Rachel's recipes: Valentine's Day chocolate nemesis

This recipe was made famous by the late Rose Gray of the River Café – it is economical and unadorned and I love the brilliance of using the hot syrup to melt the butter and chocolate: smart well thought out cooking for busy people. I have made this in the US with Scharffen Berger 70 percent bittersweet when helping a friend pregnant with twins reverse an alarming week of weight loss (it worked !), I have made it with Valrhona, with Callebaut, with Willies (his chocolate not his wonka) and yes with Heidi. I have used it to line pre baked pastry cases, I have added raspberries, done a version with chilli, added cardamon and I have a version with “magiun de prune”… in short I have tested this relentlessly and it has never failed me. Essentially this is a baked flourless cake that needs to be treated very very gently and made with much love. If you like unfussy foods, damn good chocolate and indulging then try this little piece of kitchen alchemy. The only word of warning I would add is that to do the “wow” factor thing and turn it out you do need a cake tin with a removable bottom. If you do not have one, I have also made it in ramekin dishes and espresso cups. This way you are saved the nerve wracking experience of turning it out. If it cracks a little (not the cook’s fault but the oven's) dust lightly (death by inhaling cocoa dust not recommended) with cocoa powder. The original recipe is for 10-12 so I have halved it here. I love this recipe but that is a lot of chocolate cake! The cake tin should be 22cm and quite deep, ie not a tart tin. Ingredients