Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 510g dark chocolate
- 337g butter
- 8 eggs
- 315g caster sugar
- 150ml water
Chocolate Topping (Optional):
- 300g cream
- 300g dark chocolate, pieces
- 75g butter, cut into pieces
- 50g pistachio nuts, ground to a fine powder
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 120C/gas mark 1.
- Line a 25cm spring form tin with non-stick baking paper. Wrap the outside of the tin with two layers of foil.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together on a low heat in the microwave. Beat the eggs and 105g of the sugar in an electric mixer until thick and creamy.
- Heat the remaining sugar with the water until dissolved into a light syrup. Pour the hot syrup into the melted chocolate and cool slightly.
- Add the chocolate to the eggs and stir slowly until the mixture is combined. Pour into the tin. Place the tin in a deep baking tray with enough hot water to come three-quarters of the way up the side of the tin (bain marie).
- Bake in the oven for two hours until set. Leave the cake to cool in the water before turning out.
- Serve just as it is or make it extra special with a chocolate topping – see recipe below.
Chocolate Topping Method (Optional):
1 Heat the cream to just under boiling. Remove from the heat. Place the chocolate pieces in a large bowl, add the hot cream and stir until the chocolate melts.
2 Stir in the butter pieces until melted and smooth. Set aside to thicken. Once thick enough, spread some on top of the cake and put the rest into a piping bag and pipe some swirls around the edges. Sprinkle with the pistachio powder.
Tips
The pistachios are a great idea for garnish, but if you're not fond of the flavour then substitute with freeze-dried raspberries – the colour will create a great contrast with the cake.
