A slightly later than usual blog post this week which almost didn’t happen as I have just gone back to work after a wonderful year off.  This has upset my routine (just a little!) and trying to get this dish made and photographed after a day’s work has given me a few headaches. (Think it’s a bit too soon to ask for time off during the day to take my food pics!) However, I just had to share this absolutely divine chocolate recipe with you  – just the delicious chocolatey smells coming out of your oven when it is cooking will have you and anyone else in your house drooling and waiting impatiently to dig in when it comes out. Dark, moist, delicate, pure chocolate heaven. It is unbelievably light as there is no flour in it so gluten-free as well. I normally wouldn’t recommend sharing this under any circumstances but given the weekend that is in it share it with someone very special if you must but only if you absolutely have to! So go on and indulge yourself – a glass of something bubbly with it and life won’t get much better.

The recipe is really really simple –  equal quantities i.e. 150g of dark chocolate, butter and sugar and 3 eggs. That’s it!

Serves 6 (or one big serving!)

Ingredients

• 150g dark chocolate (60/70% cocoa solids)
• 150g softened unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing)
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs separated
• Icing sugar for dusting

Pre-heat the oven to 160° C / 325°F or Gas 3.

• Grease a 20cm / 8in springform cake tin (an ordinary cake tin will work as well once it is well greased) and line the base with greaseproof paper.
• Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Leave to cool.
• Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then fold in the melted chocolate.
• In another bowl whisk the egg whites until they stand in soft peaks.
• Stir 2 large spoonfuls into the chocolate mixture to loosen it slightly and then gently fold in the remainder.
• Put the mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hour or until a crust has formed on top and there is no ‘wobble’ in the middle.
• The cake will rise up dramatically during the cooking but will sink once you take it out of the oven. It will also crack and this is perfectly normal.
• Leave to cool on a wife rack, and remove from the tin.
• Serve the cake dusted lightly with icing sugar and cream, ice-cream, raspberries and / or chocolate sauce.