Chocolate Cake

A crowd-plessing, deliciously rich and decadent chocolate cake

First of all, I have to say that this is not my own recipe, but everybody needs a good chocolate cake recipe in their life and I promise you that if you try this one, you will love it. Despite its rich ingredients, use of 6 (!) eggs and huge amount of chocolate, it is rather easy to make. It comes from the book, 'Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes' and is inspired by the giant chocolate cake in the book 'Matilda', which was one of my favourite stories as a child.

INGREEDIENTS:

For the cake:

• 225g good quality semisweet chocolate (about 60% cocoa)

• 165g butter, softened

• 225g sugar

• 35g flour

• 6 eggs, separated, yolks lightly beaten

For the icing:

• 225g good quality semisweet chocolate (about 60% cocoa)

• 225ml double cream

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 175°c

• Line a 24cm loose bottomed cake tin with baking paper and butter the sides and bottom

• Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt in a Pyrex bowl placed on top of a small saucepan of simmering water

• Take the bowl off the heat, add the softened butter and mix until the butter melts

• Transfer to a large bowl and add the sugar, sifted flour and lightly beaten egg yolks

• Whisk the egg whites in another bowl untill stiff, then gently fold half of it into the chocolate mixture

• Add the remaining egg whites and blend thoroughly

• Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes

• Remove from the oven, and let the cake cool in the tin on a wire rack*

• While the cake is cooling, make the icing by melting the chocolate together with the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan over the lowest heat

• Stir occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted and blended with the cream. Remove from heat and let cool slightly

• When the cake is cool enough to handle, remove it from the tin and discard the baking paper**

• Carefully spread the chocolate icing all over the cake with a spatula

Notes:

*There will be a thin crust on top of the cake, and if tested with a toothpick the inside will appear undercooked but don’t worry, the cake will get firmer as it cools

**The cake is prone to sinking slightly in the middle, so flip it upside down before icing by placing a plate on top and carefully turning over the cake tin and plate together