Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate enthusiasts (like myself) this one is for you! As you can see from the imagery, it has decadent layers including a crunch on the top and a rich, dark fudgey centre. Indulgent and heavenly. Just what you want for a special occasion. I like to serve this with fresh cream and ice cream.

Merry Christmas, love Emma x

Recipe

Serves 8
115g unsalted butter 
340g dark chocolate 
1 tsp vanilla extract 
1/4 tsp salt 
2/3 cup sugar 
5 eggs separated 
1 tbsp all purpose flour 
Blood oranges to serve 
Dust with icing sugar

Heat oven to 175oC. Grease 23cm springform pan with butter. Line the bottom of the pan with some baking paper. Next, combine chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl and set over a simmer pot of water and stir until melted. Remove mix from heat and set aside to cool. Once cool, mix in vanilla, salt and 1/3 cup sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time and whisk after each addition. Whisk in flour. 

In a medium bowl, using a electric mixer beat together egg whites with a pinch of salt. Beat until they form soft peaks. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar a little at a time and continue mixing until firm, glossing peaks appear. 

Whisk about a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then using a rubber spatula gently fold in the remainder of the egg whites. Pour the batter into the springform pan, spreading it evenly across the pan. Bake for 30 mins. The centre should be gooey but the sides should pull away from the pan. 

Transfer onto a wire rack and let it cool. After 10 mins carefully remove it from the pan and let it cool to room temperature. Dust with icing sugar and adorn with blood oranges cut in halves.