Gooey chocolate cake
See this recipe step by step

Gooey chocolate cake

Gordon Ramsay serves up a rich and sumptuous, but not heavy, chocolate cake. See how to make it step by step.

Difficulty and servings

For the keen cook

Makes 1 x 24cm cake

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Takes about 2 hours - worth every minute

Method

  1. Grease and bottom line a 24cm spring form cake tin. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas. Melt 120g chocolate in a bowl. Cool for 5 mins, then beat in egg yolks. In a bowl, beat the butter and 100g sugar until soft and creamy. Mix in the melted chocolate and yolks.
  2. Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks then beat in remaining 120g sugar in three batches and continue whisking until stiff. Beat a third of the meringue into the chocolate mix. Then, gently fold in alternate spoonfuls of the flour and remaining meringue.
  3. Spoon into the tin, level and bake 40-45 mins until the top forms a light crust. Test the centre with a metal skewer, it should come out clean. Remove, cool 10 mins, before turning out of the tin. When cooled, cut in half carefully as it is fragile, with a large serrated knife.
  4. To make the filling: in a bowl beat the double cream until thickened, but not stiff. Then mix in the crème fraîche and the zest.
  5. Spread one half of the cake with all the zesty cream and sandwich together with the other half. Place on a rack with a large plate beneath.
  6. To make the ganache icing: break up the chocolate into a pan and add the double cream. Melt over the lowest heat and stir until smooth, then cool until the consistency of thick pouring cream. Pour over the cake.
  7. Let excess icing run onto the plate and spoon it back over to fill any gaps. Spread the icing evenly on the top and around the sides using the back of a spoon or a palette knife. While the icing sets sprinkle the grated chocolate on top and around the sides.
  8. Make the curls: You will need a large block of chocolate. Ensure the chocolate is at warm room temperature and placed on a worktop. Gordon used a sharp knife to make the curls, but it's easier to draw a swivel vegetable peeler down the side of a thick block of chocolate.
  9. Place a large ring cutter (about 10cm) in the centre of the cake and fill with the chocolate curls. Carefully remove the ring and let the curls cascade gently out. Serve at room temperature. If chilled ahead the cake should be allowed to come to room temperature before serving.
Try

To melt chocolate easily

Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and place over a pan of gently simmering water, stirring until smooth. Do not overheat. Alternatively, break the chocolate into a microwave-proof bowl and heat in the microwave for 2-3 mins on Medium, stirring every so often until smooth.

Serving suggestion

If you prefer not to split and fill the cake, serve the zesty cream separately.

662 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 58g, fat 46 g, saturated fat 26g, fibre 2g, sugar 45.5g, salt 0.54 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2006.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 21-29

  • Binder photo Danni

    10 September 2010

    Danni commented on this recipe

    I have made this cake several times and if you like chocolate cake it is lovely, really lite and moist. The cooking times are a little out, i have to cook on a higher temp for a little longer but as all people who cook know, cooking times may vairy! Really is a great cake all people i make it for love it, as a special extra i sometimes drizzle with a good amaretto, this goes very well with the dark chocolate.

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  • Binder photo Mags

    26 September 2010

    Mags commented on this recipe

    can this cake be frozen after baking and then defrosted and iced at a later date? Please answer quick its in the oven!!!

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  • Binder photo MUSIC.MADNESS*27*

    21 February 2011

    MUSIC.MADNESS*27* commented on this recipe

    i added lemon zest and some british stawberrys to the fillling , just that and cream then i was cheeky and mixed in a few mini marshmallows to the mixture before cooking!!! gor, blimey it was SUPERB the textures just right and eating it warm fortunately ends up with the mini-marshmallows being steatchy and mmmm... one on the yummiest things you could possible eat!!! add some 'smarties' on top with a smidge of buttercream icing to stick it on, if your feeling genourous have a thin layer of brown buttercream icing(chocolate flaoured works best) and grate some choc, its soo nice!!! just not if your trying to, lose weight!!! oh yeh! try dipped in creme fraice i havent but it sound good, maybe drizzle with greek yougourt??? Ideas ideas i could go on 4eva and evaaaaaaa!!!!

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  • Binder photo vhoracek

    15 May 2011

    vhoracek rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Lulubell

    25 November 2011

    Lulubell commented on this recipe

    Am going to make this...................Nervous because of all the comments but should be good (: Will update afterwards...

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  • Binder photo Pooki

    13 June 2012

    Pooki commented on this recipe

    I made this cake last night. It took my friend and I a good 2 hours to make it. It's a lot of work I must say - not your 'run of the mill' kind of cake. Also, I read the comments and decided to only make half of the cream filling - which was enough. I wouldn't have wanted any more than half the suggested amount. I took this cake into work for a colleague's leaving party. It tasted amazing and everybody commented on how lovely the cake was. They didn't believe that I had made it! Anyway, its the worth the hard work because it tastes amazing. Not a cake I would make often though! Happy baking!

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  • Binder photo RJolly

    27 July 2012

    RJolly commented on this recipe

    I made this for someone's birthday and was completely embarrassed because everyone thought the lime cream was disgusting, myself included. Actual sponge and decoration was perfect but I would definitely leave out the lime next time.

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  • Binder photo Honza

    18 November 2012

    Honza rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo shadagasta

    09 December 2012

    shadagasta rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely delicious !!!!

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Difficulty and servings

For the keen cook

Makes 1 x 24cm cake

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Takes about 2 hours - worth every minute

Indulgent and impressive

Ingredients

  • 120g dark chocolate , 70% cocoa solids
  • 5 eggs , separated
  • 200g butter , softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 220g caster sugar
  • 90g plain flour , sifted, plus extra for dusting

FOR THE FILLING

  • 284ml pot double cream
  • 200g pot half-fat crème fraîche
  • 2 limes or 1 lemon, grated zest only

FOR THE GANACHE ICING

  • 150g dark chocolate
  • 142ml pot double cream
  • 25g grated chocolate , to serve
  • about 100g chocolate shaved into curls, to serve
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662 kcalories, protein 8g, carbohydrate 58g, fat 46 g, saturated fat 26g, fibre 2g, sugar 45.5g, salt 0.54 g

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