Sunken Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Gently heat the prunes and Marsala over a low heat until hot. Remove from the heat and leave for about 1 hr or until the prunes have absorbed almost all of the liquid. Whizz the prunes and any remaining booze in a food processor until roughly chopped.
• Butter and line the base of a 20cm springform tin. Dust with cocoa, tip out any excess and reserve. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir in the prune mix.
• Whisk the sugars, 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks until pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold the chocolate mixture and vanilla into the egg mixture, then sift over the ground almonds, flour and remaining cocoa. Fold until everything is combined.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 mins or until a light crust has formed. Allow to cool in the tin - it will sink and crack as it cools. Remove from the tin and dust with cocoa before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 4 cups in a jumbo nonstick muffin pan, leaving the 2 center cups empty. Coat lightly with sugar, and set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl; set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally, until melted and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Combine the 4 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Stir in the melted chocolate-and-butter mixture.
• Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff and shiny but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, and bake until set and slightly springy to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in pan; carefully run a knife around edges of cakes, and unmold. Serve each with a scoop of coffee ice cream.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
• Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
• Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
• Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
• Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
• Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 - 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit).
• Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
• To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
• Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
• Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 4 cups in a jumbo nonstick muffin pan, leaving the 2 center cups empty. Coat lightly with sugar, and set aside. Place the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl; set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally, until melted and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Combine the 4 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
• Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff and shiny but not dry. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups, and bake until set and slightly springy to the touch, about 25 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the pan; carefully run a knife around the edges of the cakes, and unmold. Serve each cake with a scoop of coffee ice cream.

Steps:

• Set oven rack to lowest possible position in oven.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Have ready a greased 8-9" springform pan lined with parchment paper.
• Put chocolate pieces into a large microwaveable bowl and cook on HIGH for 1 minute,stir, and continue cooking for 30 seconds, then stir again,repeat as needed until smooth& melted.
• Set melted chocolate- still in cooking bowl- over another bowl filled with HOT water on counter.
• Meanwhile, beat egg whites,adding just 1/4 cup of the sugar gradually, until stiff peaks form- they will appear shiny.
• In another bowl,cream the butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until fluffy.
• Add egg yolks and beat for 1 minute.
• Add finely ground nuts (they should be almost like a gritty powder) and the brandy and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Now, your chocolate should still be slightly warm, but no longer burning hot- add just a bit at a time to the butter mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula to combine well until all is added.
• Fold just 1/4 of the chocolate butter mixture into the egg whites.
• Next, gently pour the now chocolatey egg white mixture into the remaining chocolate butter mixture and fold very gently- you don't want to crush down the egg whites.
• (This whole back and forth procedure is essential to keeping the egg whites from getting crushed and to avoid cooking the eggs into scrambled eggs.) Pour carefully into the springform pan.
• Bake 40-45 minutes if using an 8" pan, slightly less for the 9" pan (about 35-40 minutes).
• Cake is ready when a toothpick comes out with thick, moist but NOT wet crumbs stuck to it- it should NOT come out clean.
• Let cake cool in pan 30 minutes- the cake will sink considerably.
• Remove outer ring of pan and invert cake onto a platter.
• -peel off the parchment.
• Sprinkle with some additional granulated sugar (or powdered sugar).
• This should be served warm, with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top, and a garnish of fresh berries in season.
• It is moist in texture- more like a fudgey brownie than a fluffy cake texture.
• Leftovers should be kept in the fridge.
• If you need to make this in advance, set the cake out on the counter about 30 minutes before serving to bring it to room temperature.
• Garnish just before serving or the whipped cream will weep and make a mess all over the cake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place almonds in processor. Using on/off turns, blend until nuts are coarsely ground.
• Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Microwave chocolate and butter in small bowl on high 30 seconds; stir. Microwave until almost melted, about 30 seconds longer. Stir to combine. Cool chocolate mixture until barely lukewarm but still liquid, about 5 minutes. Whisk egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until blended. Mix in orange peel, ground almonds, and chocolate mixture.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in another large bowl until mixture is thick and glossy and peaks form. Fold egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (about 1/3 cup batter in each). Bake until edges are firm and tops are cracked all over, about 16 minutes for very soft cake or about 22 minutes for firmer cake. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm in microwave in 10-second intervals before serving.