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Cucina Casa M - Easy, Elegant Entertaining
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chocolate cake on a serving plate

Gâteau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie (Natalie’s Chocolate Cake)

Translated into English, this means “Natalie’s Chocolate Cake.” I don’t know who Natalie is, but I love her and you will too. This is my adaption of Trish Deseine’s recipe, which I first had at my sister-in-law‘s house in the Loire Valley. It is so easy to make, you won’t believe it. The rich, melted chocolate consistency and texture is just sublime. I thought if I added Frangelico & hazelnuts it would taste like a big slice of Nutella. The only difficulty with this recipe is that it’s best made the day the head so that the yummy chocolate gooeyness sets into a firm cake. Patience, my friends. It’s worth it!
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Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Cooling Time 8 hrs
Total Time 8 hrs 25 mins

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup Raw Hazelnuts
  • 7 oz Bittersweet Chocolate cut into pieces
  • 1¾ sticks Unsalted Butter
  • 1¼ cup Granulated Sugar
  • 5 Eggs
  • 2 T Frangelico
  • 1 T All-Purpose Flour
  • Confectioner’s Sugar for dusting

Instructions
 

  • Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
  • Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet. Place in the 350° F oven and roast for 5-7 minutes until they are slightly brown and fragrant.
  • Remove from the oven and place nuts on a clean kitchen towel. Gently rub the nuts to remove their outer skins. Let the nuts cool, then roughly chop them. Set aside.
    chopping the hazelnuts
  • Increase the oven temperature to 375° F
  • Place the chocolate and butter into a medium bowl. Using either the microwave or a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter. Stir until combined.
  • Add the granulated sugar. Stir until well combined and chocolate has slightly cooled.
    adding the sugar to the chocolate
  • Add the eggs one at a time, stirring until each egg is completely combined. Mixture will start to thicken.
    adding the eggs to the chocolate mixture
  • Stir in the Frangelico and then the flour.
  • Pour the batter into a 10-inch spring form pan.
    pouring the batter into the pan
  • Bake in 375° F oven for 20-25 minutes. The sides should be firm, but center should still have a little jiggle.
    baked chocolate cake in the pan
  • Cool at least 8 hours or overnight so that the cake will set and firm up.
  • Before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioner’s sugar. Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts on top.
    sprinkling powdered sugar and hazelnuts on top of the cake
  • Remove the sides of the pan, cut, and serve
    cake slice on a plate

Notes

TIPS & TRICKS
– Recipe adapted from Trish Deseine.
– Allow the cake to sit at least 8 hours, or overnight, in a cool place. The cake will firm up and have a wonderful fudge texture.
– Using a wooden spoon to mix the cake really helps blend in the eggs completely. Do not use a whisk because we don’t want to add any air to the batter.
– Substitute the Frangelico with Cointreau for a slight orange flavor. You can also garnish the cake with fresh berries and whipped cream.
– Cake will slightly collapse and may crack as is cools. Don’t worry; confectioner’s sugar will cover it all.