Ruth Rogers’ Pressed Chocolate Cake

Ruth owns and runs The River Cafe and this recipe is an adaptation of one of the restaurant’s most famous bakes.

Hands-on time 20min, plus cooling. Cooking time about 35min. Serves 12

◆ 225g (8oz) unsalted butter, plus extra to grease

◆ 300g (11oz) dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

◆ 8 medium eggs, at room temperature, separated

◆ 175g (6oz) caster sugar

◆ 3tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra to dust

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Grease a 23cm (9in) spring-form cake tin, at least 7.5cm (3in) deep, and line with baking parchment.

2 Melt the chocolate with the butter in a large bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the pan, cool for 15min, then whisk in the egg yolks. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk to combine.

3 In a large, clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a hand-held electric whisk until they form soft peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture a third at a time. 4 Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 25-30min or until the cake has risen like a soufflé and is slightly set. Dust the surface of the cake with cocoa powder, place a sheet of baking parchment, trimmed to size, on top of the cake, followed by a plate (that fits exactly inside the tin) and press down on top of the cake (place some tins on top of the plate to weigh it down). Leave to cool for 30min, then remove from the cake tin. Dust with a little more cocoa powder and serve warm, or cold with crème fraîche, if you like.

PER SERVING 385cals, 6g protein, 27g fat (15g saturates), 30g carbs (30g total sugars), 1g fibre

TO STORE The cake can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.