flourless double chocolate cake
This is a recipe for the chocolate lover. A big, bold, soft dark chocolate cake, topped with a rich and creamy chocolate ganache. It’s 50:50 cake to ganache makes it an indulgent treat, but it is oh so good!
Somehow, it stays just the right side of sweet meaning that, even if you cut a slightly bigger slice than you should, it won’t get sickly.
Keep it refrigerated to maintain it shape, but watch it soften as it begins to get back to room temperature. Your fork will slice through it with very little resistance, you’ll probably end up with it all over your lips and face, but it’s worth it.
Prepare to fall in love with chocolate, all over again.
for the cake
30g dark cocoa powder
1.5tbsp corn flour
0.25 tsp baking powder
0.25 tsp salt
150g dark chocolate (70%+)
100g sugar
3 eggs
120g butter
for the ganache
450ml double cream
180g dark chocolate (70%+)
method
Start by making the ganache. Pour 2/3 of the cream into a saucepan and heat, making sure not to boil.
Remove from the heat once it is warm.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into the hot cream. Stir it in until it has all melted.
Pour this all into a bowl and put it in the fridge, whisking it every 15 minutes until it feels stiffer and you can start to draw lines in it.
Preheat your oven to 150c and butter a 9” cake tin.
Stir together the cocoa powder, corn flour, baking powder and salt.
Melt the butter in a bowl over a pan of boiling water. Chop your chocolate into small pieces and melt in the butter.
Take the bowl off the heat and mix in the sugar until it is completely incorporated.
Mix in the eggs, one by one, but mix vigorously after the third and final egg goes in.
Then, add the dry ingredients and fold in until they are completely incorporated.
Pour into your baking tin and bake for 20 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.
Remove from the oven, and let it cool in the tin.
Now, get the rest of the cream for your ganache and whisk into stiff peaks. Remove your ganache from the fridge and fold the whipped cream into it., trying to keep as much air in it as possible.
Once the cake has cooled, pour the whipped ganache on top, without removing it from the tin. Give it a little tap on the side to knock out any air bubbles, and smooth down the top.
Put it back in the fridge and let the whole thing set for at least an hour, but overnight if possible.
Remove from the tin once it feels stable enough and, if you fancy, dust the top with some more cocoa powder.
Keep it in the fridge and slice whilst chilled. It will begin to soften as it warms, so make sure you cut as close to serving as you can.
