My mamma has a saying: “E meglio un uovo oggi che una gallina domani” (an egg today is better than a chicken tomorrow). Even if you don’t have much, using what you do have with passion and imagination can still be enough for a feast.
This easy moist chocolate cake is just about that: no matter if you don’t have many ingredients at home – with a little imagination you can make a nice and delicious chocolate cake that will satisfy your cravings for something chocolaty and sweet.
Servings 6-8
Ingredients:
- 280 grams/10 oz. dark chocolate with at least 72% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
- 125 grams/ 4 ½ oz. unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 4 eggs, separated
- 55 grams/ 2 oz. caster sugar
- 25 grams/ 1 oz. plain flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
For the chocolate ganache – optional:
- 100 grams dark chocolate
- 40 grams butter
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C/ Gas Mark 4. Grease and base-line a 20-cm/8-inch spring form cake tin with a removable base. Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, then set the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water and heat until melted. Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a mixing bowl with a hand-held electric mixer or a hand whisk until thick and creamy. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until thick and glossy. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the melted chocolate.
- Sift the flour and fold in together with the vanilla extract. Gently fold in the beaten egg whites.
- Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Do not overcook. The top should be firm but the center still slightly gooey. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, covered overnight.
- Meanwhile, make ganache to cover the cake (if desired) – place together with the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over a low heat and melt them.
- Remove the cake tin and peel away the lining paper from the base. Spread the chocolate ganache all over the cake (if using) or simply dust the surface of the cake with cocoa and serve in slices.
Buon Appetito!