose flour
- 25 g (1 tbsp) salted butter caramel, optional, for an even richer flavor
- 1 to 2 pinches of fleur de sel, optional
How to Make the Best Chocolate Fondant Cake
1. Grease a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and lightly dust the pan with flour.
2. Melt the chocolate with the butter using a double boiler or in the microwave.
3. Remove from the heat, add the salted butter caramel, and stir until smooth. Let the mixture cool before whisking the eggs. Once cooled, add it 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 whisk attachment. You can also use a hand mixer. This takes about 10 minutes, but it is important that the mixture becomes pale 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 mix gently until fully incorporated.
7. Pour the batter into the pan and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for 1 hour and 30 minutes before baking.
Note: This resting time allows the air bubbles to rise to the surface, helping create the thin, crunchy meringue-like crust on top during baking.
8. Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) using the convection setting.
9. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 120°C (248°F) and continue baking for about 35 to 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the cake starting at 35 minutes.
Note: Baking time is important to achieve the right texture and may vary depending on your oven. To adjust the baking time, start checking the cake after about 35 minutes. The center should remain slightly wobbly. If you overbake it, the center will lose its soft, molten texture..
10. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 1 hour before removing it from the pan. The cake will naturally pull away from the sides of the pan, but you can run a knife around the edge if needed to help release it.
11. Let the cake rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, so it develops its ultra-soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you prefer it a little firmer, place it in the refrigerator.
12. Serve it cold or slightly warm by placing it for a few minutes in a preheated oven that has been turned off.
How to store This French Chocolate Fondant
You can store it in the refrigerator for more than 15 days (especially if you make several, as it tends to disappear quickly) and up to 2 months in the freezer. Store the cake in an airtight container or wrap it well before placing it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Another great thing about this chocolate fondant is that you can make several cakes and freeze them in slices. Take out as many slices as you need and warm them for about 10 minutes in a preheated oven that has been turned off. They will be as soft as if freshly baked.
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Fondant Baulois -The Best Chocolate Cake Ever
INGREDIENTS
- 180 g dark couverture chocolate such as Valrhona Caraïbes 66%, or any dark chocolate of your choice
- Or a mix of dark and milk chocolate as shown below :
- 100 g 70% dark chocolate such as Valrhona Guanaja, or any dark chocolate of your choice
- 80 g milk chocolate such as Cacao Barry Ghana
- 180 g salted butter
- 120 g brown sugar
- 30 g Muscovado sugar (you can substitute with brown sugar if preferred)
- 5 large eggs 257 g / 9 oz without shell
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- 25 g salted butter caramel 1 tbsp-optional, for an even richer flavor
- 1 to 2 pinches of fleur de sel optional
PREPARATION
- Grease a 20 cm (8-inch) springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and lightly dust the pan with flour.
- Melt the chocolate with the butter using a double boiler or in the microwave.
- Remove from the heat, add the salted butter caramel, and stir until smooth. Let the mixture cool before whisking the eggs. Once cooled, add it 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 whisk attachment. You can also use a hand mixer. This takes about 10 minutes, but it is important that the mixture becomes pale 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 mix gently until fully incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the pan and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for 1 hour and 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F) using the convection setting.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 120°C (248°F) and continue baking for about 35 to 45 minutes. Keep an eye on the cake starting at 35 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 1 hour before removing it from the pan. The cake will naturally pull away from the sides of the pan, but you can run a knife around the edge if needed to help release it.
- Let the cake rest at room temperature for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight, so it develops its ultra-soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. If you prefer it a little firmer, place it in the refrigerator.
- Serve it cold or slightly warm by placing it for a few minutes in a preheated oven that has been turned
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