Thomasina Miers’ molten mole chocolate cake

Method

1. Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5 and line the cake tin with baking paper.
2. Melt the butter, sugar and dark chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. You will need a roomy bowl for this so that you can stir the mixture without spilling its precious contents. Once completely melted, take the bowl off the heat and set aside.
3. To make the mole, heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and toast the sesame seeds for about 5 minutes until lightly golden. Reserve 1 tablespoon for later, and tip the rest into a small blender with the other mole ingredients. Whizz to a paste.
4. Now add the flour, salt and baking powder to the chocolate mixture and beat in with a wooden spoon. Pour roughly a quarter of this mixture into the mole paste and mix well to loosen it, then empty this back into the chocolate, folding it in deftly so that all the wonderful nutty, smoky flavours of the paste hit the chocolate.
5. Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture, one at a time. Stir through the vanilla, chopped pecans and chocolate chips (if using), reserving a small handful of the pecans for the topping. Scatter the reserved pecans and sesame seeds over the top and bake in the middle of the oven for 35 minutes. It should still look a little squidgy, but that’s OK. It will keep cooking a little once out of the oven, and will settle as it cools.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature with a bowl of thick cream or crème fraîche, or just as it is. Store in a cake tin, in a cool, dry place for up to 3 days.