Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
Chocolate custard cake Recipe
Whether or not you contemplate this a large chocolate tart or chocolate custard cake, we are going to agree it’s probably the most scrumptious desserts you’ll ever make. A cross between a chocolate mousse cake and a chocolate Flan Patissier, it’s deeply chocolatey, extremely creamy, but not overly wealthy, and shockingly easy to make. The right finale for any event!
Have a look at all that creamy chocolate custard! How can this not get you excited???!
It’s as chocolatey and creamy because it seems to be. You possibly can minimize it into neat slices (like… cake!). However whenever you eat it, it’s gloriously creamy.
It’s luxurious, with a wealthy mouthfeel. It’s a actual custard, in spite of everything, nothing just like the faux stuff offered in cartons on the retailer which is a tragic imitation of the actual deal.
However this isn’t overly wealthy and positively not overly candy.
Decadent sufficient for particular events, simple sufficient to make for a morning tea at work.
Wait a sec. Did I simply persuade myself that is the right cake for any event??? 😂
This chocolate custard cake is an invention that started off as a chocolate model of a Blueberry custard cake I shared a couple of months in the past, a recipe the place custard is baked on prime of a vanilla sponge layer.
Quite a few makes an attempt later, I gave up however out of the fails got here this superb chocolate custard cake that’s most likely considered one of my greatest baking innovations ever. Huge name – however I’m standing by it!
Additionally – proof of creaminess:
Right here’s what it is advisable to make this Chocolate custard cake.
1. Chocolate custard
This cake is made utilizing crème pâtissière, a creamy custard that’s utilized in many French desserts. The recipe I’m utilizing at the moment is predicated on the custard used within the well-known (large!) French vanilla custard tart, Flan Pâtissier, with chocolate added.
Whereas actual recipes for crème pâtissière fluctuate relying on the supposed use (ie. baked vs not baked; required viscosity for pouring vs piping vs filling vs spreading, flavourings added and so on), the bottom substances are nearly at all times the identical:
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Egg yolks – for richness and in addition to assist set the custard.
Leftover egg whites – Right here’s my listing of what I do with them and all my egg white recipes will be discovered on this recipe assortment.
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Cornflour/cornstarch – For setting the custard and making it shiny (common flour makes it uninteresting). Consideration FRENCH READERS: Don’t use yellow cornflour, use white cornstarch!
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Sugar – It’s greatest to make use of caster sugar / superfine sugar because the grains are finer than common / granulated sugar so it dissolves extra simply.
Be aware: This chocolate custard cake is just not excessively candy! One of many issues I like about French desserts is that they’re far much less candy than different typical Western desserts. It fits my palette as I grew up consuming Japanese baked items which is closely influenced by French pastry.
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Milk – The liquid for custard. Some recipes additionally use cream, for added richness. I don’t really feel it’s wanted on this recipe. The chocolate makes it wealthy sufficient!
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70% cocoa chocolate – This cake must be made utilizing 70% cocoa chocolate to make sure the custard units to the best consistency and good chocolate flavour. Decrease cocoa % (eg milk chocolate, normally round 30% cocoa) = softer chocolate & much less chocolate flavour = custard units softer, is paler and chocolate flavour is just not as robust. I discovered this to be the outcome once I tried this with common darkish chocolate chips (45% cocoa).
Higher high quality = higher outcome! I exploit Lindt 70% cocoa darkish chocolate which is definitely an consuming chocolate, and a very good high quality one at that. It’s higher high quality than the 70% chocolate offered within the baking aisle, so I at all times refill each time I see it on sale!
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Vanilla extract – For background flavour. When making a vanilla crème pâtissière (comparable to with Flan Pâtissier) or a vanilla pouring custard the place vanilla is the ahead flavour, I’ll normally advocate utilizing vanilla beans or vanilla bean paste for higher flavour. Plus, let’s simply say it, individuals are at all times impressed after they see the little black specks. You used actual vanilla on this, wow! 😇
Immediately, chocolate is our main flavour so there’s no must bask in “actual vanilla”. Vanilla extract will do properly. Not vanilla essence please, that tastes like what it’s – synthetic vanilla flavour.
2. Oreo cookie base
Oreos are an important shortcut for a cookie base that’s bought intense chocolate flavour and color, with the bonus that the cream filling helps the crust maintain collectively. (UK readers: Your bourbon cream biscuits works a deal with right here! Milk chocolate digestives works too.)
Different bases I attempted for this cake: chocolate pâte sucrée (French tart crust) and varied variations chocolate sponge (this didn’t work, testing notes on the backside of the publish) and this Oreo biscuit base. I most well-liked the biscuit base as a result of it’s a comparatively skinny layer which supplies the mandatory construction however doesn’t detract from the star of the present – the chocolate custard. It’s additionally a pleasant textural distinction with the bonus that it’s the best to make!
1. Making ready the cake pan
Truffles, tarts and so on made with crushed up biscuits (like cheesecakes) have to be made in pans with a unfastened base so you’ll be able to take away the completed cake. You possibly can’t flip it the wrong way up like a sponge cake as a result of the bottom will crack and the floor will probably be ruined!
So for at the moment’s recipe, you will want a springform pan with detachable sides. As a result of the bottom of springform pans have a lip, it’s greatest to make use of it the wrong way up so the completed cake slides off it simply. Insurance coverage coverage to make sure the bottom doesn’t crack!
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Flip base the wrong way up.
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Grease the bottom with butter then stick a square-ish sheet of baking paper on it (parchment paper).
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Clip the perimeters in place and depart the surplus paper protruding the perimeters (helpful to grip when eradicating the completed cake).
Clipping the perimeters onto the inverted base generally is a bit fiddly. I discover the best approach is to pop a folded tea towel beneath the bottom so it’s barely elevated off the work floor, then clip the perimeters in.
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Frivolously grease the perimeters with butter then line with baking paper.
* In case you are a pastry grasp and have an entremet ring, you’ll be able to skip this step. However you already know this! 😇
2. Making the chocolate custard
Please – resist the urge to eat all of the custard out of the pot. Save just a little for the cake!
Brief type – how you can make chocolate custard
Warmth milk with half sugar. Whisk yolks and remaining sugar, then cornflour. Mood eggs, thicken on range, whisk 45 seconds after bubbles seem. Stir in chocolate. Executed!
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Warmth milk with vanilla and about half the sugar till simply earlier than boiling. You possibly can simply eyeball the quantity of sugar that goes in.
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Whisk the egg yolks, remaining sugar and cornflour/cornstarch in a separate giant bowl.
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Whisk in milk – Slowly pour the recent milk in whereas whisking consistently, which is able to guarantee the recent milk doesn’t cook dinner the eggs. Pour all of the milk in and whisk till mixed.
This step by which scorching liquid is poured in a managed method into chilly eggs with out inflicting them to cook dinner known as tempering eggs.
Precaution step: If the saucepan is just a little heavy for you, simply use a jug or ladle to help. When you get about 1 cup of of the milk whisked in, you don’t want to fret about scrambling the eggs!
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Switch the egg-milk combination again into the saucepan. Now we’re going to cook dinner it for a couple of minutes till it thickens right into a custard.
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Thicken custard – Pour the egg-milk combination again into the identical saucepan. Place over medium low warmth, whisking consistently so the bottom doesn’t catch, till it begins to thicken (you’ll really feel it). It ought to occur inside 3 to five minutes. If it will get lumpy, take away off warmth, whisk vigorously – will change into clean.
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Lazy bubbles – The sight of lazy bubbles is the set off that determines the best cook dinner time for custard. They may begin to seem as soon as the custard is thickened, and it’s scorching and steamy. You’ll must pause stirring for a couple of seconds to see if they seem.
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Stir 45 sec – When you see the bubbles, whisk consistently on the range for an extra 45 seconds then take away from range. The rule for making French custard is 30 seconds for each 500ml/2 cups of milk. That’s, for each 2 cups of milk used within the custard, stir for 30 seconds after the bubbles begin showing. As a result of we’re utilizing 3 cups of milk, we stir for 45 seconds.
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Add chocolate – Take away from the range, add chocolate and stir till totally melted. See under for what it seems to be like!
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Thickness – The custard ought to be thick sufficient such that it mounds barely on the floor, like pictured above.
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Put aside – Switch right into a bowl, instantly cowl with cling wrap touching the floor to stop a pores and skin from forming. Should you can see lumps in your custard, be at liberty to pressure via a wonderful mesh.
Then set the custard apart whereas making ready the bottom. There’s no must relaxation chocolate custard in a single day, like we do with the vanilla custard for Flan Pâtissier. Purpose: Vanilla custard is extra delicate and advantages from in a single day flavour growth. Chocolate custard doesn’t want it.
Make-ahead choice – If you wish to get forward, the custard will be refrigerated in a single day then used the subsequent day.
3. Oreo cookie base
Blitz and press. Good and straightforward! No meals processor? No worries! Simply bash the cookies in a ziplock bag utilizing a rolling pin or one thing heavy.
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Cookies – Break up the cookies together with your arms and place in a meals processor.
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Blitz till they change into wonderful crumbs. Add melted butter, then blitz once more till mixed.
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Switch crumbs into ready pan.
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Press evenly and firmly on to the bottom. I unfold the crumbs with a spatula then use the underside of a straight-sided, flat-bottomed measuring cup to press them flat. However truthfully, even your arms will do the job!
4. Baking
Residence stretch!
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Whisk custard till clean. It corporations up because it cools however ought to nonetheless be heat by the point you get to utilizing it. Although you’ll be able to, as famous above, depart the custard in a single day and end the cake tomorrow.
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Pour the custard into the ready cake pan.
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Unfold the custard and clean the floor. No have to be too meticulous right here because the custard will skinny because it heats up and unfold out evenly.
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Bake for 1 hour at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced), rotating the cake on the 45 minute mark. The cake will puff up in the direction of the top and a skinny (chocolatey!) pores and skin will type on the floor. It is a signature attribute of Flan Pâtissier (French Custard Tart) on which this recipe is predicated!
The cake ought to nonetheless be wobbly whenever you pull it out of the oven. It corporations up within the fridge (subsequent step).
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Cool in a single day – Take away the cake from the oven and depart to chill on the counter for not less than 3 hours. Don’t be alarmed if it deflates – that’s what is meant to occur!
Then refrigerate for not less than 12 hours, and even longer.
If there may be any trace of heat within the cake whenever you put it within the fridge, don’t cowl the cake with cling wrap as it’ll make it sweat. Due to the kind of cake that is, there isn’t any danger of it drying out so simply depart it uncovered.
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Take away the perimeters of the springform pan then slide the cake off the bottom (and really feel smug at how simple it’s since you learnt the inverted cake base trick!). Now, it’s prepared for serving…… I imply, YAY, it’s time to EAT!!!
Adorning
Raspberries or sliced strawberries look beautiful on chocolate desserts, as does a dusting of icing sugar (powdered sugar), as pictured in publish. A dollop of Chantilly cream (evenly sweetened vanilla cream) or mascarpone wouldn’t go astray both, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Serving
I like to chop the cake whereas fridge chilly, for neat smear-free slices, then depart it out for round half-hour to carry to room temperature earlier than serving for the creamiest mouthfeel. Having stated that although, on scorching summer time days, chilly custard cake is DIVINE!
Storage
I needed to label a slice with an aggressive “DO NOT TOUCH!!!” signal to guard it from vultures to verify the shelf life! It was good for 48 hours after eradicating from the cake pan, then nonetheless good on day 5 although the biscuit base was noticeably softer.
I forgot to strive however I doubt it’ll freeze. Custards usually don’t freeze properly.
And there you have got it! A chocolate custard cake. I suppose some would argue that it’s a chocolate tart, and being that it’s truly a chocolate model of the French custard tart, Flan Pâtissier.
However with a layer of custard that thick, to me it seems to be extra like a chocolate mousse cake than a tart.
The identify is perhaps open to debate, however the scrumptious is just not! I hope you give it a go in the future! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 200g/ 7oz Oreo cookies (1.5 standard packs, Note 1)
- 60g/ 4 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- 3 cups milk , full fat
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 cups caster sugar (superfine sugar, sub regular)
- 120g/ 4.2 oz egg yolks (~6 – 7 large eggs, Note 2)
- 5 tbsp (50g) cornflour / cornstarch
- 200g / 7 oz 70% cocoa chocolate , finely chopped (I use Lindt, Note 3)
- Chantilly cream
- Raspberry or strawberries
- Icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting
Instructions
- Prepare pan: Flip the base of a 20cm / 8" springform pan upside down – this makes it easier to remove the finished cake without the lip in the way. Grease pan base with butter, then press on a square sheet of baking paper. Clip the pan sides onto the base, letting the excess paper stick out (ease of removal later).
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Heat the milk, vanilla and about half the sugar in a large saucepan over medium high heat until just before boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Yolk mixture: Place egg yolks and remaining sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add cornflour and whisk until smooth.
- Temper eggs: While whisking the eggs, slowly pour in the hot milk in a thin stream while whisking. Whisk until fully combined.
- Thicken custard: Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the same saucepan. Place over medium low heat, stirring constantly so the base doesn't catch, until it starts to thicken (you will feel it). It should happen within 3 to 5 minutes. If it gets lumpy, remove off heat, whisk vigorously – will become smooth.
- Stir 45 sec after bubbles: When the custard is thickened and steamy, and you see the first big lazy bubbles appear on the base (pause whisking to see), whisk constantly on the stove for a further 45 seconds then remove from stove.
- Add chocolate and stir until fully melted.
- Cool: Transfer into a bowl, immediately cover with cling wrap touching the surface. (You can strain if you're concerned about lumps). Set aside while preparing the base.
- Blitz cookies: Roughly break up Oreos with hands and place in food processor. Blitz until they become fine crumbs. Add melted butter, then blitz again until combined.
- Press: Transfer crumbs into prepared pan, pressing evenly and firmly on to the base (I use the underside of a straight-sided, flat-bottomed cup measure to do this).
- Bake 1 hour: Whisk custard until smooth to loosen. Pour onto the base, smooth surface. Bake 60 minutes, rotating the cake pan at the 45 minute mark. It will still be wobbly when you pull it out of the oven.
- Cool for 3 hours on the counter, in the pan. Refrigerate at least 12 hours to allow the custard to fully set.
- Serve: Best to cut when fridge cold and serve at room temp (for creamiest custard!). Remove springform sides and paper, then use paper overhang to slide the cake off the base. Cut like cake and serve! Lovely with dollop of Chantilly cream and a raspberry or strawberry. Dust with icing sugar to make it pretty!
Notes
1. Oreo cookies – You can also use plain chocolate biscuits instead (ie without a filling), such as Arnott’s Chocolate Ripple, but add 1 1/2 tbsp / 20g of butter. This is because Oreo cookies have a filling which is partly what helps bond the crust.
UK readers: Your bourbon cream biscuits works a treat here! Milk chocolate digestives works too.
2. Yolks – safest to weigh because egg and yolk sizes differ and this custard relies on egg to help it set. 120g / 4.2 oz yolks is 100ml / 3.4 oz, just shy of 1/2 cup. Usually 6 large eggs weighing ~55g / 2oz each (carton labelled “large eggs” because it’s an industry standard).
Leftover egg whites – Here’s my list of what I do with them and all my egg white recipes can be found in this recipe collection.
3. Chocolate – Must use 70% cocoa chocolate to ensure the custard sets to the right consistency and good chocolate flavour. Lower cocoa % (eg milk chocolate usually around 30%) = softer chocolate & less chocolate flavour = custard sets softer, is paler and chocolate flavour is not as strong.
Storage – At its best for the first 48 hours. Keeps for 5 days though the biscuit base does start to soften (it’s really not a big deal). Store in fridge.
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