French Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

    * ½ cup butter or 125 grams
    * 7 ounces dark chocolate or 200 grams
    * 1 cup sugar or 200 grams
    * 4 large eggs or 5 medium eggs
    * 1 tablespoon flour – you can add up to 7 tablespoons
    * 3 tablespoons cocoa powder – optional but it makes the cake even richer
    * Ganache
    * 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate – about 200 grams
    * ½ cup cream
    * ½ teaspoon vanilla extract - optional
    * Melt the chocolate and cream over low heat, stirring to mix. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla if you're using it.
    * The heavier the cream, the thicker the ganache.

Directions

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees centigrade)
   2. Line the bottom of a cake pan (round is good but square works) with parchment paper.
   3. Melt the butter, chocolate, and cocoa powder in a container placed in a pan of hot water at low heat. Once it's melted stir it to combine and set it aside to cool.
   4. Beat the eggs, add the sugar and beat until smooth. It will be thick and a pale cream color.
   5. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture.
   6. Stir in the flour.
   7. Pour the batter into the cake pan.
   8. Bake at 350 Degrees (1800) for 20 minutes
   9. You can top the cake with ganache for true chocolate decadence or be a bit more restrained and use crème fraiche or whipped cream or serve it plain.