Equipment
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 150 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
- 120 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 130 g all-purpose flour
- 50 g almond flour
- 20 g cocoa powder
- 8 g baking powder
- 2 g salt
Fruit & Garnish
- 250 g fresh strawberries, washed and hulled
- powdered sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease the springform pan with butter and dust lightly with flour or cocoa powder to prevent sticking.
Melt the chopped dark chocolate and cubed butter together using a double boiler or in short bursts in the microwave. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
Dice 200g of the strawberries into small 1cm pieces. Slice the remaining 50g into halves for decoration. Toss the diced strawberries in a teaspoon of flour (taken from the total amount) to prevent them from sinking.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer for 3-5 minutes until pale, fluffy, and tripled in volume (ribbon stage).
Gently fold the cooled melted chocolate mixture into the egg foam using a rubber spatula. Do not overmix to preserve the air bubbles.
Sift the flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt directly over the batter. Fold gently until just combined.
Add the flour-dusted diced strawberries and fold them in with 2-3 gentle strokes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and arrange the halved strawberries on top, cut side up.
Bake in the center of the oven for 40-50 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before releasing the springform ring. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Room temperature eggs whip up significantly better than cold ones, creating a lighter structure to support the heavy chocolate and fruit.
- Using almond flour is a classic Italian technique that adds moisture and nutty complexity, keeping the cake fresh for longer.
- If your strawberries are very tart, macerate them in a tablespoon of sugar for 10 minutes before draining and adding to the batter.
- This cake tastes even better the next day as the moisture from the strawberries migrates into the chocolate crumb.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 1 month — Wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and foil.
Reheating: Bring to room temperature before serving for best texture.
