Wow, this cake is really something. The texture is so light and airy like chiffon (only 25g flour), yet the taste is so intense and moist, it’s like eating soft crumbly chocolate itself. The cake is even more moist and rich the next day.
The cake rose very high on the strength of the meringue alone, with no other raising agent. Remember to use good chocolate and cocoa powder.
Recipe (adapted from Sato Hiroko and Windy Njoo, makes a 6″ cake)
- 75g chocolate (I use 25g 80% dark chocolate with 50g Hershey minis)
- 15g varlhona cocoa powder
- 35g hot water
- 40g oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 20g caster sugar
- 25g cake flour sifted
- 3 egg whites
- 40g caster sugar
Method
1. Melt chocolate in microwave in short 15 sec bursts, be careful not to burn it. Set aside.
2. Mix cocoa powder with hot water. Set aside.
3. Beat egg yolks with 20g sugar and salt till light. Add in oil slowly while stirring at the same time.
4. Add in the cooled chocolate. Mix well, then add in the cocoa mixture.
5. Add in sifted flour and fold till even. Set aside.
6. Beat egg whites, add 40g sugar in 2 steps till a firm meringue.
7. Add 1/3 meringue to yolk batter to loosen it. Then pour yolk batter back into meringue and fold with spatula till even and no white streaks.
8. Pour into cake tin that is lined at the bottom only. Tap to release bubbles.
9. Bake at 175 deg C. At the 12 min, you can take out to slit the top. Bake a total of 35 to 40 min, test with skewer.
10. Cool overturned. Then unmould and enjoy.
Olady Bakes 
Hi, would like to thank you for this recipe. I’ve tried baking it and inverted the cake immediately after out from oven like your picture. I unmould the cake after cool but realised the bottom sank in a bit when remove the parchment paper. Can you advise me why ? Thanks
LikeLike
If you have a loose base tin, then you can do without the baking paper. This should help with the bottom issue.
LikeLike
Thanks, will try again on a loose base tin 🙂
LikeLike
Hi, I tried baking this cake but was unsuccessful as the chocolate mixture with yolks n flour became very thick and I have difficulty mixing the meringue to combine both. My 75g chocolate I used 85% lindt dark chocolate and I am not sure if the failure was due to the wrong type of chocolate used. My cake was very short and densed as well as heavy. Thanks for your kind advice.
LikeLike
Sorry to hear that. Some step must have gone wrong, I’m can’t diagnose though. Don’t think it’s the chocolate.
LikeLike
Thanks. I will try again.
LikeLike
Can we don’t slit?
LikeLike
Sure, but the cake will crack and the top won’t look nice. Won’t affect the taste.
LikeLike
I should hv read these comment before baking. I didn’t slit the cake ended up cracked badly. Also my cake didnt rise as beautiful as your pix and was dense too. Not sure why too. Will need try again next time
LikeLike
Can we put a piece of aluminium foil on TOP while bake to prevent it from cracking?
LikeLike
Not sure if it will work. Usually if you are bothered by cracks, water bath is the way to go.
LikeLike
Can I use water bath method to prevent cracks if I don’t want slit?
LikeLike
Yes definitely, just that you will have to experiment with right temperature and time.
LikeLike