Nigel Slater deserves all the credit for this wonderful recipe. I have changed virtually nothing about his original version, and present it here much how it appears in his own book, The Kitchen Diaries II. This dessert is deep, dark, and not too sweet. A spoonful of gently whipped cream is all that is required to elevate this cake from sexy to sublime, but it’s hardly necessary. I will say that it is a very soft cake, soft enough to be eaten with a spoon, messy slices smeared a little on plates. It is sensual and rich, begging to be shared with a lover. Too bad damsons are not in season for Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate Damson Cake

250 grams of excellent quality dark chocolate, the darker the better

1 cup unsalted butter

3 eggs

1/2 cup light muscovado sugar

1/2 cup golden brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 tbsp cocoa

1 pound damsons with their stones

4 tbsp water

scant 1/2 cup sugar

For the damsons, simply mix them with the water and sugar in a small heavy saucepan and bring them to a boil over medium heat, then turn the heat down and let them simmer just until they are soft. Set aside until cool, placing the saucepan into a sink of cold water if you wish to hasten the process.

When they are cool enough to handle you will need to sort – gently – through the fruit with your hands, discarding the stones without smashing all the fruit to a purée. You want a combination of chunky, pulpy damson mush and syrup. Set the fruit aside.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and line the bottom of a square cake tin with parchment. I prefer to butter the tin (and really, my “tin” is pyrex) as well as the parchment.

In a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon until it is smooth and velvety.

Meanwhile, separate the eggs, placing the whites into a large bowl and setting them aside for now. Place the yolks into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, and beat them with the sugars until the mixture becomes pale and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and butter, and stir through on low speed until it is well blended. Scrape the bowl down if necessary. Carefully add the flour and cocoa powder and blend on low speed just until mixed.

Quickly, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks (no need for a mixer here – a whisk will do nicely -) and fold them into the chocolate mixture just until blended. Do not over-mix. Scrape the mixture into the cake tin and dollop the damson pulp on top, swirling gently to marble the pulp and juices through the cake. You want a rippled effect here, not a uniform mixture.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the edges of the cake are crisp but the centre is still ever so slightly soft and a little mousse-y. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely before serving, perhaps with a little softly whipped cream.