24 November, 2010

Oscar's Cloud Cake - It's originally a Nigella recipe. I call it 'Oscar's' as it works best when he makes it with me.

You'll need:
250g dark chocolate
125g butter, unsalted if you have it - don't stress it if you don't
6 eggs, 2 whole and 4 separated.
175g caster sugar
2 tbsp cointreau
23cm spring form tin
3 bowls - biggish

For the cream topping
500ml double cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cointreau
.5 tsp cocoa for sprinkling

Then you:
Preheat your oven to 180c/gas 4.
Line bottom of tin (I line the sides as well - there's no reason for this I just do).
Melt chocolate, place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't actually touch the water.  Then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.  
In a separate bowl beat the two whole eggs and four egg yolks with 75g of the sugar.  Beat it until it's at least double in size and light, fluffy and pale looking.
Then gently add the chocolate mixture and the cointreau.  Make sure everything is mixed together but don't beat it so much that you knock all the air out of your eggs.
In another bowl (so much washing up) whisky the egg whites until foamy and gradually add the remaining 100g of sugar.  Whisk until the eggs hold shape but not dry looking or too stiff.
Fold the eggs into the chocolate mixture.  I find that if you whisk the first big spoonful in without being too gentle it means that you can fold the remaining egg in easier and quicker.
Pour into the prepared tin and cook for 35 to 40 minutes.

Here's the thing:
When you look into the oven at your cake baking it's going to look all shiny and puffed up and gorgeous then, when the cooking time is up, you'll take it out of the oven and . .  . AAAAGH, it's cracked.  It's meant to.  Then, this really freaked me out the first time, it'll collapse in on itself.  Don't panic.  That's why it's called a cloud.  You fill the crater with your cream.  Utterly, utterly divine.  

For the topping:
Whip the double cream, to which you have already added the vanilla extract and the cointreau, until it's nice and light and fluffy.  Whip it enough to hold it's shape but not so much it's lumpy.  You'll know what I mean by over-whip when you see it.  Even if you do get to the lump stage don't panic.  Just dollop it into the crater and smooth out.  Sprinkle with cocoa and wait for the praise that is about to come pouring your way.

3 comments:

  1. Oh my heavens! I love this recipe! IT looks delicious and I adore cointreau. Kudos...! - Megan

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  2. Cheers Megan, seriously give it a go. It's so, so gorgeous. One of the first Nigella recipes I made that worked. Yay for Oscar.

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