Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis

Preheat the oven to 180˚C

Lightly spray the cake tin with cooking spray or brush with melted butter and line the sides and base with baking paper.

Put the chocolate, butter and vanilla in a large bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl is not touching the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Don’t let the chocolate get too hot. Cool until just warm then gently whisk in the egg yolks.

Beat the egg whites with an electric beater to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until thick and glossy but not dry.

Using a large metal spoon, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in three lots until there are no visible streaks of egg white. Take your time when folding in the egg whites as it is important to keep the mixture light and not knock all the air out.

Pour the batter into the cake tin and smooth the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top has formed a thin crust and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out with a few soft, slightly sticky crumbs. The top of the cake will be cracked. Leaving the cake in the tin, cover it with a damp piece of muslin or a brand new damp Chux cloth and cool completely. This gives the cake a lovely dense but light texture with a soft top that makes it easy to slice.

Coulis: Blend the raspberries in a food processor until smooth. Add the icing sugar and lemon juice and process again. Tip into a sieve set over a bowl and push the berries through with the back of a spoon until only the seeds are left in the sieve. Discard the seeds and pour the couli into a serving jug.

To serve: Remove the cake from the tin and gently peel off the lining paper. Place the cake on a serving plate and dust with cocoa or icing sugar. Slice, using a large knife dipped in hot water then dried. Wipe the knife clean between each slice.

Serve with the raspberry coulis and a bowl of softly whipped cream.