In her new cookbook My Irish Kitchen Table, Eunice Power celebrates the heart of the home with seasonal meals and celebratory feasts.
Speaking about this recipe, Eunice says: “This is the nicest chocolate cake you will ever eat! I make it for every occasion – birthdays, Easter (decorated with little chicks and eggs), dessert for Sunday lunch – and serve with a little whipped cream. It is a cinch to make and is absolutely foolproof.”
Serves 8
Ingredients
150g butter, plus extra for greasing
300g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
150g caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
45g plain flour
For the glaze
100ml cream
100g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 150°C fan. Line the base of a 24cm springform tin with greaseproof paper and butter the sides.
2 Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heavy-based saucepan that’s large enough to take all the ingredients over a gentle heat, stirring until smooth and glossy. Remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted, add the sugar and stir to dissolve, then leave to cool.
3 Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until they reach soft peaks.
4 Beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl. Then add to the cooled but still runny chocolate and beat until combined, then fold in the flour until just combined. Next, gently fold in the egg whites using a large metal spoon. Pour into the prepared tin then pop in the oven.
5 Bake for about 45 minutes – the top should be firm to touch but a skewer inserted will come out sticky. Allow to cool in the tin for an hour on a wire rack.
6 For the glaze, gently heat the cream in a small saucepan until it reaches a bare simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth, thick, and glossy. Let the glaze cool for 10–15 minutes – it will thicken slightly as it cools, making it easier to spread. When the cake has cooled completely, unmould it and spread the glaze evenly over the top. Decorate as you please with berries, pretty flowers or maybe little chocolate eggs.
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