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Lucy Ackroyd
Jan 10, 20233 min read

Chocolate Nemesis

The best 4 ingredient recipe ever.


In 2014 I was a bridesmaid at my cousins wedding. It was a beautiful day in July, and she looked stunning. The wedding reception was in a marquee with blue bunting and twinkly fairy lights. Children played giant Jenga outside, whilst the adults waited impatiently for their turn.


Of course, the food was fantastic. Canapes included mini Yorkshire puddings and roast beef. For mains there was a rainbow of salads and delicate hot smoked salmon. And for dessert there was something that was about to blow everyone’s mind. At first glance we thought this was simply a gooey chocolate cake. But then when we started to eat it, we started to question…is it a cake? Is it a mousse? Is it a brownie?

It is a Chocolate Nemesis.


This dessert was invented by The River Café, so I take zero credit for this recipe. However, I had to put this on the blog because it is truly, truly delicious. Not only this, but it has only 4 ingredients and is easy to put together. It’s perfect for a dinner party as you can make it ahead and pop it in the fridge until needed.


It’s absolutely delicious and needs no frills, the chocolate speaks for itself. Please give it a go.


Chocolate Nemesis

Serves 8 (because people WILL have seconds)


Ingredients

  • 340g chocolate pieces or choc broken up – 70% dark couverture

  • 225g unsalted butter

  • 5 eggs

  • 210g caster sugar


(notes, variations and substitutions below the method)


Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 120 degrees c (yes it seems very low)

  2. Butter and line a 23 – 25 cm cake tin with baking paper (if you are using a spring form cake tin, wrap some foil around the cake tin so as to prevent any water leaking in). Ideally use a non-spring form. Just butter it.

  3. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a bowl which is set over some boiling water, but don’t over heat and don’t allow the bowl to touch the hot water and remove from heat as soon as the chocolate is almost all melted. Then stir off the heat until its all melted (a good quality chocolate will melt easily and quickly as I learned on the Lindt petit gateaux course)

  4. Beat the eggs and 70gms of the sugar with an electric mixer until the volume expands to roughly 4 times

  5. Heat the remaining 140gms of sugar with 100ml of water until dissolved and allow it to boil for about 1 -2 minutes (it will be a light syrup)

  6. Pour this syrup into the chocolate and butter mixture and allow to cool a little bit

  7. Pour the chocolate into the egg mixture and mix through until all combined and then pour into the baking tin

  8. Take a piece of tin foil and wrap this around the cake tin. It will prevent any water leaking in.

  9. Put a folded tea towel into the bottom of a deep sided oven dish and place the cake on this (top tip which prevents the cake from slipping)

  10. Pour hot water in to the pan so that it comes 3/4 of the way up the sides of the pan (I used mainly boiling water but also added tap water to bring the temp down from boiling to hot)

  11. Bake for 50 minutes until set and allow the cake to cool in the pan of water before removing and turning out. To turn out just tap it hard.


Notes, substitutions and variations:

  • Chocolate: You need to use dark chocolate and the darker the better, however I often only have the Tesco value 50% plain chocolate and this seems to work fine. I tried it with white chocolate – not a success, don’t go there.

  • Sugar: I’ve used granulated white sugar which has been fine too.


Variations:

  • Raspberry: just before putting it in the oven pop a few fresh raspberries in the mixture. Or you can use thawed, frozen raspberries.

  • Orange: Add the zest of 1 orange or ½ tsp – 1 tsp orange extract. Delicious!

  • Peanut butter: Dollop tsp of peanut butter throughout the mixture just after you’ve put it in the tin.


 

//Chocolate Nemesis//

Is it a cake? Is it a mousse? Is it a brownie? It is a Chocolate Nemesis.

Make it. Taste it. Your life will never be the same again.


Recipe link in my bio



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