Chocolate fondant

 

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, minimum 65% cocoa solids, broken into small pieces
• 1 tbsp strong, hot coffee, (preferably double strength espresso)
• 200g butter, softened
• 200g caster sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 tbsp heaped plain flour

For the glaze

• 100g dark chocolate, minimum 65% cocoa solids, broken into small pieces
• 50g butter, softened
• 2 tbsp water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease and flour a 25cm diameter round cake tin.

2. For the fondant: tip the chocolate into a heatproof mixing bowl and sit it over a pan of barely simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl as the heat would be too fierce). Pour the hot coffee over the chocolate, add the butter, and stir until the chocolate and butter have melted and combined.

3. Remove the bowl from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.

4. Add the sugar and stir well, then break the eggs into the mixture, one at a time, mixing well after each egg has been added. Finally fold in the flour.

5. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, until just firm at the edges but still very moist in the centre.

6. Leave the cake to cool completely before turning out of the tin, ideally overnight.

7. For the glaze: melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (again make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl). Add the water and stir to combine.

8. Remove from the heat and allow the glaze to cool and thicken slightly, to a fudge-like consistency, then pour over the cooled cake. Set aside in a cool place for about 2 hours then serve.