I seem to be more than fond of an old flourless chocolate cake. So here we have an Easter themed chocolate cake from the cake deity Nigella. This one, however, is even lighter than my standard torte. We’re heading into almost healthy territory here, the cake doesn’t even contain nuts. It’s also marvelously easy to make for the relative deliciouslness and falls somewhere between a brownie and a fluffy thing.

Just as well, as it happens, as a plague has descended over the house. Everyone has had their energy stolen. I’ve tried to reason with my boys, explaining just how thoroughly tired Mummy is. They seem not to care. I’ll get my own back when they’re teenagers.

On a new house note, I fancied some gabions for our back garden. You don’t know what a gabion is? How embarrassing for you. They’re the wire cages that hold scandalous amounts of rock together in an effort to retain great slopes. For our meager 8m run we need 18 tons of rock. Scandalous ay? My husband will have so much fun carrying it all, by hand, up the back garden.

But for now, cake.

Oven temperature 180 Celsius

Dark chocolate               250g

Butter                               125g

Eggs                                  6 (2 whole and 4 separated)

Caster sugar                   175g (100g for the whites and 75g for the yolk mix)

Topping;

Dark chocolate               125g

Cream                              250ml

Mini eggs                        lots + contingency amount you’ll eat as you decorate

Preheat the oven and line a 23cm, springform round tin.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, adding in the butter towards the end so they melt together. Beat them gently to a smooth deliciousness.

Whisk the egg whites with 100g of the caster sugar to form stiff peaks – yes, add all the sugar in at the start.

In a separate bowl whisk the 2 whole eggs and the 4 egg yolks with the remaining 75g of caster sugar till nicely pale and fluffy.

Fold the cooled chocolatey mix into the egg yolk mix.

Add one third of the egg whites into the now chocolatey bowl and stir quickly but softly .

Empty in the remaining egg whites and fold it all gently together.

Finally, pour the batter into your prepared tin and pop everything into the oven. It’ll take about 40mins, you want the top to have a good amount of cracks and for the centre to have just stopped wobbling.

As your cake cools make the topping.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave and leave to one side to cool.

Beat the cream to stiff peaks.

Gently fold the COOLED chocolate into the cream.

*don’t try any other way of making this, I did and that’s why my topping is lumpy in the photos*

Dollop the entire lot over the un-tinned cake and throw mini eggs at it.