Lost in Chocolate

Last night I enjoyed a big slice of gooey chocolate cake courtesy of my flatmate, Margaret, via Chris and myself. We gave Margaret the recipe for the cake a few months back after baking what is probably the best chocolate cake, home made or store bought, that I've ever had. But we can't claim all the credit, it's the Bruce Bogtrotter cake from the Roal Dahl cookbook that should get the accolades here. But it's some compliment that Margaret enjoyed our incanation of the recipe so much that she asked for the recipe so that she could bake a birthday cake for her sisters. I have to say, even though I am probably a little biased, that our version had a slightly better consistency and was more attractive, but both were heavenly! I mean, how bad can any attempt at mixing copious amounts of chocolate, cream and sugar really ever taste?
Pictures of our delicious, quickly gobbled and friend winning cake are below.

The cake comes from the book Matilda. click here for Matilda cake scene from the film

Here's the recipe. Top tips: use half dark chocolate, half milk chocolate and leave the icing in the fridge for 30mins -1 hour to make it easier to spread over the cake, and so that it looks better. Yum!

Bruce Bogtrotter's Chocolate Cake

Serves 10-12

Ingredients
For the cake
8oz/225g plain chocolate
6oz/175g unsalted butter, softened
8oz/225g caster sugar
4tbsp/60ml/quarter cup plain flour
6 eggs, separated
For the coating
8oz/225g plain chocolate
8oz/225g double cream

Recipe
1. Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease and line an 8" cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or on low heat in a microwave. Once melted mix in the butter and stir until melted. Remove from the double boiler.
3. Mix in the sugar, flour and lightly beaten egg yolks.
4. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until white and stiff.
5. Gently fold half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Then fold in the rest.
6. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes. There will be a thin crust on the outside and when tested using a skewer, it most likely won't come out clean as the inside will still seem uncooked, however the cake gets more firm when it has cooled.
7. Allow to cool for a while until the tin can be handled and the cake removed safely. Remove the greaseproof paper. The cake will most likely sink slightly, mine deflated from a large dome to a level top.
8. Set up a new double boiler and melt the chocolate and cream together until well blended. Leave to cool for a little while then spread smoothly over the top and sides of the cake.