Chocolate Cake

Ingredients: 

225g/8oz dark chocolate

225g/8oz softened butter, plus extra for greasing

7 eggs, separated

85g/3oz plain flour, sifted, plus extra for dusting

225g/8oz caster sugar

115g/4oz ground almonds

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla or almond essence

Method: 
  1. Preheat the oven to 356ºF/180ºC/Gas Mark 4. Flour the tin
  2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler
  3. In a separate bowl cream the butter until soft and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
  4. When the melted chocolate is tepid (you don't want to risk cooking the egg), beat it into the butter and egg mix, followed by the flour, sugar, ground almonds, salt, and vanilla or almond essence.
  5. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks.
  6. Using a metal spoon fold the whisked eggs into the chocolate mixture then immediately spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and place in the centre of the oven.
  7. Bake at full temperature for about 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 320ºF/160ºC/Gas Mark 2½. Bake until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out almost clean (about 40 minutes).
  8. Leave to cool for 20 minutes then turn it out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Chocolate cakes can either be dusted with icing sugar, or for maximum luxury covered in rich, thick chocolate icing.

If you really must deviate from the one true path of chocolate, then some white frosting between layers, or cherry jam (making a sort of black forest gateaux) also look and taste delicious.

This cake gets its air from the whisked egg-whites rather than from raising agents in the flour.