Nigella Lawson's chocolate cloud cake

This cake has become the stuff of legend in my family. By legend I mean that it's legendary, amazing, delicious and much talked of. That's why I'm doing another post about it, my first one was rather pitiful, considering the awesomeness of this cake.

It's easy, but I won't say that it's foolproof. I've ruined this cake several times, merely by being careless. However, if you're not a fool like me, and actually make sure the centre of the cake is cooked, whip up the egg whites separately [I'm so stupid!] and use very dark chocolate you should be all good!
Note: this does not work with white chocolate. I've tried.

However! It's the best cake EVER. Make it you must.

It's pretty much just three bowls of stuff combined together. Easy.
Eggs, yolks and sugar.

Egg whites and sugar.
Very dark chocolate and butter.
Fold it all together, I love this part!
The finished cake! You want the cracks by the way, it gives more room for cream!
But don't over whip your cream, like I did. Oops.Sprinkle with cocoa or whatever you like!Yum! [Note the uncooked centre... yeah. But it still tastes great!]This recipe was copied from Nigella Lawson's website. www.nigella.com


1.Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. 2.Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment. 3.Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate. 4.Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the caster sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the Cointreau and orange zest. 5.In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but not too stiff. 6.Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35?40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools. 7.When you are ready to eat, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from its tin. Don?t worry about cracks or rough edges: it?s the crater look we?re going for here. Whip the cream until it?s soft and then add the vanilla and Cointreau and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff. 8.Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder pushed through a tea-strainer.



Enjoy!