← Nouns Cooking · Plant-Based

Ingredients

• 225 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
• 150 g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for the tin
• 5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
• 175 g caster sugar
• 25 g Cocoa powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules (optional)
• 1 handful berries and whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170°C (340°F), or 150°C fan. Butter a 23 cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate, butter and coffee in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Take off the heat and let it cool for 5 min.
3. Whisk the egg yolks with 100 g of the sugar and the vanilla for 2–3 min until pale and thick. Stir in the chocolate mix, then sift in the cocoa and fold until smooth.
4. In a very clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks, then add the remaining sugar a spoonful at a time and whisk until glossy and stiff.
5. Stir a big spoonful of whites into the chocolate to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest in two goes, keeping as much air as you can.
6. Pour into the tin and bake for 35–40 min, until risen with a cracked crust and only a slight wobble in the centre.
7. Cool in the tin for at least 1 hour; the cake will sink and crack, which is exactly right. Serve at room temperature with berries and cream.

Tips

• Check the chocolate and cocoa labels if cooking for coeliacs, as a few brands carry wheat warnings.
• Make it a day ahead: it gets fudgier overnight. Use a hot, dry knife for clean slices.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food RecipeTin Eats