Flourless Chocolate Cake

I made this chocolate cake for JJ’s baby shower yesterday. She’s gone wheat-free and lovely David Herbert has this recipe in his Perfect cookbook. I was hung-over (thanks Heidi) and found it hard to concentrate but it came out very well, all things considered – these sorts of cake are meant to sink a little in the middle, ok. I decided to make a quick frosting to pour over the cake to give it some shine but flipping Scrap stuck a finger and thumb into as it was sitting out to set which didn’t help.

Anyway, we had a really great afternoon (thanks Lol) and I may make this cake again in double for Scrap’s birthday cake as his best-friend is gluten-free but then there’s always the problem of children and nuts. Anyone know a flourless, nutless chocolate cake that tastes wonderful?

250g dark chocolate, broken
165g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter
2 tbsp strong black coffee
125g ground almonds
5 eggs, separated
For the frosting
150ml double cream
knob of butter
100g dark chocolate, broken

Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas 4. Grease a 23cm non-stick spring form cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

Gently melt the chocolate, sugar and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Transfer to a large bowl, and beat in the ground almonds and egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form medium-firm peaks. Stir a third of the whites into the chocolate mixture to slacken it then gently fold through the remaining whites.

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake for 45 minutes until the cake feels firm to the touch but is still a little soft in the centre.

Allow to cool in the tin, it will sink a little. David dusts his with icing sugar but it you want frosting, bring the cream and butter to the boil in a small pan. Add the chocolate and leave to melt. Stir to mix well then pour over the cake and leave to set.