“There’s something beautiful about a flourless chocolate cake – rich and decadent, with a crisp, meringue-like cracked top, and yet so simple to make. This one is surprisingly light (think a hybrid of chocolate mousse, chocolate fondant and chocolate cake). The fact that the cake rises up before collapsing back down and cracking means that you can’t mess it up and the more cracked it is, the more character the cake has. I sometimes like to pile raspberries or macerated strawberries into the ditch left in the centre of the cake and dust it with a light coating of cocoa powder for extra bitterness. Serve the cake with Vanilla chantilly cream or ice cream,” writes Emelia Jackson.
Makes one 23cm (9 inch) cake
WHAT YOU NEED
200g (7 oz) unsalted butter, chopped
200g (7 oz) dark chocolate (70%), chopped
6 eggs, separated
150g (5½ oz) light brown sugar
20g (¾ oz) dark cocoa powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
50 g (1¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
WHAT TO DO
Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F). Line a 23 cm (9 inch) spring-form cake tin with baking paper.
Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water to melt together until liquid and glossy. (You can also melt this in the microwave in 30-second intervals on medium.) Set aside to cool slightly.
Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, brown sugar, cocoa, salt and vanilla until light, voluminous and aerated. Fold in the cooled chocolate mixture.
Wash and dry the whisk attachment and whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Slowly rain in the caster sugar and continue whisking until a meringue has formed. The meringue should be of medium thickness – don’t overwhisk it or it will cause the batter to deflate.
Fold one-third of the meringue through the chocolate mixture, followed by the remaining meringue. Be careful not to overmix and deflate the cake batter.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake the cake for 45 minutes. It will rise up and appear glossy on the surface before deflating when it’s removed from the oven. This cracked look is all part of the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before trying to remove it. I like to set it in the fridge for a good two to four hours once it’s cooled to allow that fudgy centre to set, ensuring you get beautiful clean slices.
Mix it up
Add one of the following flavourings when you’re whisking the egg yolks:
One shot espresso or three teaspoons instant coffee powder
Grated zest of 1 orange
½ teaspoon peppermint extract.
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