Pressed Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake recipes are two-a-penny, but this one only really comes second to the River Cafe’s chocolate nemesis cake. The restaurant serves its pressed chocolate cake with ice cream, but a simple cup of tea would work too.

(Serves 10)

Unsalted butter for the tin 400g best-quality bitter-sweet chocolate (70%), broken into pieces

300g unsalted butter

10 eggs, separated

225g caster sugar

4tbsp cocoa powder

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Butter and line a 30cm round cake tin that is 7.5cm deep, with greaseproof paper.

2. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (the water should not touch the base of the bowl). Remove the bowl from the pan and cool a little, then whisk in the egg yolks. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix well.

3. Beat the egg whites until they will form soft peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture, a third at a time.

4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cake has risen like a souffle and is slightly set.

5. Remove from the oven. Place a piece of greaseproof paper, and a plate on top of that, on the cake - the plate should fit exactly inside the tin - and press down firmly, then weight the plate. Leave to cool for 30 minutes before turning out. Cool completely before serving.