Medium
10
By Neil Perry
Published 2005
This is my and my daughter Josephine’s favourite chocolate cake. It has a heavenly texture. It is like a chocolate soufflé – and it behaves like one, as it rises and falls. So don’t freak out as it drops in the middle, because it has no flour to hold it up. It keeps well for two days, as long as it isn’t put in the refrigerator; this will result in it becoming hard and unpalatable.
Melt the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of hot water. Don’t let the water in the saucepan boil, as you can scald the chocolate. Remove the chocolate from the heat and allow to return to room temperature.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and two-thirds of the sugar until pale and creamy. Add the Cointreau and continue to beat until well combined. Add the chocolate to the egg yolk mixture and stir until completely incorporated, then slowly stir in half the cream. Set aside. Whip the remaining cream until soft peaks form. Set aside. Start whisking the egg whites in a very clean bowl. When soft peaks start to form, slowly add the remaining sugar and whip until very firm. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. Finally, fold in the whipped egg whites.
Pour into the cake tin, put the tin in a bain-marie or on a baking tray and add enough hot water to come about 2.5 cm (
© 2005 All rights reserved. Published by Murdoch Books.