Individual chocolate coffee cakes are so easy to make. Baked in only 8 minutes, top with a coffee glaze for the ultimate get-up-and-go treat. A quick, handy recipe made in advance, simply reheat for teatime or dessert.
Individual Moist Chocolate Cakes
We love a plain and simple chocolate fondant cake. Served individually in French restaurants as a classic on most dessert menus in France, they're known as moelleux au chocolat (lava cakes).
Served with a dollop of ice cream or in a puddle of crème anglaise, a thinner French version of custard, it's the dessert my youngest daughter has chosen for years. No wonder; it's a crowd pleaser and simply delicious!
These chocolate coffee cakes are similar to fondant lavas in that they're super moist but without the extra runny middle and contain a much more pronounced coffee flavour.
Why Add Coffee to Chocolate Cake?
Coffee fans will love these cakes as you can certainly taste it.
Coffee powder added to chocolate cake intensifies the flavour of dark chocolate. Just try it in this chocolate fondant cake with ginger. Normally we don't taste it that much with just a hint to bring out the chocolate. But the coffee enthusiasts amongst you surely will detect it in these.
However, that's not all in the taste department. The espresso in the chocolate coffee glaze leaps out plus intensifies the chocolate flavour even further. And for those who prefer to skip the caffeine, simply swap it out for decaffeinated coffee.
How Much Coffee?
So, if you prefer yours with a stronger coffee flavour, add the glaze - otherwise leave it out. For 6 individual fondant cakes, I use one teaspoon of powdered coffee without overpowering the quality of the chocolate.
Love coffee desserts? Then enjoy vanilla poached pears in coffee.
Chocolate Cakes Low in Sugar
If you know my recipes by now, we have gradually reduced sugar in our French desserts, inspired by the bittersweet flavours of our famous pâtisseries in Paris. It's true! Our top French pastry chefs don't make desserts sweet - that way we can taste the ingredients better.
Moreover, with the added bonus of chocolate's fatigue-fighting magnesium, these cakes are the perfect indulgence without the guilt.
We love that this recipe is also easier on the butter than in most fondant cakes. They're moist, fudgy and dense: a perfectly rewarding teatime or dessert treat.
Add the rest of the ingredients into the melted chocolate, butter and coffee just until blended, then spoon into a buttered 6-cavity muffin tin (no need if non-stick or silicone).
Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on their size. For 5 slightly bigger cakes, bake for 10 minutes otherwise bake for 8 minutes if you make 6.
Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before turning them out on a wire rack.
More Chocolate Cake!
Looking for something more structured for a special occasion? Try this layered chocolate cake with ganache which takes much more time and also lasts a few days.
Chocolate Coffee Cakes and Glaze
These chocolate and coffee cakes are adapted from part of a recipe by top pastry chef, Jonathan Blot, featured in the 4th issue of Fou de Patisserie magazine. I lightened it up with less butter and an additional egg white, making it the perfect quick teatime bake. For those following a gluten-free diet, swap out regular flour with ground hazelnuts, as shown in the photo below.
Although optional, the chocolate and coffee (mocha) glaze is an extra quick topping that just gives you that extra café boost. Either use caffeinated or decaf.
As there's no butter, sugar or cream in the glaze, by next day it will harden on top of each cake. It's perfectly normal. Simply reheat the cakes gently for a few seconds in the microwave, since they are best served warm.
Do They Freeze Well?
The good news is that this recipe is quick enough to make at the last minute. If serving for a dinner party, however, it's best you prepare them in advance. Avoid preparing the batter in advance: leave it to sit for too long, and the butter will separate and make the cakes oily.
Even better, they freeze well. Simply defrost and gently reheat to serve.
How to Serve
To enjoy them at their best and most moist, serve these chocolate coffee cakes slightly warm. For a total choco immersion, enjoy for dessert warmed topped with chocolate sauce.
Chocolate Coffee Cakes
Equipment
- 6-cavity muffin tins (non-stick) (if regular, butter the tins first)
Ingredients
- 100 g (3½oz/¾ cup) good quality chocolate 64% min. cocoa solids
- 50 g (2oz/ 3 tbsp) butter unsalted
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules or use 2 teaspoon without the glaze
- 2 medium eggs organic
- 1 egg white
- 50 g (2oz/ ¼ cup) caster/superfine sugar or coconut flower sugar
- 30 g (2 tbsp) plain flour, all-purpose (or ground hazelnuts for a gluten free version)
Chocolate Coffee Glaze
- 40 g (1½oz/ 2½ tbsp) bittersweet chocolate
- 20 ml (2 tbsp) espresso coffee (or use decaffeinated)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°fan/400°F (Gas mark 6). Measure out the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of simmering water. Add the coffee powder and stir until just melted.Alternatively melt them together in the microwave 1m30 at 500W.
- Take off the heat then add the sugar, beat in the eggs, egg white and flour (or hazelnut flour) just until mixed together. Place the muffin tin on a baking tray then spoon into non-stick muffin tins (makes either 5 large or 6 medium cakes). If using regular muffin moulds, butter them lightly before filling with the mix.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, depending on the cakes' size. As a guide, bake 8 minutes for 6 cakes or 10 minutes for 5 cakes. Leave to cool in the tins before turning out.
Quick Chocolate Coffee Glaze
- Meanwhile, make a small cup of espresso coffee (ideally directly into a small measuring cup). Melt the chocolate with the coffee gently in a saucepan or melt in the microwave for 20 seconds. Spread over each cake.
Notes
What to make with the 1 leftover egg yolk?
To use the leftover egg yolk, make a strawberry clafoutis (or use other berries or fruit).This post was first published January 29, 2015 but is now completely updated.
cristina
OMG, Jill! These little fondant cakelets are chocolate decadence goodness!! 🙂
On another note, I just wanted to thank you so much for stopping by TC and your sweet encouragement on my post about my mac nightmares. Very much appreciated!! 🙂
Jean-Pierre D
I made them! They are great, especially in that they're not sweet, packed with chocolate and the coffee .... yum! Quick too - this is a keeper. Thanks Jill - think I can freeze them?
Jill
Pleased as punch you made them, Jean-Pierre. Of course you can freeze them - in fact, they'll be even better after maturing too... Thanks for popping by!
Monique Bellinger
Hi Jill,
Wow, I can make these GF as there is so little flour - funny, but I just bought some Plaistowe chocolate to make myself something delicious to make up for not being able to eat apple cream turnovers anymore lol. Now I have an awesome recipe to make with it. Many thanks.
Jill
Great pleasure and thrilled to hear you can eat them as part of your gluten-free diet, Monique. They'd be gluten free entirely if you used cornflour/cornstarch in place of the flour.
Haven't heard of Plaistowe chocolate - is this a special treat in Australia? See that they have a factory in Margaret River (have family there so must ask them to bring some, so hope you're reading cousins 😉 )
Liz
We were definitely on the same wavelength! My family would be thrilled with your wee fondant cakes. I'd be happy to pull out my scale to make these decadent gems 🙂
Jill
Liz has taken up the Scottish accent! Did you hear that? AWESOME!
Merci x