)250g / 9 oz bitter or cooking chocolate
25g / 1 oz unsweetened chocolate or cocoa powder
2 heaped teaspoons instant coffee powder
2 tablespoons rum
50g / 2 oz icing sugar
1 dessertspoon cornflour
3 large or 4 medium eggs
a few drops vanilla essence
150ml / 1/4 pt double cream
For serving
150ml / 1/4 pt whipping cream
a few drops vanilla essence
Heat the oven to 180°C / 350°F.
Prepare a 23cm / 9 in diameter, 5cm / 2 in deep sponge or flan tin by buttering and flouring it liberally, then line with a few strips of butter paper.
Melt the chocolate(s) together with the coffee dissolved in 2 tablespoons hot water and the rum (in a bowl over a pan of boiling water). Stir till smooth and leave to cool.
Blend the cornflour into the icing sugar together with the cocoa if you are using it, and sift together twice.
Beat the eggs together lightly with the vanilla essence, thoroughly blend in the icing sugar mixture and whisk with a balloon whisk, preferably with an electric beater, until they are very thick and foamy and have at least trebled in volume.
Blend in the cooled chocolate mixture.
Whip the cream lightly and fold in carefully.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about one hour, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Turn off the oven, leave the door open and leave to cool. The cake will sink as it cools. Turn out of the tin and serve with the lightly whipped, vanilla flavoured cream.
