Ingredients for 25 x 35 cm (about 10 x 14-inch) baking pan:
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 packets vanilla sugar, optional
6 tbsp chocolate drink powder, such as Israeli-style Shokolit
Pinch of salt
1 cup oil
1 cup boiling water
2 cups flour
1 packet (10 grams) baking powder
Plenty of pomegranate seeds, for garnish
For the chocolate sauce:
100 grams (3.5 ounces) dark chocolate
250 ml (about 1 cup) heavy cream or non-dairy whipping cream
1 packet vanilla sugar
Soft chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and pomegranate seeds
(Photo: Shir chip Ashkenazi)
Preparation:
- Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F) on convection.
- Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high speed. The mixture can also be whisked by hand.
- Add the chocolate drink powder, sifting it into the bowl if necessary, along with the salt, and mix gently. Add the oil and boiling water and mix again. The batter will look quite thin at this stage, which is exactly as it should.
- Add the flour and baking powder and mix only until the batter is smooth and combined. Stop mixing as soon as no visible lumps of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into a greased or parchment-lined pan and bake for about 40 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the center. The cake is ready when it comes out with moist crumbs attached. Do not wait until the toothpick comes out completely dry, or the cake may become dry.
- Toward the end of the baking time, prepare the sauce. Place the chocolate, cream and vanilla sugar in a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring constantly. Continuous stirring is the key to a smooth, glossy sauce. Once the chocolate has fully melted and the sauce resembles a thick, shiny syrup, after about 3 minutes, remove from the heat.
- Pour the chocolate sauce over the cake and leave it to cool.
- Just before serving, scatter generously with pomegranate seeds, which help balance the sweetness of the chocolate. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Tips
- Instead of chocolate drink powder, use 4 tablespoons cocoa powder plus 2 tablespoons sugar.
- The boiling water can be replaced with 1 cup of hot black coffee, which intensifies the chocolate flavor. For a festive variation, use 1/2 cup boiling water and 1/2 cup pomegranate juice at room temperature.
- It is best to prepare the cake, including the sauce, the night before. Cover and leave at room temperature, or refrigerate if the house is warm. The sauce will partially soak into the cake and the flavor will improve.
- If refrigerated, take the cake out about an hour before serving so it can return to room temperature.