Chocolate Cake

Steps

1. 1
   Start the filling the day before or at least 4 hours ahead: heat the 400 ml of cream until steaming, pour it over the 200 g of chocolate, leave for 2 minutes, stir until smooth, cover and chill.
2. 2
   Heat the oven to 175°C and line the base of a 24 cm springform tin with baking paper.
3. 3
   Whisk the eggs and sugar on high speed for 10 minutes, until tripled in volume and thick.
4. 4
   Sift the flour, cocoa and baking powder together and fold them in gently with a spatula in three additions, until no streaks remain.
5. 5
   Pour into the tin and bake for 35–40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely, then cut horizontally into three layers.
6. 6
   Boil the water and the sugar for the syrup for 2 minutes, take off the heat, stir in the vanilla and cool.
7. 7
   Whip the cold chocolate cream to soft peaks — stop at once, as it turns grainy quickly. Brush each layer with syrup and stack them with the whipped cream between, then coat the cake thinly all over and chill for 30 minutes.
8. 8
   For the glaze, heat the 150 ml of cream until steaming, pour it over the 150 g of chocolate, leave for 2 minutes and stir until glossy. Let it cool until just warm, then pour it over the top and spread it so it runs down the sides.
9. 9
   Chill for at least 2 hours before cutting.