Chocolate fudge cake

Today was filled with un-expectations.

The first un-expectation occurred at 3:30pm when I spotted my father heading towards the very butcher shop I had just stepped out of. He then invited my husband and I over for dinner which was quite a nice surprise. I told him I would whip up a chocolate cake to bring along.

The second un-expectation occurred approximately one hour after as I was patiently waiting for a gentleman to back out of his car spot. Once the car park was vacated I began to reverse into it when an extremely rude citizen decided to drive into it and steal it from me. I sat there, staring at him through my rear view mirror with extreme indignation whilst he just shrugged his shoulders and went about shopping. I would have to say that having a car park stolen after waiting for it, with your indicator on, rates highly on my 'anger' list. I truly, and I mean truly, had to refrain myself from keying his car and then once again, from throwing sheeps milk yoghurt in his smug face when I came across him at the dairy section.

It took a little while for the steam to dissipate from my head (some venting to my husband helped greatly). On my way home to offload said groceries I saw two men with a whippet off his leash (another high rater on my list). I muttered to myself about 'irresponsible owners' and 'leashes' whilst I arrive home and packed everything away.

Fifteen minutes later I was once again in my car, on my way to pick up my husband from work when I noticed again, the same caramel whippet from before. This time, after scanning around, I noticed a woman with another two dogs also not on leashes, so I assumed the whippet must be hers. Some more muttering occurred before I drove off.

Then the third un-expectation happened on the way home, on our street, at approximately 5:25pm, when lo and behold, a caramel-coloured whippet ran in front of my car. Yes, the dog I had already seen twice ran right in front of my car as I slammed on the brakes and blared the horn. He or she then sheepishly went around to stand in front of my husbands passenger door, sad and puppy-eyed. We were only 8 houses from home so we decided to take the car back, get the local councils number and then head back to the dog to wait for them to pick it up. In the 1 minute we were gone, the dog had disappeared. We drove through the streets a couple of times before we thought that perhaps the owners had finally found their dog and taken it home, it had been loose for over an hour. Well that is what I really hope, as the thought of a lost doggie wandering the streets really saddens me.

The two following un-expected events meant that the chocolate cake intended for my father's dinner did not make it in time. His phoned us to announce the readiness of the chicken roast he had made, a good 20mins before the cake would even be ready. So alas, it was left at home, to be eaten the next day for breakfast. Of course, I did drop off a hefty chunk to my father's house, as a chocolate cake was promised, and there is nothing worse than expecting a chocolate cake and not getting one.


ease: 5/5.
prep time: 7 mins (whip eggs and get chocolate ready whilst sugar comes to a boil.)
cooking time: 1 hour.
total: 1 hour & 7mins.

taste: 4/5. This is my kind of gluten-free dessert.

The cake is lusciously fudgy as you sink your teeth through its crackled, chewy top, dusted softly with earthy cocoa. It's sweetness is understated, I believe the light muscovado sugar is to thank, as it lends just enough sweetness to soften the bitter, dark chocolate, none of that tooth achingly sugary business here.
This fallen, deep chocolate cake with gorgeous sticky textures is satisfying but also, does not have you reaching for a glass of water, as some chocolate cakes do.
It is made all the tastier by its comparative easiness and ability to be eaten by those without restrictions and those with wheat restricted diets.

The only changes I made were to use 54% dark chocolate throughout (Ryan doesn't like the deep bitterness of really dark chocolate like I now do) and to cook the batter all at once, rather than in two stages, as I was desperately trying to make the dinner deadline.

would I make it again: Yes. Yummy, and not overly dense and rich flourless chocolate cake.

recipe: Chocolate fudge cake