“Ne plus ultra chocolate cake?!”
Ace in the hole cake? Beyond Great Chocolate Cake? In the time it will take me to come up with a moniker for this cake, you can bake it! No matter what you call it, this is a new home run, go-to recipe for our family collection. Scott is the chocoholic, while I dream in almond, lemon or raspberry, but I can honestly say that this cake sends me. It is ridiculously easy, and each forkful is better than you remembered from the previous one. Each of us kept remarking on the outstanding chocolate. Since Scott used Scharffenberger 70% this first time, we’ll stick with that. It was exceptional. The only barely sweetened, softly whipped cream was a nice counterpoint. The recipe comes from Clotilde Dusoulier’s Chocolate & Zucchini blog, where she attempts to credit the recipe’s provenance.
Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake
- 200g (2 sticks minus 1 Tbsp) butter
- 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate
- 200g (1 C) sugar
- 4 eggs
- a rounded tablespoon of flour
Note: like all dark chocolate cakes, this cake is best made a day ahead (or at least in the morning if you serve it for dinner).
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper (no need to if you’re using a non-stick pan).
Melt together the butter with the chocolate (in a double-boiler or in the microwave slowly and for just a few seconds at a time, blending with a spoon between each pass). Transfer into a medium mixing-bowl. Add in the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon and let cool a little. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Finally, add in the flour and mix well.
Pour the dough into the pan, and put into the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the center is set but still a little wobbly. Turn the oven off but leave the cake inside for another ten minutes, then put the pan on a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and take it out about an hour before serving.
