Ingredients

   
400g milk
125g dark chocolate (70–80%), chopped
200g sugar (or 150g sugar + 50g honey for extra moisture retention)
2g fleur de sel
110g whole egg (~2 large, lightly beaten)
40g egg yolk (~2 yolks)
50g cake flour (or AP flour)
20g cornstarch
60g brandy or cognac (or dark rum)
1 vanilla bean (or 8g vanilla extract)
  Beeswax + butter for molds

Steps

  1. In a pot, heat milk with vanilla to 150°F (65°C). Remove from heat, add chopped chocolate, cover and let sit 3 minutes, then stir until melted and smooth.

  2. In a bowl, whisk sugar, salt, eggs, and yolks together until thick and slightly pale.

  3. Sift flour and cornstarch together, fold into the egg mixture until smooth.

  4. Pour the chocolate milk into the batter, whisk to combine. Add rum, whisk again.

  5. Strain through a sieve. Refrigerate 12 hours (overnight).

  6. Coat molds with beeswax/butter. Preheat oven to 450°F.

  7. Whisk rested batter until smooth (a skin forms on top during rest — just mix it back in). Fill molds to 5mm below the rim.

  8. Bake at 450°F for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven, drop to 375°F and continue baking for 50 minutes.

  9. Unmold immediately onto a cooling rack. Cool before eating. Best the same day.

Analysis

Total batter weight: 1007g (excludes beeswax/butter coating)

Component Amount %
Structure solids (flour + cornstarch + cocoa solids) 103g 10.2%
Fat (chocolate cocoa butter, milk, yolk, egg) 88g 8.7%
Sugar (added + chocolate + lactose) 248g 24.6%
Liquid (milk, brandy, egg water) 548g 54.4%
Egg/milk protein 20g 2.0%

The “all-chocolate, minimal flour” approach: structure at 10.2% sits in the custardy range despite barely any flour, because the chocolate’s cocoa solids and the eggs carry the set. That’s why it’s pudding-like and intensely chocolatey. Note the higher egg load does structural work the flour isn’t — drop the flour further and it gets hard to unmold.

Notes

  • This is the Ferrandi School recipe (French pastry school). Flour increased to 50g from original 20g after testing — original was too soft and fragile to unmold cleanly.
  • For extra chocolate intensity: replace 10–15g of the flour with Dutch process cocoa powder (e.g., 35g flour + 15g cocoa + 20g cornstarch). Dutch process gives darker color and smoother flavor than natural cocoa.
  • The result is described as extremely moist, creamy, almost pudding-like interior with intense chocolate flavor.
  • Only needs 12 hours rest (vs 24h for the plain recipe). Victor from Taste of Artisan tested both and found no difference.
  • Uses honey for moisture retention and depth of flavor — but can be replaced with an equal weight of sugar if you don’t have it.
  • Chop chocolate finely (or grate it) for easier melting. Cover the pot after adding chocolate and wait 3 min before stirring — the trapped heat melts it more evenly.
  • 70–80% chocolate is essential for intensity. Lower cacao % will be too sweet and not chocolatey enough.
  • No mushrooming problems reported with this recipe — possibly because the low flour content means less rising.
  • Compare with our other chocolate canelé (#92) which is an adaptation of the Marchal plain recipe with more flour and cocoa powder.