Chocolate Perfumed Small Cakes

Preparation

Step 1: Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie

Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place it in a bowl with the diced butter. Melt it in a bain-marie over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring regularly with a spatula.

The mixture should be shiny, smooth and homogeneous, with no trace of lumps. Remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted — overheated chocolate turns dull and grainy. Let it cool slightly.

Step 2: Whisk the eggs and sugar

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated sugar for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture turns pale, thickens and forms a ribbon. This step adds air and guarantees light cakes.

Pour the warm melted chocolate in a thin stream over the egg-sugar mixture while whisking gently. Add the pinch of flaky sea salt and the milk: the batter should be shiny and perfectly homogeneous.

Step 3: Fold in the dry ingredients

Sift the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder and baking powder together directly over the bowl. Fold them in with a spatula, gently lifting the batter from bottom to top, until no trace of flour remains.

Stop as soon as the batter is homogeneous: overmixing develops the gluten and makes the small cakes rubbery. The batter should be dense, shiny and slightly thick.

Step 4: Rest the batter

Cover the bowl with cling film and place the batter in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This rest allows the chocolate aromas to develop and the batter to relax.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C and lightly butter the muffin tin cups or line them with paper cases.

Step 5: Fill the tins and bake

Divide the batter among the 12 cups using two spoons or a piping bag, filling them three quarters full. Smooth the top of each small cake slightly.

Bake at 180°C for 10 to 12 minutes: the cakes should be set at the edges and still slightly moist in the centre. Insert a knife into the centre — it should come out with a few crumbs, not raw batter. Do not bake longer, as they keep cooking while cooling.

Step 6: Unmold and serve

Remove the tin from the oven and let the small cakes cool for 5 minutes in the tin before unmolding them carefully onto a wire rack. Let them cool completely: they firm up as they cool while staying fudgy in the middle.

Serve them warm or cold, plain or dusted with cocoa, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or an espresso. They keep for 4 to 5 days in an airtight box, and can be reheated for 10 seconds in the microwave to restore their melting texture.