Moist Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 250 g Semisweet chocolate (Cut into small pieces; Mapricuber by Arcor is recommended.)
• 120 g Butter (Cut into cubes.)
• 5 Eggs (Separate the whites from the yolks.)
• 230 g Light brown or white sugar (Add gradually while beating the egg whites.)
• 1 tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 60 g All-purpose flour (Sifted.)
• Salt (A little, according to the transcript.)
• Parchment paper (To cover the base of a 24 cm round cake pan.)
• American-style vanilla ice cream (Optional, for serving.)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180 °C. Line only the base of a 24 cm round cake pan with parchment paper; this will help release the cake without breaking it.

2. 2

   Place the chopped semisweet chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Melt them together over a double boiler or in short microwave intervals, stirring between each interval, until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. 3

   Separate the egg whites from the yolks, taking care not to let any yolk get into the whites. Add the yolks to the warm chocolate mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. 4

   Add the unsweetened cocoa powder and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture. Mix until no dry streaks remain and set aside.

5. 5

   Place the egg whites in a completely clean, dry bowl. Beat until they begin to foam, then gradually add the sugar while continuing to beat, until a firm, glossy meringue with stable peaks forms.

6. 6

   Add approximately one part of the meringue to the chocolate mixture and stir to lighten the batter.

7. 7

   Add the remaining meringue using gentle folding motions, lifting the mixture from the bottom to preserve the air. The texture should resemble a light, airy mousse.

8. 8

   Sift the flour directly over the mixture. Add a little salt and fold them in gently, only until no traces of flour remain. Do not overmix.

9. 9

   Pour the batter into the prepared pan and gently smooth the surface. Bake at 180 °C for approximately 25 minutes.

10. 10

    Remove the cake when it has a crisp crust on the surface and the center still looks moist, though not liquid. Let it cool in the pan until warm.

11. 11

    Carefully remove the cake from the pan. It does not need to be refrigerated before serving: once warm, you can slice it and serve it with a scoop of American-style vanilla ice cream.

Notes

The cake should remain moist in the center; avoid overbaking it. The transcript indicates that it does not need to be refrigerated before unmolding or serving. The recipe is designed for a 24 cm pan.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• chocolate
• baked
• cake
• moist
• vegetarian
• for sharing
• served with ice cream