This has to be, without a doubt, one of the best chocolate dessert cakes I have ever indulged in. Served with coffee, it's a great finish to a meal or a party. Incredibly rich, it serves 16-20 chocolate lovers.

Ingredients

• 500 grams dark cooking chocolate
• 250 grams unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 6 eggs, separated
• 6 tablespoons caster sugar

Method

1. Chop the chocolate and butter roughly and place in the top of a double boiler over gently simmering water. When melted, stir in vanilla essence and remove from the heat.
2. Quickly stir egg yolks into the chocolate.
3. Beat egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff but not dry. Beat in sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a thick meringue mixture.
4. Take 2-3 large spoonfuls of meringue mixture and stir into chocolate mixture. Then gradually fold chocolate mixture into egg whites.
5. Turn into a greased and lined 23cm loose bottom cake tin. Bake at 180ºC for 45 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Invert cake onto a serving platter, leaving base of tin on top of cake but removing outside ring. Place a weight on top. (I used 2 dinner plates as they apply even pressrue and they are an easy weight to find). Leave for at least 2 hours.
7. Remove plates, tin base and paper. Cover with sifted icing sugar and serve in very small wedges. Don't refrigerate, but keep in a cool place.

Cooks Tips

- You can melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave. Be very careful not to overcook the chocolate. I find a bowl over hot water just as easy.