Chocolate cake with sour cream
This indulgent dessert is taken from Jackson Boxer's new London restaurant, Vesper. For this recipe, Jackson weighs the eggs rather than counting them, as it’s more accurate and ensures a better finish. To make sure you have enough eggs for the recipe, get a dozen.
Other recipes from Vesper published on the House & Garden website include a simple green salad with Spenwood cheese, Jackson's take on roast chicken with bread sauce – and of course the classic Vesper martini.
The House & Garden archive is full of chocolate recipes, from Mark Kempson's spiced pumpkin chocolate brownies to Dominique Woolf's soy sauce chocolate pots.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 10-12
Ingredients
For the pastry
For the cake
To serve
Preparation
Step 1
Begin with the pastry. Put the yolks and sugar in a large bowl and use electric beaters to whisk until pale and thick.
Step 2
In a separate bowl, use your hands to rub the flour into the butter. Keep going until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg mixture and quickly bring the dough together with a spoon or your hands.
Step 3
Wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Step 4
Heat the fan oven to 180˚C/mark 6. Flour your work surface and rolling pin.
Step 5
Roll the pastry out to 2mm thickness. Line the base of a 24cm springform cake tin. Cut the pastry to the size of the base of the tin. Place the pastry round in the base of the tin. Cover with a slightly bigger round of baking parchment and baking beans. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Remove from the oven, remove the beans and paper, and leave to cool.
Step 6
Meanwhile, turn the oven up to 200˚C fan/mark 7. Now make the cake batter.
Step 7
Put the butter and the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Put an inch of water in a small saucepan and sit it over a medium heat. Place the bowl on top. Melt the butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool a little.
Step 8
Put the eggs, yolks and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until really fluffy.
Step 9
Fold a third of the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest. Mix until completely combined, then scrape into the cake tin. Cook in the hotter oven for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature in the tin. Place in the fridge and chill.
Step 10
When you come to serve, cut using a hot knife. Warm the slices in the oven for 3 minutes to soften the cake. Serve with sour cream.
