This is probably the most chocolatey tart I've ever had and best of all, it's actually quite easy! We were invited over for dinner at a friends' place a couple of weeks and I offered to bring dessert, already having this cake in mind, which I've had at another friends dinner party.
When I had the tart at my friend's dinner party I loved it so much I asked her for the recipe and I finally had a good reason to give it a go myself. It doesn't look big but believe me, it feeds quite a few people as it is fairly rich. Is mainly consists of chocolate, chocolate and chocolate mixed with butter, egg and sugar. It's divine!
So strap on your running shoes, run to the store and get the ingredients (don't drive, you might as well burn some extra calories in the process of making this cake so you don't feel as guilty after). And this cake is worth every single calorie!
Ottolenghi’s Chocolate Fudge Cake
240g unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
265g dark chocolate (52% cocoa), chopped into small pieces
95g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped into small pieces
290g brown sugar
4 tablespoons water
5 large eggs, separated
pinch of salt
cocoa powder for dusting
Preheat your oven to 170°C (350°F) and butter a 20cm (8″) spring form pan and line the bottom with parchment/baking paper.
In a large heat proof bowl, combine the chopped chocolates and butter.
Combine the brown sugar and water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Pour the boiling syrup over the chocolate and butter and stir until they have melted.
Add the egg yolks one at a time to the chocolate mixture and then set the bowl aside until the mixture comes to room temperature.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt to a firm but not dry meringue. Using a rubber spatula, fold a third of the meringue into the chocolate mixture. Once combined, add another third, fold and then fold in the remaining third until just combined.
Pour 2/3 of the batter into your prepared pan, reserving the remaining batter for later and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it on a wire rack to cool completely. If the cake has risen, flatten with an offset spatula. It doesn't matter if you break the surface crust and pour the rest of the batter on top. Level the surface again. Return the cake to the oven and bake for a further 20-25 minutes. Taste with a skewer, the cake is done, when it comes out almost clean with only a few crumbs sticking to it.
Allow the tart to cool completely in the spring form pan before attempting to unmould it. Dust with cocoa powder and decorate with any fresh fruit or berries you have on hand. I had some strawberries and thought they'd be a nice contrast to the otherwise very 'uniform' looking tart.
Don't cut the pieces too big, it is rich and it does keep for a day or two, so better to go back for seconds than throwing half eaten pieces away.
