This elegant and timeless flourless chocolate cake is the perfect end to a meal and is sure to be a winner with your dinner guests.
With just five ingredients, the chocolate flavour will definitely benefit from using the best quality chocolate you can buy.
Serves 8
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the cake
160g unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
320g good-quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
145g caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
40g ground almonds
Icing sugar, to dust
For the cream
300ml double cream
1/2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in 1/2 tbsp of boiling water
2 tbsp whisky
3 tbsp icing sugar
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin.
2. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (the water shouldn't touch the bowl). Melt the mixture, stirring a little until everything has combined. Remove the bowl and leave to cool for 4 minutes. Stir in the egg yolks, one at a time.
3. Beat the egg whites with an electric whisk until they form medium peaks (stiff but with the peaks drooping slightly). Using a big metal spoon, fold the ground almonds into the chocolate mixture along with half the egg whites, then fold in the rest of the eggs whites.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes.
5. Cool completely and then carefully remove the ring and base and put the cake on a serving plate. It will deflate and crack as it cools so don't worry!
6. Whip the cream until it just holds its shape, then drizzle in the coffee and whisky, whilst still whipping. Add the icing sugar and taste for sweetness and booziness. Add more if required.
7. Sift the icing sugar over the cake and serve with the cream.
