Recipe: A Chocolate Cake To Impress

Ingredients

168gr butter

168gr chocolate drops, 54% chocolate — you can use 70% if you’re a real chocolate fan

1 tsp. instant coffee powder

250gr granulated sugar

5 large free-range eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

60gr cocoa powder

Decoration

This cake is lovely topped with fresh berries, this will hold for a day at room temperature. But if the cake will all be eaten within an hour or so, you can top the cake with stiffly whipped sweetened cream, berries and shaved chocolate.

I also like to add a few slivers of toasted whole almonds and mint.

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 175C.
• Grease a 9inch spring form tin and line the base with a disk of parchment paper.
• In the bowl of the electric mixer, melt the butter over a Bain Marie of water.
• Once melted, remove from the heat, then add the chocolate drops and instant coffee and allow to sit for 3 to 4 minutes to melt.
• Once melted, whisk gently together, add the sugar and whisk again.
• Next add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed for a few minutes between each addition.
• Finally, add the vanilla extract, then sift the cocoa powder and fold into the mix.
• Make sure it’s mixed in well.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes.
• It will puff up a little at the edges and crack, but should just be set in the centre with a slight wobble.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 to 15 minutes before taking off the ring.
• Allow to cool completely before removing the base and the parchment paper.
• Once completely cool — ideally, overnight, decorate with sifted icing sugar, whipped cream or berries.