3/11/2021 World’s Best Chocolate Cake Recipe - NYT Cooking

World’s Best Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh
Adapted by Yotam Ottolenghi

Y I E L D 12 servings

TIME 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling

The recipe for this cake, adapted from "Sweet" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh, first appeared in an article
written about Ms. Goh when she ran her cafe, the Mortar & Pestle, in Melbourne, Australia. Rather intimidatingly for
her, the headline for the article was "World’s Best Chocolate Cake." It could actually be called lots of things: “world’s
easiest cake,” possibly, requiring nothing more than one large bowl to make it all in. Or “most versatile cake,” given
that it can be served without icing and just a light dusting of cocoa powder, or dressed up to the nines, as it is here,
with a thin layer of chocolate ganache and served with espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream. In the Ottolenghi shops
in London, it is smaller and goes by the name Take-Home Chocolate Cake, designed to be shared by four people after a
meal. This larger version is no less delicious, and keeps well for four to five days. As with any baking project, you
should weigh your ingredients in grams for the best results. —Yotam Ottolenghi

INGREDIENTS PREPARATION

FOR THE CAKE: Step 1

1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons/250
grams unsalted butter (2 sticks plus
1 1/2 tablespoons), at room
temperature and cut into 3/4-inch/2-
centimeter cubes, plus extra for
greasing the pan
7 ounces/200 grams dark chocolate
(70 percent cocoa solids), chopped
into 3/4-inch/2-centimeter pieces
1 ½ teaspoons instant coffee
granules, dissolved in 1 1/2 cups/350
milliliters boiling water
1 ¼ cups/250 grams granulated
sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons/240
grams self-rising flour (see note)
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9-
inch/23-centimeter round springform pan with butter and line with
parchment paper, then set aside.
Step 2
Make the cake: Place butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large
heatproof bowl and mix well until everything is melted, combined and
smooth. Whisk in sugar by hand until dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla
extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined and smooth. Sift
flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl and then whisk this
into the melted chocolate mixture. The batter here is liquid, but don’t
think you have missed something; this is how it should be.
Step 3
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake
is cooked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with
just a few dry crumbs attached. The top will form a crust and crack a
little, but don’t worry, this is expected. Leave the cake to cool for 20
minutes before removing from the pan, then set aside until completely
cool.

⅓ cup/30 grams Dutch-processed

Step 4
cocoa powder, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons,
for dusting

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018930-worlds-best-chocolate-cake?smid=ig-nytcooking&utm_source=curalate_like2buy&utm_medium=curalate_like2buy_g… 1/2
3/11/2021 World’s Best Chocolate Cake Recipe - NYT Cooking
¼ teaspoon salt Make the chocolate ganache, if desired: Place chocolate pieces in a
food processor, process until fine and set aside. Combine cream and
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GANACHE corn syrup in a small pan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as
(OPTIONAL): bubbles begin to appear (just before it comes to a boil), remove from
the heat. Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still
7 ounces/200 grams dark chocolate inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream. Process for 10
(70 percent cocoa solids), broken or seconds, then add butter. Continue to process until mixture is shiny
chopped roughly into 3/4-inch/2- and smooth. (You can also make the ganache by hand; just make sure
centimeter pieces the chocolate is chopped fairly finely before adding the cream mixture.
Stir with a wooden spoon until almost melted, then add the butter. Stir
¾ cup/180 milliliters heavy cream
again until the ganache is smooth.)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at Step 5
room temperature Use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with
plastic wrap, with the plastic actually touching the top of the ganache.
FOR THE ESPRESSO CINNAMON Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want. If you want a thin
MASCARPONE CREAM (OPTIONAL): layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that
you get an even, light and shiny coating. For a thicker ganache with a
1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon/375 spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature.
milliliters heavy cream (The ganache can be stored at room temperature, providing it’s not too
warm, for 3 days or kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It can also be
¾ cup/190 grams mascarpone
frozen, although it will lose a bit of its shine when defrosted.)
Scraped seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod
2 ½ teaspoons finely ground Step 6
espresso Make the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, if desired: Place all
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.
2 ½ tablespoons confectioners’
sugar
Step 7
Peel the parchment from the cake and discard. Transfer to a serving
platter and spread the ganache, if using, on top of the cake. Slice into
wedges, divide the cake among plates and, if using, spoon the
mascarpone cream alongside. With or without icing, the cake will keep
well for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.

Tip
If you can’t find self-rising flour, whisk together 1 3/4 cups plus 2
tablespoons/240 grams all-purpose flour and 2 3/4 teaspoons baking
powder and use this mixture instead.

PRIVATE NOTES

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Adapted from "Sweet" by Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh (Ten Speed Press, 2017)

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018930-worlds-best-chocolate-cake?smid=ig-nytcooking&utm_source=curalate_like2buy&utm_medium=curalate_like2buy_g… 2/2