This dessert is definitely one of those unassuming looking ones that packs a great chocolate punch. It just doesn’t look that pretty when you’re cooking it (although the smell of dark chocolate is divine!). It’s the culinary equivalent that old cliché of the girl everybody overlooks through high school who arrives at prom night and everybody falls in love with her. As an added bonus this recipe is made without flour so if you struggle digesting gluten but like baking; this is the one for you.

For this recipe you will need:

250g dark chocolate with a high cocoa percentage (I’m all for recipe substitution but milk and white chocolate just won’t work for this)

3 tbsps warm water

4 large eggs

110 grams caster sugar

Cocoa powder for dusting (not necessary but it makes you look and feel fancy)

A whisk, preferable an electric whisk.

Switch on your oven to 180°C. Grease a loose bottomed tin that can go into the oven (I used my Dad’s flan tin that was approx 20cms and was the perfect size really). Line the tin with greaseproof paper.

Separate your eggs into two bowls. I used this charming Rupert Bear egg cup to separate my eggs. Take care not to get any yolk in the whites as it prevents them from becoming foamy later (which is important).

Melt the chocolate. As a rule, I use the microwave as it’s what I learned from my mum, but other methods are fine. Take care not to overheat the chocolate and dry it out.

Now if you’re anything like me, you’ll get very tempted to nibble on some chocolate, but please don’t. This cake is pretty exact and changing the proportions will affect the final result. Put the chocolate to one side to cool.

Sieve the sugar into the egg yolks. This will prevent any lumps of sugar forming. Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. I used a normal whisk so I didn’t have to wash my electric whisk beaters.

Add the warm water. This mixture should go runny. Gradually add the chocolate.

The mixture should feel nice and thick.

Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and resemble shaving foam.

Stir the egg whites into the chocolate mixture a bit at a time.

The mixture should loosen as you add the egg whites.

Put into your baking tin and bake for 15 minutes.

Put onto a rack to cool and then put into the fridge for a few hours. Before serving remove from fridge and ease it from the tin. Dust with cocoa powder and show it off to your captivated audience.

Cut with a hot knife and serve with cream, fruit or very good ice cream. Or just on its own. It’s that good.