Chocolate & Prune Cake Revised

I'm not a chocoholic but I adore a piece of seriously dark chocolate (+/-cake) with coffee in the morning.  I search continually for the ultimate chocolate cake to feed my pals at dinner. Moro do a cardamom one which you love or hate.  So in my new Ursula Ferrigno book I found Ursula's search echos my own.  And this could be it - tried and tested on Sat night to a 100% yum rating.  Don't be put off by the prunes - by the time you've brandied them they are a far call from English hotel breakfast prunes (which I actually love!)

Paula

Torta di Prugne e Cioccolato

• 200g vv good prunes halved and stoned (just buy the ready to eat soft ones)
• 4tbsp brandy
• 200g 70%+cocoa solids choc in small pieces - only ever Green & Black's if you ask me
• 25g good cocoa powder - G&B's again
• 175g dark muscovado sugar
• 4 large free range egg whites
• 75g plain flour

Put prunes in a small bowl + brandy soak for 2+ hours (chef's tip - put in a small plastic bag and tie securely then mush it about as you pass. Gets brandy right in to prunes and saves washing up).

Serves 8. Oven 190C/375F/Gas 5.  Line base and side of a 20cm spring form cake tin with baking parchment.

Put chocolate, cocoa powder, 150g sugar, 150ml boiling water into a large bowl and stir until melted & smooth.

Whisk egg whites in a separate large bowl until stiff. Gradually whisk in remaining sugar. Sift flour over mix and fold in gently using large metal spoon, until flour is nearly incoroporated. (Stir the choc mix occasionally).

1/4 egg mix into choc mix - stir well.  Pour choc mix into egg mix and carefully fold in until texture becomes loose. Pour into prepared tin.

Scatter prunes over top & bake for 30-35 mins, or until sponge is just firm and risen up around prunes (this didn't happen to me so check with a cake spike until it comes out cleanish - don't over cook). Leave to cool in tin.

Now this next bit you might want to skip, I tried it and it wasn't that successful but the cake was +yum anyway.

• 1tspn espresso ground coffee
• 25g caster sugar
• 1tbsp lemon juice

Place coffee & sugar in a small heavy based pan with lemon juice and 150ml water. Heat gently until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil & cook for 3-5 mins until mix thickens and becomes syrupy. Strain and serve spooned over the cake.

Here endeth Ursula's truly sublime cake.  I just had to hide those unsunken prunes from some of my disbelieving mates so:

Serving the masterpiece: Turn it out upside down and sift vv good cocoa powder over.  Then Iain suggested putting those little chocolate espresso beans in a pile in the centre.  And it was very very beautiful and very very yum.