French Chocolate Cake Recipes

FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Line two greased 9-in. round baking pans with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until crumbly. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla. Stir in chocolate and coffee. Combine flour, salt and baking soda; gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with buttermilk (batter will be thick). , Pour into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring sugar, milk and butter to a gentle boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in extract. , Invert cakes onto wire racks; drizzle with glaze. Cool completely. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and milk; stir until smooth. Refrigerate until spreadable, stirring occasionally. , Place one cake on a serving plate; spread with filling. Top with remaining cake. Spread whipped topping over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Garnish with chocolate curls.

THE BEST FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160C (325F). Generously butter a 9.5 inch (22cm) springform pan, then sprinkle with a little sugar and tap out the excess.
• Set aside 3 tbsp of the sugar. Place the chocolate, butter and remaining sugar in a heavy saucepan and cook over low heat until the chocolate and butter have melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and let the mixture cool slightly.
• Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture (when cool - otherwise the eggs will cook), beating each in well, then sift in the flour.
• In a clean grease-free bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites slowly until they are frothy. Increase the speed, add the salt and continue beating until soft peaks form. Sprinkle over the reserved sugar and beat until the whites are stiff and glossy. Beat one third of the whites into the chocolate mixture (I use my electric mixer for this), then fold in the remaining whites (with a wooden spoon).
• Carefully pour the mixture into the pan and tap the pan gently to release any air bubbles.
• Bake the cake for about 35 to 45 minutes until well risen and the top springs back when touched lightly with a fingertip. (If the cake appears to rise unevenly, rotate pan after 20 to 25 minutes.) Transfer the cake onto a wire rack, remove the side of the pan and let cool completely. Remove the pan base, dust with confectioner's sugar and serve.
• Enjoy!

FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously grease a 9-inch springform cake tin. Dust with a little sugar, and tap out the excess.
• Set aside 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Place the chocolate, butter, and remaining sugar in a large, heavy-based pan. Cook over moderate heat until the chocolate and butter have melted, and the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in the vanilla, and leave the mixture to cool slightly.
• Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour.
• In a large bowl, scrupulously clean and grease-free, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt, and beat to stiff peaks. Sprinkle reserved sugar over egg whites, and beat until stiff and glossy. Use a whisk or spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the remaining whites. Carefully pour batter into the prepared tin, and tap the tin gently to release air bubbles.
• Bake until well risen and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, for about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check the cake after 30 minutes: if the cake appears to rise unevenly, rotate after 30 to 35 minutes. If the cake starts to crack or become too brown, place a piece of foil lightly over the top. Transfer the cake to a wire cooling rack, and remove the sides of the springform tin. Cool completely, and then remove the base. Do not attempt to remove the cake before it's completely cooled as this cake is very fragile.

EVELYN SHARPE'S FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line the base of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
• Melt the chocolate gently in the top of a double boiler over hot, not boiling, water. This is a critical step in the preparation and should be done very slowly (or it can be done more speedily in the microwave).
• Remove the melted chocolate from the heat and stir in the butter, flour and sugar. Beat the yolks lightly and whisk into the chocolate mixture gradually.
• Beat the egg whites until they hold a definite shape but are not dry and fold into the chocolate mixture. Overbeating or underbeating will ruin the cake. The beaten egg whites should be folded smoothly, quickly and easily into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat; open the oven door, leaving it ajar, and allow the cake to cool completely in the oven.
• The cake is best served a little warm. Decorate with whipped cream. Run a long, thin knife under hot water and then slice the cake into small slivers. It is rich.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the butter, sugar, egg yolks, milk, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., For filling, combine the chocolate chips, milk and sugar in a saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until smooth. Stir in cinnamon; set aside. , For topping, combine the flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Set aside., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; roll into an 18x10-in. rectangle. Spread with filling. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Place in a well-greased 10-in. fluted tube pan, with seam facing inside of pan. Sprinkle with topping. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes., Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool. Sprinkle with confectioners; sugar if desired.

FRENCH CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Place oven rack in centre of oven, heat to 350°F.
• Butter and flour bottoms of 2- 8 inch round cake pans, reserve.
• Beat eggs in large mixer bowl at high speed 1 minute.
• Continue beating, adding sugar very slowly, about 7 minutes.
• Melt chocolate with 3/4 cup butter.
• Drizzle warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
• Add sour cream and vanilla, beat at low speed until thoroughly blended.
• Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, the cocoa and baking soda.
• While beating at low speed, add dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time, to chocolate mixture alternating with milk, about 1/3 cup at a time.
• Stop mixer as necessary to clean sides of bowl with rubber spatula.
• Beat until well blended.
• Pour half of batter into each reserved pan, place pans in oven diagonally on same rack.
• Bake until cake tester or wooden pick inserted in centre of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Cool cakes in pans on wire racks until just warm, remove from pans and cool completely on racks.
• Prepare Chocolate Buttercream.
• Reserve about 1/2 cup buttercream for decorative piping.
• To assemble cake, place 1 layer on serving plate, spread top evenly with 3/4 of the firm buttercream.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Place second cake layer on top of first layer.
• Frost sides, then top of cake completely with buttercream.
• Pipe reserved buttercream through pastry bag fitted with star tube in a decorative border around top of cake.
• Refrigerate cake until thoroughly chilled, serve cold.
• Cake must be stored in refrigerator.