Perhaps the Best Chocolate Cake

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings makes 1 x 24 cm springform cake

Ingredients

300g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

100g brown butter (butter cooked gently until browned)

100g golden caster sugar

5 eggs, separated

touch of salt

1 tsp instant coffee (dissolved in a touch of water)

Touch of tonka bean (optional)

Chocolate such as chocolate blocks, shaved dark chocolate or cocoa powder, to finish

Icing sugar, to garnish

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter the 24cm ø Springform cake tin.

Gently melt the chocolate in the brown butter.

Whisk the egg yolks, add half the sugar and whisk until light.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt. Rain in the sugar and whisk until soft peaks.

Gently fold chocolate butter mixture and the coffee under the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the stiff but not over whisked egg white and sugar and microplane in a few grinds of Tonka if using.

Place batter in the greased springform cake tin and bake for around 25 minutes in the centre of the oven.

While still warm, decorate with cacao, icing sugar and chocolate of your choice. Serve with a dollop of crème fraiche or tea-infused whipped cream.