Full question
I was making Nigella’s Chocolate Cloud Cake, I followed the recipe to the letter but when I put my cake in the oven it sort of crisped up on top. I covered with foil and left for the cooking time so it didn’t burn. When I removed it the outside had crisped up like a meringue shell and within was a soft brownie texture which sank damply once out of the heat. Whilst it was delightful it was quite far from the desired cake. What am I doing wrong? Thank you.
Our answer
Nigella's Chocolate Cloud Cake (from NIGELLA BITES is a flourless chocolate cake that is based on whisked eggs and egg whites. The cake will sink slightly when it cools and will have a damp, rather than cakey texture. From the description of the cake it sounds as if the oven temperature may have been too high. This would cause the air in the cake batter to rise quickly and the cake batter to set to a hard crust on top, but the top of the cake looks cooked while the interior is underbaked, causing the inside of the cake to sink back and have a soft, damp brownie-like texture.
The oven temperature in the recipe is for a conventional oven but if you have a fan oven then the temprature will need to be adjusted downwards following the instructions in the handbook, though usually you need to reduce the temperature by 20c. If you are using a conventional oven then bake the cake on the centre shelf, or just below the centre shelf.
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