Black Magic Chocolate Cake

I've recently been craving chocolate fudge cake - you know the kind you get in practically every cafe, semi-gastro-pub and restaurant around the country? The super-rich, gooey, death-by-chocolate kind of cake? Yeah, that. Although the free-from deli near me does a pretty good range of cakes (plus their brownies are divine!) their chocolate cake just doesn't do it for me. I needed something absolutely sinful. 

So this is what I came up with - Chocolate-Espresso Fudge cake, with a hint of hazelnut, and topped with blackberries. 

It's very rich, sweet, sticky and with an almost brownie-like fudgy consistency, but surprisingly light in texture. I may yet do a bit of tweaking to the quantities, but this cake hit the spot and I'd definitely make it again. 

Ingredients:

250g Gluten free flour, sifted
80g ground almonds
80g cocoa powder, sifted
200g brown sugar 
200g caster sugar 
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 tsp xantham gum (optional)
2 eggs, separated
50g dark chocolate, melted
200 ml milk
125 ml oil
4-5 tsp instant coffee granules
3 shots hazelnut syrup
a handful of fresh blackberries

Method:

1. grease and line two 8" cake tins (spring-form or loose-bottomed tins are best). Pre-heat the oven to 170°C
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, almonds, cocoa powder, xantham gum (if using) and raising agents, and stir in the brown sugar and most  of the caster sugar (about 150g).
3. Melt the chocolate - either in intervals in the microwave on low power, or over a pan of simmering water. 
4. Add a small amount of hot water to the coffee granules until they are dissolved, to make a very strong cup of coffee. Add the hazelnut syrup and the melted chocolate, stir well and leave to cool slightly.
5. Mix together the 2 egg yolks and oil, then add about half the milk, and the cooled coffee mixture, stirring all the while (if the coffee is very hot then the eggs could start to scramble!)
6. Whisk up the egg whites, gradually adding the remaining caster sugar (about 50g) until stiff, meringue-like peaks form.
7. Combine the egg yolk/coffee mixture with the dry ingredients, until almost fully combined - If the mixture seems very dry, add a splash more milk - then gently fold in the egg whites; the batter will be quite runny.
8. Pour the batter into the cake tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are slightly springy and a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out pretty much clean. (I like to err slightly on the side of caution and get my cakes out before they risk over cooking and drying out completely) 
9. Cool on wire racks in the cake tins for 10 minutes, then carefully tip out the cakes and allow to cool completely, before sandwiching together with chocolate frosting and decorating with the blackberries.
10. Serve warm or cold with (lactose free!) cream or ice-cream

If you try out this recipe, or if you've made your own amazing chocolate fudge cake, please let me know how you've got on! :)

Maia x