Dreamy Chocolate Cake Recipe

225g/8 oz/2 cups plain (semi-sweet) chocolate
30 ml/2 tbsp instant coffee powder

45 ml/3 tbsp water
4 eggs, separated
150 g/5 oz butter or margarine, diced
A pinch of salt
100 g/4 oz caster (superfine) sugar
50g/2 oz cornflour (cornstarch)

For the decoration:
150 ml double (heavy) cream
25g/1 oz/3 tbsp icing (confectioners') sugar
175 g/6 oz walnuts, chopped

Method:

Melt the chocolate, coffee and water together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Remove from the heat and gradually beat in the egg yolks. Stir in the butter a piece at a time until melted into the mixture. Beat together the egg whites and salt until they form soft peaks. Carefully add the sugar and beat until stiff. Beat in the cornflour. Fold a spoonful of the mixture into the chocolate, then fold the chocolate into the remaining egg whites. Spoon into a greased and lined 23 cm/9 in cake tin (pan) and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 for 45 minutes until well risen and just springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before removing from the tin; the cake will crack and sink. Leave to cool completely.

Beat the cream until stiff, then beat in the sugar. Spread some of the cream round the edge of the cake and press in the chopped nuts to decorate. Spread or pipe the remaining cream on top.