The darkest Gâteau au Chocolat
99% dark chocolate - I went for the darkest Swiss chocolate I could find for my petit gâteau! For months I've had this cake on my mind, dark, moist and rich, an adult cake that combines the best of a luscious mousse au chocolat and a tender cake. So often I've enjoyed this bitter sweet at French patisseries or as a dessert with whipped cream melting on top in one of Paris' pretty bistros in the hidden side roads.
This treat doesn't need many ingredients but the few should be of exquisite quality, especially the chocolate. Sometimes this gâteau is dusted with icing sugar but I don't like to hide its honest dark beauty under a layer of blank white. I also don't see the sense of using one of the best chocolates to blur down its complex taste by using cheap sugar. So my gâteau stays naked! Spiced with a little cinnamon and cardamom, its a rich composition perfect for desserts or for Sunday afternoon tea time, my favourite! I had a few slices with a cup of Darjeeling and it was heavenly!
Gâteau au Chocolat
For a 20cm / 8" springform pan you need
dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa, preferably 99%) 150g / 5.5 ounces
butter 150g / 5.5 ounces
organic eggs 4
granulated sugar 180g / 6.5 ounces plus 1-2 tablespoons for the whipped cream
plain flour 120g / 4.5 ounces
ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch for the whipped cream
ground cardamom 1/8 teaspoon plus a pinch for the whipped cream
a pinch of salt
heavy cream 200g / 7 ounces, for the topping
Set the oven to 180°C / 360°F (fan assisted oven) and line the springform pan with parchment paper.
In a saucepan (or a bain-marie), melt the chocolate and butter and let it cool off for a few minutes.
Whisk the egg whites with the salt until stiff.
Combine the flour with the cinnamon and cardamom.
Mix the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy and stir in the chocolate/ butter mixture. Stir in the flour/ spice mixture with a spoon before you gently fold in the stiff egg whites. Put the dough into the lined springform pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until the cake is done. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let the cake cool for a few minutes before you take it out of the springform pan and serve with with the spiced whipped cream.
Whip the cream with sugar, cinnamon and cardamom and season to taste.
