Le Gâteau au chocolat: Recipe from the Hôtel Le Cottage

The European Center in Talloires has the good fortune to be surrounded by some of the most elegant and luxurious hotels in France. Among them is the Hôtel Le Cottage.  Part of the Bise family legacy, the Cottage opened its doors in 1931. Its idyllic location on the Bay of Talloires, along with the culinary skills of its founder, Georges Bise, made the Cottage a destination for world leaders and international figures. From Georges, the Cottage was passed to his son Fernand, and today, it is George’s grandson Jean-Claude who, with his wife and sons, continues the legacy of elegance and gastronomy. In honor of that legacy, we asked the Cottage to share one of their classic Cottage recipes. This gâteau au chocolat has been passed down for three generations and we are honored to be able to share it with you here:

Chocolate Cake du Cottage (Papa Bise’s recipe)

Ingredients:

140 grams of granulated sugar

6 eggs

70 grams of butter

140 grams of chocolate

80 grams of flour, sifted

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Take the six eggs and separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Whisk the 6 egg whites.
3. Mix the 70 grams of butter with the sugar and the egg yolks. Melt the chocolate (note: you can do this in the microwave in short 30 second blasts, stirring between each blast until it is all melted) and add the melted chocolate to the mixture.
4. When the mixture is foamy, add 80 grams of flour and the whisked egg whites. Put the mixture in a pan, either long or round, and let it bake in the oven for 45 minutes.
5. Use a knife or a wooden stick to check that the cake is fully baked.

Note: To convert from metric to imperial measurements, check out a site like this one: https://www.egglesscooking.com/baking-101/baking-measurements/.