Flourless chocolate cake
Satisfyingly fudgy (like the softest chocolate bar you ever did
eat), this is my one true flourless cake love, with no gluggifying
almond meal to corrupt the chocolate clarity. I have co-opted
the late lactic acid addition from Bourke Street Bakery’s cake
(they use yoghurt, but of course I reach for crème fraîche) to
brighten up the chocolate.

Take the cake out of the oven as soon as it is baked and let it
drop with more drama than Meryl. To accentuate the cocoa
caldera, I pile on billowy crème fraîche whip and juicy syrupy
Sumac blackberries (page 279) or Spiced grilled blood plums
(page 284). I also love to serve it with a generous jug of Vanilla
malt crème anglaise (page 262). Even with only a bare dusting
of cocoa power, it’s another walk-by cake – I find myself
trimming small slices of it each time I pass it in the kitchen
until it has been whittled away (always too soon) to a plate of
dark, moist crumbs.

Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Spray the base and side of a
20 cm × 7.5 cm (8 in × 3 in) round cake tin with cooking oil spray.

Place 10 cm (4 in) tall baking paper strips along the tin wall, using
cooking oil spray to seal the strips where they overlap. Place a snug
paper circle on the base.

Make a double boiler by filling a saucepan with 5 cm (2 in) of water
and bring to a low simmer on the stove. Chop up the butter and place
with the chocolates in a 35 cm (13¾ in) heatproof bowl, then place
over the pan. Heat until the chocolate and butter have just melted,
stirring occasionally with a balloon whisk. Keep the mix warm – I
usually turn the double boiler off but leave the bowl on top until I’m
ready for the next step.

The temperature of the batter components is crucial: overheat the chocolate
base and it will look like thick, oily lumps. You can keep using it – the cake
will just bake flatter and denser. If the chocolate base is too cool, it will firm
up by the time the whites are folded in, requiring more vigorous (air-killing)
folding – 70°C (160°F) is ideal!
continued …

Keeps Up to 2 days at room

temperature, covered; then chill
for up to a week. Can be frozen
up to 3 months.

Makes A cake to serve

6–10 people.

Takes Approximately 1½ hours to

prepare and bake, then 2 hours
to cool.
cooking oil spray
150 g (5½ oz) unsalted butter
140 g (5 oz) good bittersweet
chocolate (50–60% cocoa)
140 g (5 oz) good milk
chocolate (30%-plus cocoa)
140 g (5 oz) egg yolks (from
approx. 7 eggs) + 210 g
(7½ oz) egg whites (from
approx. 7 eggs)
100 g (3½ oz) dark brown sugar
2 g (¹⁄₁₆oz/½ teaspoon) sea salt
flakes
70 g (2½ oz) Dutch
(unsweetened) cocoa powder,
plus extra for dusting
90 g (3 oz) crème fraîche
3 g (¹⁄₁₀ oz/heaped ¼ teaspoon)
cream of tartar
140 g (5 oz) caster (superfine)
sugar