Tortine · Dark, intense and covered in chocolate
Black chocolate cake 🍫
A jet-black dark chocolate cake with a slightly moist centre and a soft topping made with chocolate and butter.
Mold used: Round tin, 16–18 cm

Prepare the oven and the tin
Preheat a conventional oven to 170 °C. Butter and flour a 16–18 cm round tin, or line it with baking paper.
Melt the chocolate with the butter
Melt 200 g of dark chocolate with 80 g of butter over a bain-marie or in the microwave in short bursts. Stir until smooth and glossy.
Let it cool slightly
Let the chocolate and butter mixture cool for a few minutes before adding it to the eggs.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar
Put the 2 eggs and the sugar in a bowl. Whisk briefly, just until the mixture looks slightly paler.
Add the melted chocolate
Gradually pour the slightly cooled chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs, stirring all the time until smooth.
Sift the dry ingredients
Sift the flour, cocoa, vegetable charcoal and baking powder together. Add a pinch of salt too, if you like.
Finish the batter
Fold the dry ingredients into the egg and chocolate mixture. Stir gently with a spatula only until no streaks of flour are left.
Pour into the tin
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly, gently levelling the top.
Bake the cake
Bake in a conventional oven preheated to 170 °C for about 25–30 minutes.
Check the centre
Insert a skewer into the centre of the cake: it should come out with a few moist crumbs but no liquid batter. That way the centre stays slightly fudgy.
Let it cool
Take the cake out of the oven and let it rest in the tin for about 15 minutes. Turn it out gently and move it to a wire rack until completely cool.
Make the glaze
Melt 100 g of dark chocolate with 35 g of butter over a bain-marie or in the microwave in short bursts. Stir until you have a smooth, glossy glaze.
Glaze the cake
Pour the glaze over the completely cooled cake and spread it over the top with a spatula, letting it drip slightly down the sides if you like.
What I used
Equipment
The exact reference images, so there is no “wait, which one should I buy?” moment.
Sofi’s tips
Small details,
great result.
01Use 70% dark chocolate for an intense flavour.
02The vegetable charcoal must be clearly labelled as food grade.
03Mix the charcoal with the cocoa first, so it spreads evenly and does not fly everywhere.
04Do not overwhip the eggs and do not overmix the batter.
05For a slightly fudgy centre, the skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs.
06Only add the glaze once the cake is completely cold.