Chocolate Cake

Recipe by Neil Perry

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.

Ingredients
  • 400 g good quality Dark Chocolate broken up
  • 6 Eggs seperated
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 2½ tablespoons Cointreau
  • 300 ml pure whipping Cream plus extra, whipped to serve.
  • icing sugar
Method
  • Preheat the oven to 175°C (345°F/Gas 3).
  • Cut a piece of greaseproof paper to fit a 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin, with a double layer for the side and a single layer for the bottom.
  • Spray the tin with cooking oil and fit the greaseproof paper in snugly.
  • 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 (1 inch) up the outside of the tin.
  • Bake for 45 minutes.
  • Turn the oven down to 150°C (300°F/Gas 2) and bake for a further 45 minutes.
  • Turn the oven off and leave the cake in the oven for 20 minutes.
  • Cut around the edge of the tin, turn it over onto a plate and the cake should slide out easily.
  • Cut slices using a knife dipped in hot water and clean the knife after each cut.
  • Place on white plates.
  • Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with lightly whipped cream.
Serves 10
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Neil Perry
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What Do You Think?
  • TF36
    TF36 1 year ago
    This was the most delicious chocolate cook and so easy to cook
    Reply to this comment
    • Rob @ StickySteps.com
      Rob @ StickySteps.com 5 months ago
      I love moist choc cakes too! I agree neil's is good.

      Check the photo's of my gooey choc on my Aussie food blog

      http://www.stickysteps.com/2009/10/the-very-best-gooey-fudge-mud-chocolate-brownies-and-recipe/

  • JV8
    JV8 1 year ago
    It sounds gorgeous, I will be making it tonight for a morning tea treat to eat in the garden when we take a break from making our new chook pen.
    Reply to this comment
  • JD75
    JD75 1 year ago
    It sounds really yummy and no flour suits me, as I have an allergy to wheat. The real test will be if my family enjoys sharing this one with me.
    Reply to this comment
    • JD75
      JD75 1 year ago
      The verdict of this wheat free cake is ABSOLUTELY DELISH, my family loves this one and oh so easy to make. YUM YUM ! { :)
  • familyrodi
    familyrodi 1 year ago
    Omg this is amazing. Best ever, worked a treat for valentines. Very easy to make
    Reply to this comment
  • anna
    anna 1 year ago
    My god, that is positively sinful. A friend was telling me her sister made it last night, I just HAD to find the recipe. I'm drooling all over my keyboard.
    Reply to this comment
  • GS84
    GS84 1 year ago
    i made this cake today, it only lasted today with my family, thanking you for the GREAT recipe!
    Reply to this comment
  • Tiny Dancer
    Tiny Dancer 1 year ago
    Another great Neil Perry recipe. I made this today and it's almost all gone. Tastes like and has the texture of a souffle but a lot easier to make. Served with cream & raspberries and it was fantastic.
    Reply to this comment
  • sweet treat
    sweet treat 11 months ago
    I think it needs more cointreau. i put in 3 shot glasses to get a good flavour. nice cake although i have to say that my arm nearly fell off with all the whipping involved (lucky there was a punk drummer on hand with well developed forearm muscles to step in when mine was about to fall off) so i would not recommend making this unless you have an electric mixer. and with all the steps, you'd think that the pony tail could mention to check if the tin is water tight. or maybe i put too much trust in the german engineering of mine. Tres disappointed with the outcome of this! after all that whipping and waiting and waiting and turning the oven down and off and waiting, after my first taste all i could say was "THIS IS BULLSHIT" admitting however that i (or at least my 50 cent cake tin) was probably responsible for it going awry. i'll try it again and let you all know how it goes, and until then, will tape a little mantra to my oven door saying i AM the domestic goddess i always thought. Keep the faith. -- s.t.
    Reply to this comment
  • Crazygal
    Crazygal 10 months ago
    I'm going to make this cake this weekend. Wonder what it will taste like with chilli in it! I LOVE chilli chocolate
    Reply to this comment
  • MM282
    MM282 10 months ago
    when you lot made this did it really dip in the centre?
    Reply to this comment
  • Jennifer Brockhoff
    Jennifer Brockhoff 10 months ago
    This recipe is horrible.... it was far too big for the pan and the heat specified above is too much, meaning the top of the cafe burnt but the bottom isn't cooked.
    Reply to this comment
  • Mrs
    Mrs 9 months ago
    Neil Perry, your recipes are the best. I love looking at your recipes and getting ideas. So easy to make,
    so easy to follow. LOVE THEM ALL...... thankyou very much for all your recipes. The choclate cake is the easiest and best.
    Reply to this comment
    • sweet treat
      sweet treat 9 months ago
      Hey Mrs...this cake is anything BUT easy to make. loco
    • Mrs
      Mrs 7 months ago
      Hey loco, would you like an easy chocolate cake recipe? Let me know and I shall give you an easy recipe, ok???
  • Alison105
    Alison105 7 months ago
    Yummy and gluten free !!!
    Reply to this comment
  • sweet treat
    sweet treat 7 months ago
    ok. after the disaster that was my first bash, i gave this cake a second try (mostly to use up the rest of the contreau). It went much better since i didn't put the leaky tin into a bay maree. I like it better the next day rather than fresh. And i stand by my comment about the extra contreau.
    Reply to this comment
  • LESLIE5
    LESLIE5 6 months ago
    WILL CERTINLY GIVE THIS RECIPE AGO.
    Reply to this comment
  • Tiggy
    Tiggy 5 months ago
    Heaven on a plate. My two favourite ingredients combined. Chocolate and cream
    Reply to this comment
  • KMTV
    KMTV 5 months ago
    a tip withyour cake tin!get a large piece of happy wrap and place that on a piece of foil of the same size. Place the tin on top and bring up all around the tin before putting in mixture and then place it into your bath.. sorry au bain marie...it is a good way to be safe incase your tin leaks...
    Reply to this comment
  • Kerry106
    Kerry106 4 months ago
    The best chocolate cake I have ever made.
    Reply to this comment
  • HS35
    HS35 4 months ago
    Wonderful taste and texture. Will make it most weekends. Grandpa to kids... everyone just loved it.
    Reply to this comment
  • Carleen
    Carleen 3 months ago
    I am making it this week and if it as it sounds will be having it on Xmas day, have some real chocoholics coming!
    Reply to this comment
  • KF11
    KF11 3 months ago
    Can anybody tell me if this cake will freeze?
    Reply to this comment
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