French chocolate cake with a salted caramel topping

The combination of chocolate and salted caramel has strong ties to French pastry tradition. This version by Helena Gunnarsdóttir, who runs the Eldhúsperlur recipe site, makes a rich, soft chocolate cake that stays slightly moist in the center and receives a thick layer of homemade salted caramel.

Salted caramel, or caramel au beurre salé, is especially associated with Brittany, where salted butter has long played an important role in cooking. French pastry makers have used a little salt to deepen chocolate’s flavor and temper its sweetness.

The article points to several French versions of the pairing, including Fondant Baulois from the Breton coastal town of La Baule, as well as fondant au chocolat and moelleux au chocolat served with caramel or filled with flowing salted caramel. Gunnarsdóttir takes her own approach, baking a dark chocolate cake with brown sugar and butter before covering it with the caramel topping.

The cake is baked at 160 degrees Celsius with a fan, or 180 degrees without one, for about 35 to 40 minutes. It should remain slightly moist in the middle and cool before the caramel is added. The topping combines caramelized sugar with cream, butter and sea salt flakes, creating a balance of sweetness, saltiness and dark chocolate.