Chocolate Gateau (Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Filling)

This chocolate gateau is incredibly moist and spongy with heavenly rich chocolatey flavours! Learn how to make divine refined sugar-free chocolate gateau with a fluffy chocolate cream filling!

Chocolate Gateau (with Whipped Chocolate Cream Filling)

Have you ever tried chocolate gateau? If you have you will know how wonderfully exciting it is putting your fork through those fluffy, creamy and chocolatey layers of this cake… 

If you have not yet tried chocolate gateau you are in for a real treat – I am excited for you to try this ultimate dessert!  

This treat is a true delight and the stuff of dreams, birthday indulgences and childhood joys! This chocolate gateau recipe is such a crowd pleaser – and the ultimate dessert!

What is Chocolate Gateau (or Chocolate Gateaux)?

• Chocolate gateau is classic rich French chocolate cake with several layers. Chocolate gateaux is the plural word for gateau. 
• It consists of a light and moist chocolate sponge layered with a chocolate cream mousse-like filling (which is fluffy and rich). 
• Chocolate gateau is made with similar ingredients to a typical cake (including flour, sweetener, eggs and raising agents). This gateau uses high-quality, rich ingredients for maximum flavour and taste. 

Why You'll Love this Chocolate Gateau

This ultimate chocolate gateau has:

1. Incredibly delicious taste: this gateau tastes exceptional! This recipe has been tried and tested to perfection… with the perfect level of sweetness! Once you taste this chocolate gateau you will wonder why you ever bought the sugary kind from the store! 
2. Rich chocolate flavour: this cake has a deeply rich chocolate flavour which is irresistible 
3. Perfect texture: the sponge is perfectly moist and has a tender, velvety crumb
4. Creamy, fluffy chocolate frosting: this cake is layered with a light, silky smooth and fluffy chocolate cream frosting which will make your tasting experience heavenly  
5. Magnificent layers: there is nothing more satisfying than indulging in four magnificent layers of a velvety soft and moist chocolate sponge and a fluffy chocolate cream!
6. No refined sugar: so no sugar crashes! This cake is sweetened with (refined sugar-free) maple syrup. The maple syrup also adds to the moistness of the cake crumb and is a healthier alternative to sugar! 

And the bonus – this recipe is easy to make and easy to store and keep (in the fridge or freezer)! 

Ingredients

To make the chocolate gateau sponge:

• All-purpose (plain) flour – this gives the structure of the cake 
• Raw cacao powder – Raw cacao powder is pure and much less processed than cocoa powder and gives the cake a richer chocolate taste. If you do not have raw cacao powder you can substitute for natural unsweetened cocoa powder (avoid Dutch-process cocoa powder) 
• Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and baking powder – these are raising agents which help the sponge rise and give it a lift (making it lighter and fluffier)
• Salt (just a pinch) – salt enhances the flavour and sweetness of the cake
• Eggs – use room temperature eggs, these are used to bind the ingredients together 
• Buttermilk – this provides moisture to the sponge (as well as acidity, which helps activate the baking soda to make the cake rise) 
• Oil (olive oil or neutral oil) – I recommend using olive oil (you can even use extra virgin olive oil for health benefits), oil adds moisture in the sponge
• Maple syrup – I recommend using Grade A refined sugar-free maple syrup, this ingredient sweetens the cake and enhances the depth of flavour when baked as well as adding moisture in the cake
• Pure vanilla extract – this adds flavour to the cake 
• Strong hot coffee – regular or decaf – coffee enhances the flavour of the chocolate in this cake and the hot liquid also helps break up any cacao powder or flour lumps, by dissolving some of the dry ingredients. 

To make the chocolate cream frosting

• Dark chocolate: look for refined sugar-free dark chocolate to make this recipe without refined sugar. 
• Double cream – use heavy/double cream in this recipe as it whips extremely well and makes this frosting rich and creamy. 

You can also make this whipped chocolate cream frosting with homemade melted dark chocolate if you prefer to use homemade chocolate and avoid store-bought chocolate.

How to make Chocolate Gateau

1. Combine the wet ingredients. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (or 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Grease, line and flour two 8-inch cake tins and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for 30 seconds, add buttermilk and whisk for another 30 seconds until combined. Add oil, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk until combined in a uniform mixture. Add the hot coffee and whisk again. 
2. Sift and mix dry ingredients. In another large bowl, sift and whisk the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and salt until no lumps. 
3. Add the wet ingredients mixture to the dry ingredients. Gently, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
4. Fold and combine. Using a silicone spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to combine. You can use a whisk to gently mix the batter and remove any air bubbles if required (but do not overmix the batter).   
5. Transfer into cake tins. Pour the cake batter equally into the two cake tins. 
6. Bake. Bake for 40 minutes (or until a toothpick/skewer which is inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out relatively clean and only slightly wet). Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the cake tins for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove the cakes from the cake tin and transfer to a cooling rack or plate to allow the cakes to cool completely. 

How to make Chocolate Filling for cake

The chocolate filling for this cake uses my homemade chocolate whipped cream frosting recipe. This uses melted chocolate and cream to make the chocolate filling.

1. Heat double cream in a pan. Pour the double/heavy cream into a pan and heat on medium heat and slowly bring it to a boil. 
2. Once the cream comes to a boil, remove from heat. 
3. In stages pour the cream into the melted chocolate and mix. Slowly pour ⅓^rd of the cream into the melted chocolate and slowly stir (3a) add another ⅓^rd and stir again (3b), add the remaining cream and stir gently (3c).  
4. Mix to combine, cover and cool. Stir to fully combine the chocolate and cream. Once combined, cover with cling film/plastic wrap and allow to cool down to room temperature and then transfer into the fridge for at least 3 hours (or overnight). 
5. Whip in a large bowl. Whisk the chocolate cream when you are ready to serve (with your desired cake/cupcake/pancake/cookies… or other!), whip the chocolate cream using an electric whisk/mixer. 
6. Continue whipping until light and fluffy. Whip for 3-4 minutes or until light and fluffy. 

For more details (including how to use homemade melted dark chocolate in this recipe) see my homemade chocolate whipped cream frosting (with melted chocolate) post!

How to assemble and decorate chocolate gateau

1. Once cooled, slice both the chocolate cake sponges in half (horizontally) and divide chocolate cream frosting in 5. Using a knife or cake slicer, evenly cut each sponge horizontally in half, giving you 4 thin cakes (these will be the layers of sponge). Divide the whipped chocolate cream frosting into 5 (add 4 of the 5 on top of each sponge, reserve the remaining cream to layer the sides of the cake)
2. Spread frosting across each sponge. Using a cake spoon or spatula, spread the chocolate cream frosting evenly across each sponge.  
3. Stack sponges and spread the remaining chocolate cream across the sides of the cake. Stack one sponge on top of another and spread the remaining chocolate cream frosting across the sides of the cake. 
4. Add chocolate chips, sprinkles or your favourite fruit (optional). Serve and enjoy or store in the fridge or freezer.

Tips for making the best chocolate gateau

• Whisk the wet ingredients first – typically in recipes you would whisk the dry ingredients before the wet ingredients. In this recipe, the cacao powder (acidic) can activate the baking soda (alkaline) once it comes into contact with it – so it is best to mix the dry ingredients after whisking the wet ingredients/just before adding to the wet ingredients.  
• Sift dry ingredients – this adds more air into the mixture (contributing to the fluffy and light crumb), also removes any lumps particularly from the flour and cacao powder 
• Avoid overbaking (and overmixing the batter) – for a moist chocolate gateau it is important to avoid overmixing the batter and to bake for the appropriate amount of time, until the cake is just baked. Baking for too long will cause the cake to dry out.  
• Line the cake tins (and the shelf) – this ensures the cake batter does not leaks out of the pans (this could occur if using springform cake tins in particular)
• Grease and flour the lined cake tins – this helps the cake release cleanly from the cake tins (and prevents it from sticking to the tin or baking/parchment paper) 
• Allow cakes to completely cool before adding chocolate frosting – this will help the frosting stay in place. You may wish to allow the cakes to come to room temperature and place in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes to cool them completely. 

Storage Tips

This chocolate gateau can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days (place the cake on a plate and use a cake cover or large bowl to cover – to make sure frosting stays in place). 

You can also store in the freezer for up to 3-4 months (see below for tips on freezing and defrosting). 

How to Freeze Chocolate Gateau 

This chocolate gateau can be frozen whole, in chunks or quarters (depending on your preference and serving size). I recommend freezing in chunks or quarters (this makes it easier to defrost based on the servings you prefer). 

For best results:

1. Place cake serving on a plate, cover with a freezer-friendly cake cover or bowl and freeze for 1-3 hours (depending on cake portion). 
2. Once the chocolate cream frosting has hardened, remove from freezer. Carefully wrap the frozen portion of cake in cling film/plastic wrap (making sure air-tight). 
3. Following this you can transfer the wrapped cake portion into an airtight (freezer-friendly) container or wrap in foil and transfer into a freezer-friendly zip lock bag. 
4. Label and store in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. 

This technique helps to maintain the frosting in the gateau and is the easiest way to freeze chocolate gateau. 

How to Defrost Frozen Chocolate Gateau

Take out the chocolate gateau from wrapping, transfer onto a plate, cover (with cake stand/large bowl) and leave at room temperature for at least 2 hours or until thawed. Alternatively, transfer this into the fridge and allow to thaw overnight. 

Once defrosted, store the chocolate gateau in the fridge and consume within the next 24-48 hours. 

FAQ

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Chocolate Gateau (Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Filling)

Sonia

This chocolate gateau is incredibly moist and spongy with heavenly rich chocolatey flavours! Learn how to make divine refined sugar-free chocolate gateau with a fluffy chocolate cream filling!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Cooling 15 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, European, French, western

Servings 12 servings

Calories 472 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Chocolate gateau sponge

• ▢ 210 g all-purpose flour (or plain flour)
• ▢ 90 g unsweetened cacao powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ Pinch of salt
• ▢ 2 eggs medium at room temperature
• ▢ 260 ml buttermilk
• ▢ 100 ml olive oil or other oil (neutral oil)
• ▢ 270 ml maple syrup (Grade A refined sugar-free) 270ml = 1 cup + 2 tablespoon of maple syrup
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 100 ml strong hot coffee regular or decaf – (Naploli nespresso favourite)

Whipped chocolate cream frosting

• ▢ 240 g melted dark chocolate use refined sugar-free chocolate to make without refined sugar
• ▢ 600 ml double/heavy cream

Instructions

 

Making the Chocolate Sponges

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (or 350 degrees Fahrenheit). Grease, line and flour two 8-inch cake tins and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk the eggs for 30 seconds, add buttermilk and whisk for another 30 seconds until combined. Add oil, maple syrup and vanilla and whisk until combined in a uniform mixture. Add the hot coffee and whisk again.
• In another large bowl, sift and whisk the flour, cacao powder, baking powder, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) and salt until no lumps.
• Gently, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
• Using a silicone spatula, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to combine. You can use a whisk to gently mix the batter and remove any air bubbles if required (but do not overmix the batter).
• Pour the cake batter equally into the two cake tins.
• Bake for 40 minutes (or until a toothpick/skewer which is inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out relatively clean and only slightly wet).
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the cake tins for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove the cakes from the cake tin and transfer to a cooling rack or plate to allow the cakes to cool completely.

Making the Chocolate Cream Frosting

• Using a double boiler (see step-by-step for details), melt the chopped cacao butter (or coconut oil).
• Once melted, remove from heat and sift in the cacao powder and milk powder. Add the maple syrup and use a silicone spatula to gently mix to combine.
• Gently mix with spatula to combine until smooth.
• Pour the double (heavy) cream into a pan and heat on medium heat and slowly bring it to a boil. Once the cream comes to a boil, remove from heat.
• In stages, pour the cream into the melted chocolate and mix until combined.
• Cover with cling film/plastic wrap and allow to cool down to room temperature and then transfer into the fridge to cool completely. Keep refrigerated until cake is baked and cooled.

Whisking the Chocolate Cream Frosting and Assembling Chocolate Gateau

• When you are ready to decorate your cake, whisk the chocolate cream for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• Once the cake has cooled, using a knife or cake slicer, evenly cut each sponge horizontally in half, giving you 4 thin cakes (these will be the layers of sponge).
• Divide the whipped chocolate cream frosting into 5 (add 4 of the 5 on top of each sponge, reserve the remaining cream to layer the sides of the cake)
• Using a cake spoon or spatula, spread the chocolate cream frosting evenly across each sponge, layer one sponge on top of another and frost the sides of the cake.
• Add chocolate chips, sprinkles or your favourite fruit (optional). Serve and enjoy or store in the fridge or freezer.

Notes

Recipe Notes

1. Preparing cake tins: Grease the cake tins with oil or butter, then line them with parchment/baking paper. After lining them, grease again and flour. This helps the cake release cleanly from the cake tins.
2. Line the cake tins (and the shelf): if you are using a Springform pan – these are not 100% leakproof. Line both the tins and the shelf to make sure the cake batter does not leak
3. Coffee: use any strong hot coffee, I like the Nespresso Napoli capsule made as a “lungo” for its strong taste.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients first: it is best to mix the dry ingredients after whisking the wet ingredients as the cacao powder activates the baking soda.
5. Sift dry ingredients: this adds more air into the mixture and removes any lumps flour and powder lumps
6. Allow cakes to completely cool before adding chocolate frosting: this will help the frosting stay in place. You may wish to allow the cakes to come to room temperature and place in the fridge or freezer for 10 minutes to cool them completely.
7. Store in fridge or freezer: you can store in the fridge for up to 5 days (place the cake on a plate and use a cake cover or large bowl to cover) or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months (see above for tips and details).

 

Nutrition

Calories: 472kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 8gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 87mgSodium: 336mgPotassium: 368mgFiber: 5gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 823IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 109mgFolate: 41µgIron: 5mgZinc: 2mg

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