Easy chocolate fondant cake that you can prep, freeze and serve in no time

Perfect for entertaining or for singles, as you can make these gooey, 5 ingredient chocolate fondant cakes in advance and customise the flavour to your liking with ice creams or a zesty whipped cream.  And you are most likely to have all of the ingredients on hand already.

Eventough I’m not a big chocolate fan, these little cakes have become my instant solution when a sudden chocolate craving hits, or when I have unexpected guests pop by. And they taste a million times better and are more impressive than any quick additive-laden packet mix could ever be.

My favourite toppings include: vanilla bean gelato with diced strawberries, orange zest whipped cream or hazelnut gelato – I find the marriage of chocolate and hazelnuts irresistiby good. For a little flavour surprise you can actually add 1 tbsp orange, mandarin or lime zest to the batter, too and serve with vanilla, or for an extra indulgent treat, chocolate gelato or ice cream.

Amazing!

Makes 4

Easy chocolate fondant cakes

It takes about 15 minutes to prep the batter and 12 minutes to cook the cakes from fresh. Store in the fridge for up to 24 hours (cook 14 minutes) or freeze up to a four weeks (cook for 16 minutes). Ovens and ramekin sizes vary but a good indication of when the cakes are ready is a risen, slightly dry and crusty top that’s not too ‘soggy’ when you press down on it. You may need to make a experimental batch first to adjust cooking times for your equipment – cook one at a time and check.

For the chocolate fondant cakes:

• 100g dark chocolate
• 100g butter // or dairy free spread for reduced lactose and cholesterol
• 100g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 100g plain flour
• extra butter / spread and flour to prep ramekins

Ramekins I used:

• ceramic, 8cm in diameter / 4cm high plus rim

To prep the ramekins: grease ramekins with plenty of butter or dairy free spread, they should have a nice, 2mm thick layer of grease all the way around the walls and on the bottom. Add 1 tablespoon of flour to the ramekins to dust the butter, shake excess flour out. Place ramekins in the fridge to chill and set.

To make the fondant cake batter: place chocolate and butter or dairy free spread in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on medium-low setting in 30 second intervals, mixing after each zap until the chocolate and butter are melted and blended together. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the meantime, place eggs, egg yolks and sugar into a bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is pale, roughly doubled in size and a line drawn in the batter leaves a trail (3-5 minutes). Change the setting to low, add flour and increase speed to medium to incorporate the flour (30 seconds). Add melted chocolate and butter, a quarter at a time and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and well combined (1 minute).

Divide mixture between 4 ramekins. You can now make the choice of whether to bake now, bake later or freeze. If saving for later, cover ramekins tightly with cling film and chill in the fridge first before freezing.

To bake: preheat oven to 200C (180C fan forced, 400F, gas mark 6). Bake on the middle shelf for 12 minutes from fresh, 14 minutes from refrigerated, 16 minutes from frozen.

To serve: remove ramekins from oven. Run a knife alongside the wall of the ramekin to make sure the fondant is not stuck. Place a serving plate upside down on top of the ramekin. Holding the plate and ramekin together, flip the whole thing upside down whereby the plate is now on the bottom. Stand on the kitchen bench and lift off the ramekin. You may need to give it a gentle up-down shake.

Serve with your choice of ice cream, whipped cream or diced fruit such as berries or orange segments.

Tagged: 5 ingredients, baking, chocolate, dessert, fondant cake, food, recipes

Posted in: - Dessert / Sweets, - Morning / Afternoon tea, 5 Ingredients or less, Autumn, Eggs, Entertaining, Family meals, Meals for singles, Quick and easy, Tips & Tricks, Vegetarian, Winter