This year's bumper crop of blackberries has inspired a new twist on a classic dessert: a flourless chocolate cake that incorporates the foraged fruit. The recipe, adapted from the River Cafe's famous chocolate nemesis cake, uses the whole blackberry, including soft and squishy berries that are still juicy and fine to cook with.
The cake combines melted dark chocolate and butter with a blackberry puree, which is then folded into whisked eggs and sugar. This creates a moussey, intense texture with a bright acidity that cuts through the chocolate's richness. The cake is baked in a bain-marie to protect it from the oven's heat and maintain a uniform texture.
To make the cake, chop 180g of 70%-plus cocoa dark chocolate and 125g of butter into small pieces. Melt them together in a bowl over hot water, ensuring the bowl does not touch the water. Meanwhile, whisk 3 medium eggs with 150g of unrefined sugar for five minutes until doubled in volume. Mash 150g of blackberries and stir into the melted chocolate, then gently fold the mixture into the eggs.
Pour the batter into a lined 20cm cake tin, top with extra whole blackberries if desired, and place the tin inside a larger tin. Pour just-boiled water into the outer tin to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the cake tin. Bake at 170C (150C fan) for 30 minutes until just set. Cool, then refrigerate for a few hours before slicing with a hot knife. Serve with extra blackberries and live yoghurt, creme fraiche or double cream.
