Original: English

Chocolate Cake (Gateau Chocolat)

This is my ultimate, most delicious Gateau Chocolat recipe, taught by a patissier. It's not too light, not too heavy, but packed with a rich chocolate flavor. Temperature control is the key to success for this masterpiece, and with a thorough explanation, it's full of secrets to elevate your baking skills to the next level.

📖Cooking Basics

dry（tantanmen）

Steps

First, prepare the cake liner.
🕒 01:19
Use a 15cm (6-inch) round cake pan with a solid bottom. For cakes where the bottom is detachable, hot water can seep in, so a solid-bottom pan is recommended.
🕒 01:25
Line the sides with parchment paper and gently place it on the bottom.
🕒 01:34
Combine 20g of Cake Flour and 40g of Cocoa Powder.
🕒 01:45
Separate 3 Medium Eggs into yolks and whites. Be careful not to let any egg yolk get into the egg whites, as this will prevent the meringue from whipping properly.
🕒 01:58
Keep the egg whites for the meringue chilled in the refrigerator until just before use.
🕒 02:15
Lightly beat the egg yolks and immediately mix in 40g of Granulated Sugar [A]. Mix well until you no longer hear the grainy sound. There's no need to incorporate air at this stage.
🕒 02:24
Warm water for the double boiler to about 60°C (140°F). Boiling water will scorch the chocolate, so let it cool slightly before using.
🕒 02:59
In a stainless steel bowl, add 100g of Sweet Chocolate, 60g of Unsalted Butter, and 60g of Heavy Cream. Melt over a double boiler at around 60°C (140°F).
🕒 03:08
Whisk well while warming to 50°C (122°F). Keep the hot water from the double boiler, as it will be used later.
🕒 03:46
Whisk the egg yolk and sugar mixture again, then add it all at once to the chocolate mixture.
🕒 04:23
Mix thoroughly until the chocolate and egg yolk are uniformly and smoothly combined.
🕒 04:38
Whip the chilled egg whites with a hand mixer on high speed. Add the granulated sugar in three stages, not all at once, for a fluffy meringue.
🕒 05:03
Once the egg whites start to foam, add 1/3 of 50g of Granulated Sugar [B].
🕒 05:19
As the foam becomes finer and fluffier, add the second portion of granulated sugar.
🕒 05:45
When you can see trails from the whisk, add the remaining granulated sugar.
🕒 06:16
Whip until stiff peaks form. A slightly soft, creamy meringue is ideal for this recipe.
🕒 06:30
Finally, switch to low speed and gently rotate the bowl without moving the mixer to refine the meringue's texture.
🕒 06:53
Adjust the temperature of the chocolate mixture to 40°C (104°F). If the temperature is too low, the cake will be heavy; if it's too high, it will be light in texture.
🕒 07:15
Add 1/3 of the meringue to the chocolate mixture and gently fold it in from the bottom. Stop when some streaks of meringue are still visible.
🕒 07:41
Sift the prepared flour mixture (cake flour and cocoa powder) all at once over the bowl.
🕒 08:05
Switch to a rubber spatula and gently fold from the bottom until no dry flour remains. The batter should drop with a slight plop. Continue mixing to fully incorporate the flour and moisture.
🕒 08:16
Add the remaining meringue to the chocolate batter all at once.
🕒 08:58
Gently fold until the meringue is well incorporated into the batter. Be careful not to deflate the air bubbles.
🕒 09:03
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
🕒 09:34
Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times from a low height to remove any excess air bubbles.
🕒 09:51
Place the cake pan into a baking dish slightly larger than the pan. Add hot water to a depth of about 1cm (0.4 inches).
🕒 09:56
Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for 35 minutes.
🕒 10:07
After 35 minutes, remove the water bath and bake for an additional 10 minutes at the same 160°C (320°F).
🕒 10:15
Once baked, immediately tap the pan on the counter 4-5 times from a low height to release excess steam. This prevents shrinking and sinking. Avoid dropping from a high height, as this can cause cracking.
🕒 10:27