How long does it take to make Melted chocolate cake?

200 g butter and 200 g dark chocolate, a cup of sugar and 5 eggs, with just half a cup of flour and a teaspoon of baking powder; in a 24 cm pan at 175°C (345°F) about 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

53 minTotal

13 minActive time

40 minSetting

Step by Step

#	What to do	How long
1	Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F) and grease a round pan 24 cm across	12 min
2	Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler and let cool slightly	5 min
3	Whip the eggs and sugar	—
4	Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped eggs gently	—
5	Sift the flour and baking powder over the top and Fold gently, just	—
6	Pour into the pan	1 min
7	Bake 35 minutes	35 min
8	Let the cake cool completely	—

How to Tell It's Done

until the mixture is pale and fluffy
until the batter is smooth
until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs

Tips

Put things in the oven only once it's reached temperature, after the heating light has gone off: an oven that hasn't reached temperature changes baking times, and the bake burns outside or stays underbaked.
In the microwave, melt in short bursts, stirring in between, until the chocolate and butter are smooth and liquid.
Fold with a spatula, in broad strokes from the bottom up, and stop when there are no streaks: vigorous mixing knocks the air out of the foam. Add whipped mixtures in stages: a quarter first, to lighten the mixture.
Fold with a spatula, in broad strokes from the bottom up, and stop when there's no dry flour: vigorous mixing of a batter with flour develops gluten.

Common Mistakes

Check by the cue (until…), not just the clock: every oven bakes a little differently.

More Ways

The simple way: melt the chocolate with the butter, stir in the sugar and add the eggs one at a time, and only then sift in the flour and mix until the batter is smooth.
For an airier cake, beat the eggs with the sugar 3–4 minutes, until pale and fluffy, and only then add the melted chocolate.
For individual cakes (chocolate soufflé), grease small molds with a generous layer of butter and bake briefly, 12–15 minutes at 180°C (355°F), until the edges are risen and set and the center is low and soft; serve immediately, in the mold or turned out onto a plate.

The full recipe: Melted chocolate cake →