Gâteau au Chocolat

I think chocolate lovers like me are always in the search for the perfect chocolate cake. I know a lot of people try numerous recipes with often the same result: too sweet, too dry or not chocolatey enough. Sometimes you get all these disappointments in one cake! How many times has a chocolate cake enticed you because it looked so amazing, and then after the first bite you were filled with disappointment?

I think my husband and I suffer even more compared to your average chocolate lover as we are both lactose intolerant so a lot of recipes are no good for us, and the substitution of cow’s milk with soy or almond milk loften leaves the cake dry as the substitutes do not have as much fat. So after a lot of trying and testing I am sharing with you a chocolate cake recipe that has become one of my true favourites.

It is not your average children’s birthday cake, it’s a french recipe so by nature I feel it’s a little more refined. And it fits the saying “less is more”, and believe me reader I have this recipe ready on by Iphone’s copy and paste clipboard because it has become such a crowd-pleaser. And it’s ridiculous how easy it is to make. It’s from the french book “Gâteaux de mamie : Les recettes d’Amandine”. I always end up adding nuts to it too. If you have been following our recipes you’ll know I add nuts to everything because I am a sucker for the crunchy texture.

Gateau au chocolat

200g dark chocolate (70% solids)

150g sugar

50g plain flour

150g butter

4 eggs, separated

pinch of salt

Handful of chopped nuts (optional, I used hazelnuts)

vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Melt the chocolate with the butter over a pan of simmering water. Add the sugar, mixing it until it dissolves. Let it cool.

2. Add the yolks and mix well. Sieve the flour and fold it into the chocolate. Finally add the nuts

3. On a separate bowl mix the whites and salt and beat the whites until you get soft peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. It is important to take your time when folding the whites as it’s what will make the cake light and fluffy.

4. Add the mixture into a baking tin with loose bottom lined with greaseproof paper. Pop it into the oven and lower the mixture to 150C. Bake for 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven.