Californian Chocolate Cake
Versions of this cake are made at smart restaurants all around Britain, but it's actually very simple - especially as it requires no icing, a skill I have yet to acquire. In California, where the recipe originated, they use a small proportion of unsweetened chocolate (100% cocoa solids) which is not currently obtainable in the UK, but using Waitrose Dark Continental Chocolate (72% cocoa solids) gives an equally excellent result.
Serves: 8, very generously
Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, diced
175g Waitrose Dark Continental Chocolate, broken into pieces
8 medium eggs, separated
200g caster sugar
50g plain flour
40g ground almonds
1 tsp cream of tartar
Icing sugar, for dusting
Crème fraîche, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C, gas mark 5. Grease a 23cm round springform tin and line with baking parchment.
- Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan, then set aside.
- Beat the egg yolks and sugar together gently until just mixed.
- Stir in the melted chocolate and butter, then stir in the flour and ground almonds.
- Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until creamy and they form soft peaks - do not overbeat or the cake will end up dry. Egg whites whisk best at room temperature rather than straight from the fridge.
- Fold the whisked egg whites carefully into the chocolate mixture, then pile into the tin.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until the cake is set around the outside but has a tiny soft and creamy circle in the centre. The centre should wiggle just slightly when you gently shake the tin.
- Leave to cool in the tin, then transfer to a plate. Ideally serve still fractionally warm, dusted with icing sugar and with a dollop of crème fraîche.