David, Elizabeth – French Provincial Cooking

100g best quality cooking chocolate
90g unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons plain flour
½ teaspoon chilli powder (I used Herbie’s Spices medium heat Chilli Powder – available at most good delis)
100g caster sugar
3 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Gently melt the chocolate in the oven, microwave or in a heat-proof bowl suspended over simmering water (as per chocolate fondue recipe).

Mix the chocolate with the softened butter, flour, chilli powder, sugar and lightly beaten egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

Turn the cake mixture into a buttered loaf tin (approximately 20cm x 10 cm) and bake in pre-heated oven for 35 minutes. The cake will be cooked when a thin crust has formed on top. It may appear slightly under-cooked inside, however it will become firmer as it cools. The ultimate result is a moist, dense cake with a crackly exterior.

Turn out onto cake rack as soon as it is cooled.

Elizabeth David meets the Aztecs in this unique recipe. Inspired by David’s gâteux au chocolat, in her classic cookbook French Provincial Cooking, the cake is enhanced with a traditional Aztec hint of chilli. This cake is a classic on its own and can certainly be made without the chilli powder. However it adds the most fantastic warmth at the end of each mouthful without detracting from the velvety chocolate. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream for contrast.