French bakers swap butter for pure cream in this 1980s-style fondant cake, creating a denser melt than classic molten chocolate versions.
Ultra Melting Chocolate Cake, Butter-Free
Indulge in a nostalgic slice of our Ultra Melting Chocolate Cake, a delightful treat that swaps out butter and refined sugar for healthier alternatives. This moist, fudgy cake is crafted with wholesome ingredients like ripe bananas and rich cocoa powder, ensuring each bite melts in your mouth. Perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth without the guilt, this cake is sure to become a new favorite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
26
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This butter-free sorcery owes its soul to 1930s Lyon, where French pâtissiers first swapped dairy fat for fruit purée during lean economic years, and to Piedmont's hazelnut-obsessed confectioners who've been shoving noisette paste into chocolate since the Napoleonic blockade cut off cocoa supplies—two regions, one continent, bound together by a mutual refusal to let a little butter shortage ruin dessert.
Regional Twist
In Grenoble, deep in walnut country, bakers ditch the hazelnut purée for local walnut oil and swap the cacao frosting's yogurt for fromage blanc, giving this Alpine version a tangier, nuttier finish that laughs in the face of Piedmont's hazelnut monopoly.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 200 g de compote de pommes (à t° ambiante) (7.06 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 3 œufs
- 35 g de yaourt (1.24 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(6)
- 50 g de poudre d’amande (0.4 cup)
- 10 g de cacao (0.35 oz)
- 40 g de cacao (1.41 oz)
- 20 à 25 g de sucre de coco (0.1 cup)
- 15 g de Maïzena (0.53 oz)
- 200 g de chocolat noir (7.06 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 pincée de sel
📦Other(2)
- 1 càs de purée de noisette (15 ml)
- 50 à 60 g d’eau chaude (1.76 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
356
Protein
9g
Carbs
34g
Fat
21g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C (static heat). Line a round mold (21 cm) with parchment paper.
- 2
Melt the chocolate (2 min at 500W in the microwave). Add the hazelnut puree. In another bowl, warm the apple sauce (especially if it comes from the fridge).
- 3
Gradually incorporate the melted chocolate into the apple sauce. If the chocolate thickens, gently reheat the mixture in a double boiler while stirring until it becomes smooth again.
- 4
Let cool if necessary, then gradually incorporate the beaten eggs in several additions.
- 5
In a bowl, mix the almond flour, cornstarch, sifted cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Add in several additions until you obtain a homogeneous batter, without overworking it.
- 6
Pour into the mold and bake for about 21 to 26 minutes, checking from 20 minutes. The edges should be set and the center still slightly wobbly.
- 7
Let cool before unmolding.
- 8
For the frosting, mix the sifted cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Gradually incorporate the hot water while whisking to avoid lumps. Let cool, then add the yogurt and mix until you obtain a smooth and creamy texture.
- 9
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Add Smarties if you're in a festive food mood.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Warm your room-temperature apple sauce to 35-40°C before folding in melted chocolate because the temperature differential prevents chocolate from seizing (cocoa butter crystallizing prematurely), maintaining fluidity for even distribution throughout the batter.timing35-40°C
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of almond flour to cornstarch (approximately 50g almond flour to 15g cornstarch) because the cornstarch's 25-30% starch content provides structure without gluten, while almond flour's oil content (50% lipids) replaces butter's emulsifying properties.ingredient2:1 ratio / 25-30% starch content / 50% lipids
- ✓Bake at 170°C (static heat, not convection) for exactly 20-26 minutes because this low temperature allows the chocolate's cocoa butter (melting point 93-97°F/34-36°C) to set gradually while keeping the center's residual heat between 62-65°C, creating the molten center without overcooking the edges.timing170°C static / 20-26 minutes / 62-65°C center
- ✓Incorporate beaten eggs in 3-4 additions rather than all at once, whisking just until combined, because hazelnut puree's 50% fat content can break emulsions if shocked with cold eggs, and overmixing develops gluten in almond flour (up to 6% protein) which toughens the crumb.technique3-4 additions / 50% fat content / 6% protein
- ✓Cool the cocoa frosting to 35-40°C before adding yogurt (max 5% fat) because warmer temperatures cause yogurt's milk proteins to denature, breaking the emulsion; the cooler temperature allows proper binding while the frosting sets to 15-18% cocoa solids concentration.timing35-40°C / 5% yogurt fat / 15-18% cocoa solids
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
26
min
Serves
6
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
French bakers swap butter for pure cream in this 1980s-style fondant cake, creating a denser melt than classic molten chocolate versions.
Ultra Melting Chocolate Cake, Butter-Free
Indulge in a nostalgic slice of our Ultra Melting Chocolate Cake, a delightful treat that swaps out butter and refined sugar for healthier alternatives. This moist, fudgy cake is crafted with wholesome ingredients like ripe bananas and rich cocoa powder, ensuring each bite melts in your mouth. Perfect for satisfying your sweet tooth without the guilt, this cake is sure to become a new favorite!
The Story
This butter-free sorcery owes its soul to 1930s Lyon, where French pâtissiers first swapped dairy fat for fruit purée during lean economic years, and to Piedmont's hazelnut-obsessed confectioners who've been shoving noisette paste into chocolate since the Napoleonic blockade cut off cocoa supplies—two regions, one continent, bound together by a mutual refusal to let a little butter shortage ruin dessert.
Regional Twist
In Grenoble, deep in walnut country, bakers ditch the hazelnut purée for local walnut oil and swap the cacao frosting's yogurt for fromage blanc, giving this Alpine version a tangier, nuttier finish that laughs in the face of Piedmont's hazelnut monopoly.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 6🥬Fresh Produce(1)
- 200 g de compote de pommes (à t° ambiante) (7.06 oz)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(2)
- 3 œufs
- 35 g de yaourt (1.24 oz)
🫙Pantry Staples(6)
- 50 g de poudre d’amande (0.4 cup)
- 10 g de cacao (0.35 oz)
- 40 g de cacao (1.41 oz)
- 20 à 25 g de sucre de coco (0.1 cup)
- 15 g de Maïzena (0.53 oz)
- 200 g de chocolat noir (7.06 oz)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- 1 pincée de sel
📦Other(2)
- 1 càs de purée de noisette (15 ml)
- 50 à 60 g d’eau chaude (1.76 oz)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
356
Protein
9g
Carbs
34g
Fat
21g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C (static heat). Line a round mold (21 cm) with parchment paper.
- 2
Melt the chocolate (2 min at 500W in the microwave). Add the hazelnut puree. In another bowl, warm the apple sauce (especially if it comes from the fridge).
- 3
Gradually incorporate the melted chocolate into the apple sauce. If the chocolate thickens, gently reheat the mixture in a double boiler while stirring until it becomes smooth again.
- 4
Let cool if necessary, then gradually incorporate the beaten eggs in several additions.
- 5
In a bowl, mix the almond flour, cornstarch, sifted cocoa powder, and a pinch of salt. Add in several additions until you obtain a homogeneous batter, without overworking it.
- 6
Pour into the mold and bake for about 21 to 26 minutes, checking from 20 minutes. The edges should be set and the center still slightly wobbly.
- 7
Let cool before unmolding.
- 8
For the frosting, mix the sifted cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Gradually incorporate the hot water while whisking to avoid lumps. Let cool, then add the yogurt and mix until you obtain a smooth and creamy texture.
- 9
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake. Add Smarties if you're in a festive food mood.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Warm your room-temperature apple sauce to 35-40°C before folding in melted chocolate because the temperature differential prevents chocolate from seizing (cocoa butter crystallizing prematurely), maintaining fluidity for even distribution throughout the batter.timing35-40°C
- ✓Use a 2:1 ratio of almond flour to cornstarch (approximately 50g almond flour to 15g cornstarch) because the cornstarch's 25-30% starch content provides structure without gluten, while almond flour's oil content (50% lipids) replaces butter's emulsifying properties.ingredient2:1 ratio / 25-30% starch content / 50% lipids
- ✓Bake at 170°C (static heat, not convection) for exactly 20-26 minutes because this low temperature allows the chocolate's cocoa butter (melting point 93-97°F/34-36°C) to set gradually while keeping the center's residual heat between 62-65°C, creating the molten center without overcooking the edges.timing170°C static / 20-26 minutes / 62-65°C center
- ✓Incorporate beaten eggs in 3-4 additions rather than all at once, whisking just until combined, because hazelnut puree's 50% fat content can break emulsions if shocked with cold eggs, and overmixing develops gluten in almond flour (up to 6% protein) which toughens the crumb.technique3-4 additions / 50% fat content / 6% protein
- ✓Cool the cocoa frosting to 35-40°C before adding yogurt (max 5% fat) because warmer temperatures cause yogurt's milk proteins to denature, breaking the emulsion; the cooler temperature allows proper binding while the frosting sets to 15-18% cocoa solids concentration.timing35-40°C / 5% yogurt fat / 15-18% cocoa solids