Paradise Cake

Servings: 8-10

INGREDIENTS

• 230g Butter, diced, plus extra, softened, for greasing
• 450g Good-quality dark, sugar-free chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 8 eggs, Fridge-cold
• Cocoa powder, for dusting

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Butter the base and sides of a 20-cm deep spring form cake tin and line the base with baking parchment. Brush some butter on the baking parchment and wrap foil tightly all around the outside of the tin to make it watertight. Set aside.
2. Put the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl isn’t touching the water. Leave until completely melted, stirring occasionally, then remove the bowl from the pan, stir in the vanilla and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, put the eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a mixing bowl and electric hand-held whisk) and whisk for about 10 minutes, until quadrupled in volume. 
4. Gently fold a small amount of whisked egg into the melted chocolate mixture. Once incorporated, add the rest of the whisked egg in three separate additions, folding in each very gently until fully incorporated.
5. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, without pressing or spreading it. Place the tin inside a larger one and fill the larger one with hot water to come about halfway up the wrapped tin. This is a water bath and it helps to bake the cake gently and evenly. 
6. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 20–25 minutes, until cooked but the middle still has a wobble. Lift the cake tin from the water and place on a wire rack. Very gently remove the foil and leave the cake to cool until the tin is cool to the touch, then transfer to the fridge to chill.
7. Once chilled (and not before), run the tip of a sharp knife around the inside of the tin and release the cake from the tin. Put back in the fridge until ready to serve, then sift over a dusting of cocoa powder, cut into slices and serve with cream.