Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Mould Preparation
- 15 g unsalted butter, melted
- 15 g cocoa powder, sifted
Fondant Batter
- 100 g dark chocolate, chopped
- 100 g unsalted butter, diced
- 100 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 40 g plain flour
- 1 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 539 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbohydrates
- 50 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 37 g
- Sodium
- 160 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 21 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 11 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Cholesterol
- 203 mg
- Potassium
- 269 mg
- Calcium
- 49 mg
- Iron
- 3.4 mg
- Magnesium
- 64 mg
- Phosphorus
- 173 mg
- Zinc
- 1.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 257 mcg
- Vitamin D
- 0.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 4 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.04 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.21 mg
- Niacin
- 0.4 mg
- Folate
- 22 mcg
- Water
- 35 g
- Caffeine
- 20 mg
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C or 400°F.
Brush the inside of four ramekins with melted butter using upward strokes. Dust evenly with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
Place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water to create a bain-marie, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
Add the chopped dark chocolate and diced butter to the bowl, stirring occasionally until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and caster sugar together vigorously until the mixture becomes pale and slightly thickened.
Gradually pour the warm melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture while whisking continuously until fully combined.
Sift the plain flour and salt over the wet ingredients. Gently fold the mixture with a spatula until no dry pockets remain, being careful not to overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full.
Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be set and pulling away slightly from the sides, but the center must remain soft and jiggle slightly when shaken.
Remove from the oven and let rest for exactly 1 minute. Place a serving plate upside down on top of each ramekin, carefully invert, and lift the ramekin away.
Chef's Notes
- Always do a test bake with a single fondant. Oven calibrations and the thickness of ceramic ramekins vary wildly, making standard timing highly unpredictable.
- For the best flavor and correct melting consistency, use a high-quality couverture chocolate with at least 70 percent cocoa solids.
- Using cocoa powder instead of flour to dust the ramekins ensures the outside of the fondant remains beautifully dark without any white streaks.
- You can prepare the batter up to two days in advance. Store the filled ramekins in the fridge, and bake them straight from chilled by adding an extra 1 to 2 minutes to your tested cooking time.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store unbaked batter in ramekins, tightly covered.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze unbaked in ramekins. Bake directly from frozen, adding 3 to 4 minutes to the cooking time.
Reheating: Do not reheat previously baked fondants as the liquid center will cook through. Always bake fresh.
Troubleshooting
No liquid center upon opening
Cause: The fondant was left in the oven too long or baked at too low a temperature
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Serve as a rich chocolate cake with cream
Prevention: Test bake a single fondant first to dial in the exact timing for your specific oven and ramekins
Fondant collapses completely when unmolded
Cause: Underbaked, or the ramekin was inverted before resting
Fix: Scoop into bowls and serve as a chocolate pudding
Prevention: Ensure the edges are fully set before pulling from the oven, and respect the 1 minute resting time
Fondant sticks to the ramekin
Cause: Improper greasing of the moulds
Fix: Serve directly in the ramekin instead of unmolding
Prevention: Ensure an even, thick coat of butter and full coverage of cocoa powder on all interior surfaces
Cultural Context
Created in France in the 1980s, the fondant au chocolat revolutionized modern dessert menus. Often credited to visionary chef Michel Bras, the original version involved inserting a frozen ganache core into biscuit dough. Today's simplified batter method relies entirely on a precise balance of high heat and short baking time to create a deliberate contrast between a fully baked crumb exterior and a warm, unbaked emulsion inside.
