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FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE LIME CAKE WITH MARGARITA CREAM

There is something about a flourless chocolate cake that makes it so damn easy to eat. This is one of my fallback favourites for pudding when I have friends over for supper.

Recipe posted by Nigella

Ingredients

  • Gluten Free
  • Nigella Recipe
  • Vegetarian

CAKE

  • 150g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 150g soft unsalted butter, plus some for greasing
  • 6 eggs
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 100g ground almonds
  • 4 teaspoons best-quality cocoa powder, sifted zest and juice 1 lime icing sugar, to dust (optional)
  • 1 x 23cm springform or other round cake tin

MARGARITA CREAM

  • 60ml lime juice (2-3 limes) or from a squeezy bottle
  • 1x15 ml tablespoon tequila
  • 1x15 ml tablespoon triple sec or Cointreau
  • 75g icing sugar
  • 250ml double cream

Method

Serves: 8-10
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4, line the base of your cake tin with baking parchment and butter the sides.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter together either in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water, or in a microwave (following manufacturer’s instructions), then set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Beat the eggs and sugar together until about tripled in volume, pale and moussy. I do this using a freestanding mixer, but a hand-held electric model would be just fine too; obviously, by hand is possible but would demand tenacity and muscle.
  4. Mix the ground almonds with the cocoa powder and fold this gently into the egg and sugar mixture, followed by the slightly cooled chocolate and butter. Finally, fold in the zest and juice of your lime.
  5. Pour and scrape this mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 40–45 minutes (though start to check at 35); the cake will be just firm on top, but still have a bit of wobble underneath.
  6. Remove from the oven and sit the cake in its tin on a wire rack to cool. Once the first heat has left it, drape a clean tea towel over the cake to stop it getting too crusty, though a cracked and cratered surface is to be expected; it’s crunch I’m avoiding here.
  7. When cold, unmould, dust with icing sugar if you wish and serve with the jaunty Margarita Cream that follows.

 

MARGARITA CREAM

  1. Stir the lime juice, tequila and orange liqueur togather in a good-sized bowl, then whisk or fork in the icing sugar and let it dissolve in the sour, strong liquid.
  2. Slowly whisk in the double cream and keep whisking until you have a light, floaty, aerated mixture, then serve with the Chocolate Lime Cake above.
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Comments

  • oooooooooh that looks soooooo good! scumpshis

    Posted by danthechef on 10th Jun 2011 at 0.24

  • I've made this cake numerous times, and it's really really really good. Everybody loves it. If I don't have limes, I substitute with orange juice and zest. People remark that it tastes like a rich chocolatey jaffa. Ditto for the margarita cream- I use cointreau, orange juice and a little drop of vanilla (if I don't have limes). Everybody loves both: the lime and the orange version. Ps I've found that if you test the cake and there is a little gunge on the cake tester, don't panic and overcook the cake as the cake further sets when you take it out of the oven.

    Posted by AmyC84 on 28th Jun 2011 at 11.12

  • Have made this with great sucess. Try with fresh raspberries and creme fraiche, yummy!

    Posted by countrygirly on 23rd Aug 2011 at 19.16

  • I have made this one 4 times now and it has gained me much praise!!! I adore anything with limes and I love the subtle lime taste through the chocolate. My tip from the 4 I have made....don't microwave the chocolate and butter in a ceramic bowl - it kept too much heat and wrecked the chocolate. Once I stuck to a trusty battered old plastic bowl I was safe! xx

    Posted by 9042 on 23rd Oct 2011 at 9.38

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