Chocolate Coffee Fondant Cakes

How to make quick and easy chocolate coffee fondant cakes. Only 6 minutes baking time! Topped with dark mocha glaze for the ultimate chocolate lover heaven.

My eldest daughter, Julie returned home from school like clockwork: dump rucksack, throw off Converse – shoelaces still done – blocking the front door and stairs. “What’s for goûter, Mum? Canteen was rubbish, so I ended up …. oooooh, what’s that amazing smell? Chocolate?”

We like plain and simple chocolate cake, or perhaps a layered chocolate cake with ganache, but we love squidgy individual chocolate cakes when they’re fast to prepare and, even better, packed with good quality chocolate (no less than 64% cacao solids) and less sugar. Over the years we’ve surprised ourselves, as gradually we’ve become used to reducing sugar with more bittersweet tasting chocolate in recipes after some happy sampling of the likes from the wonderful pâtisseries that Paris has to offer.

No fancy food photo props here. Luckily I had a couple of minutes (yes, that’s far too long for hungry teenagers!) to attempt to focus on them with my modest telephone camera!

I also make lighter chocolate moelleux (lava) cakes for dessert – with more eggs.

What I love about this recipe, is that it’s easier on the butter than in most fondant cakes I’ve tried plus it has a more intense chocolate taste, with the coffee bringing it out even further. A little goes a long way but boy, it’s packed with fatigue-fighting and stress-bashing magnesium! They’re dense: a perfect warm and rewarding teatime treat.

Chocolate Coffee Fondant Cakes with Mocha Glaze

Adapted from part of a recipe by Jonathan Blot (one of my favourite pastry chefs, of Acide Macaron in Paris) in the 4th issue of Fou de Patisserie magazine.

Chocolate Coffee Fondant Cakes with Mocha glaze

Chocolate Coffee Fondant Cakes

Author: Jill Colonna

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time16 mins

Total Time31 mins

Course : Dessert, teatime

Cuisine : French

Servings : 6

Calories : 221kcal

Print Recipe

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Description

Adapted from part of a recipe by Jonathan Blot (one of my favourite pastry chefs, of Acide Macaron in Paris) in the 4th issue of Fou de Patisserie magazine.

Ingredients

• 70 g butter
• 100 g good quality chocolate 64% cocoa solids
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
• 2 eggs
• 50 g caster sugar
• 30 g plain all-purpose flour

Chocolate & Coffee Glaze

• 45 g chocolate
• 20 g/20ml espresso coffee

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°fan (Gas mark 6). Measure out the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Add the coffee powder and stir until just melted.
•  Take off the heat then add the sugar and beat in the eggs until mixed together. Add the flour in one go until completely mixed. Place the moulds on a baking tray then spoon into non-stick (I used flexipan silicone moulds – briochette shaped) moulds. If you’re using regular muffin moulds, butter them lightly before filling with batter.
• Bake for only 6 minutes (yes, I know it’s exact but don’t cook any more than this if you prefer them squidgy).
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: make a small cup of espresso coffee (ideally directly into a small measuring cup). Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the hot coffee and stir until melted then spread over each cake.

Notes

The cakes are even better eaten next day after overnight maturing.  They can last in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  You’ll see how they are dense in chocolate!