Death By Chocolate Cake Recipe -
"This is an incredibily rich, but light chocolate cake. It's made without flour, and unlike many recipes it doesn't have cocoa powder or ground almonds either. You do need an electric whisk or mixer for whisking the eggs with the sugar to a mousse like consistency. It's also worth choosing good chocolate (although I used Sainsbury's own, with FAB results!), as there is nothing to mask the flavour. As with most chocolate cakes, it tastes even better the next day."
For the Sponge -
a 22cm Spring-clip cake tin, greased with butter and the base lined with greaseproof paper
300g good quality Dark Chocolate
150g unsalted butter, diced
5 medium free range eggs at room temp
0.5 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
100g Caster Sugar
Preheat oven to 180/350/Gas Mark 4.
Break up the chocolate and put it in to a heatproof bowl with the butter. Set over a pan of steaming hot (not boiling) water, and leave to melt, stirring frequently. Don't let the base of the bowl touch the water or the chocolate may become too hot and seize up.
Once the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool whilst you whisk the eggs.
Break the eggs in to a large mixing bowl, add the Vanilla Essence, and whisk for a few seconds just to break up. Add the sugar and whisk on full power until pale, and mousse-like
(don't worry if it doesn't thicken up - mine didn't - it refused to, but it turned out a treat!). Whisk until the mixture becomes about 5 times the original volume, this may take about 5 minutes.
Pour the chocolate mixture on to the egg mousse, and very gently, but thoroughly, fold the two together, using a large metal spoon. Take your time, and make sure there are NO pockets of chocolate at the bottom of the bowl
(very important - I left a couple, and my first cake ended up with holes in lol! - Tho not a disaster as this can be covered up by the topping!).
Pour the mixture in to the prepared tin and bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-45 minutes, until just firm to the touch (may leave in longer, I did). The centre should be slightly moist under the crust, as the cake will continue cooking after it comes out of the oven.
If the cake is over-cooked it won't cut as neatly.
Stand the tin on a wire cooling rack and run a round-bladed knife around the inside to loosen the sponge.
Leave until completely cold before removing the tin.
The cake will rise to the top of the tin during baking but will sink on cooling.
Invert the cake on to a serving plate (this is why it's important you don't leave any pockets of chocolate as mentioned before, as it will create holes! However, if this happens, leave a while, then just turn it back over, voila!!) - it is easier to ice the flat base.
Don't worry if it looks a bit messy at this point.
For the Topping -
200g good quality Dark Chocolate
100mls Double Cream
To make the topping, chop the chocolate and put it in a large heatproof bowl with the cream. Set over a pan of steaming hot (but not boiling) water, again making sure that the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
Leave until the chocolate is HALF melted, then remove the bowl from the pan and beat the chocolate well until GLOSSY.
Pout the topping evenly over the cake and let it trickle down the sides. You can help it a little with a palette knife or something similar, to cover all the sides. Try not to work it TOO much or you will lose the shine.
Wipe up any trickles with a clean, damp cloth.
Leave until firm, preferably overnight, before serving.
You can also cover the cake with whipped cream, slightly sweetened and flavoured with a little kirsch or vanilla, and decorate it with fresh cherries (though tbh, I didn't bother with this, and it was just superb!).
DEAD easy! No mess, and everyone will think you're the next Nigella, seriously!!
Let me know how you get on!!
xxx