Chocolate Nemesis

A slow dance between mousse and souffle, this flourless chocolate cake is rich but not too sweet. Named Nemesis (or Invidia in Italian) for the Ancient Greek goddess who enacted retribution on those who dared to show arrogance before the gods, Marco made it the first time he ever cooked for us. That friend who “doesn’t eat dessert”? Watch them melt. 

CHOCOLATE NEMESIS RECIPE

Ingredients

• 350g of high quality dark chocolate

• 225g unsalted butter

• 5 eggs

• 300g of caster sugar

• Raspberries or strawberries to serve

Method

Cooked in an oven, in a bain-marie or water bath. 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 150 degrees

• Line a 20cm x 20cm tray with greased baking paper

• Roughly chop chocolate and butter into small pieces and combine in a metal bowl. Melt over simmering water, stirring continuously

• Separate eggs, placing yokes in one bowl, whites in another. Whisk the yokes, adding 150g of sugar as they lighten. Continue to whisk until the mixture is pale, creamy and fluffy

• Repeat with the egg whites and remaining sugar until they have the consistency of meringue; white, fluffy and thick

• When the chocolate/butter mix has cooled, use a spatula to fold it into the yolk mix until completely blended. Gently fold in the egg whites, keeping as much air as you can

• Pour the mixture into the tray, and place in a large deep oven dish. Partly fill oven dish with almost boiling water to create the bain-marie

• Carefully place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until set, allowing the cake to cool in the dish of water. Turn the cake onto a chopping board or serving plate (no need to flip it over). Add a garnish of berries and a dusting of icing sugar to serve

Marco’s Tips 

Be really gentle when folding the mixture together, keeping as much air as possible to ensure the cake is light and mousse-like when cooked.

Like it rich? Serve with white chocolate or salted caramel ice cream. Want it fresh? Serve with berry sorbet.