Rich French Chocolate Gâteau Recipe

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 01/2/23
Rich French Chocolate Gateau Recipe

The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 65 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
412 Calories
27g Fat
43g Carbs
5g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 412
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 16g 79%
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 149mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 43g 16%
Dietary Fiber 3g 9%
Total Sugars 38g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 30mg 2%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 167mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Chocolate and cake, seriously, how good does that sound? These two are a match made in heaven and even more heavenly is when they combine in this easy-to-make French chocolate gâteau (gâteau is the French word for cake).

This chocolate gâteau recipe, also known as gâteau au chocolat, makes for a versatile, rich dessert. Try topping it with powdered sugar, more cocoa powder, a caramel drizzle, or fresh raspberries for a delicious and remarkably easy treat. Whipped cream is another ingredient you may want to invite along to this party, it will top the cake beautifully.

Variations on this cake are endless but first, make the cake.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate

  • 3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter

  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder

  • 5 large eggs

  • 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Rich French Chocolate Gateau Recipe ingredients

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.

    greased springform pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  3. In a medium saucepan, melt the chocolate and butter over the lowest heat, do not rush this process, melting the chocolate too quickly will cause it to "shock" into a hard lump.  

    melted chocolate in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  4.  Mix in the cocoa powder and espresso powders until smooth and set aside for a few minutes to cool.

    cocoa powder and espresso powder added to the chocolate in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  5. While the chocolate is cooling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour until they are completely combined and foamy.

    whisk together the eggs, sugar, and flour in a bowl

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  6. Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate until the color is uniform and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

    cake batter in a springform pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  7. Place into the center of the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick pulls out moist crumbs when inserted near the center of the torte. If the pick is sticky, then cook for a little longer. 

    chocolate cake in a springform pan

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

  8. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife or inverted spatula along the edges of the gâteau and loosen the sides of the pan. Cool for 5 minutes and remove the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a cake platter and cool completely before serving decorated as you wish. 

    Rich French Chocolate Gateau

    The Spruce / Diana Chistruga

Recipe Variations

  • As mentioned above, the chocolate gâteau works very well with fruits, especially berries of most descriptions either used fresh or made into a fruit coulis. 
  • Vary the chocolate you use from semi-sweet to dark, but remember children generally do not like the bitter taste of dark chocolate. 
  • Add a tiny dash of your favorite liqueur to the cake batter to bring a grown-up feel to the cake, of course, this is for adults only. 

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