Helen Goh’s rich yet surprisingly light chocolate cake is your new gluten-free dessert

Name: Helen Goh’s rich yet surprisingly light chocolate cake is your new gluten-free dessert
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 8-10
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients: 100g dried figs, chopped roughly into 1cm pieces; 60ml sweet marsala wine (or brandy); 180g dark chocolate (60-70 per cent), chopped; 50ml strong, black coffee; 120g unsalted butter, cubed, then left to soften; 125g roasted pecans; 40g potato flour (or cornflour); ¼ tsp salt; 3 large eggs, separated; 130g sugar, divided into 100g + 30g; ⅛ tsp cream of tartar; cocoa powder, to dust the cake

Helen Goh

April 2, 2026

Time:1-2 hoursServes:8-10

This is just the cake to bring out after a long lunch or dinner: rich and deeply chocolatey, yet surprisingly light in texture, with little bursts of crunch from the fig seeds. The cake is quite fragile while warm, so make ahead (up to two days) to allow sufficient time for it to cool before serving.

Because it’s so rich, I like it simply dusted with cocoa and served with softly whipped cream, perhaps with a few fresh figs alongside. For neat slices, dip a knife in hot water and wipe dry between cuts.

Ingredients

100g dried figs, chopped roughly into 1cm pieces
60ml sweet marsala wine (or brandy)
180g dark chocolate (60-70 per cent), chopped
50ml strong, black coffee
120g unsalted butter, cubed, then left to soften
125g roasted pecans
40g potato flour (or cornflour)
¼ tsp salt
3 large eggs, separated
130g sugar, divided into 100g + 30g
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
cocoa powder, to dust the cake

To serve

300ml thickened (or pure) cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

Step 1
Grease and line the base and sides of a 23cm springform tin with baking paper.
Step 2
Put the chopped figs in a small bowl or screwtop jar, pour over the marsala, cover and set aside to macerate.
Step 3
Combine the chocolate, coffee and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool until tepid.
Step 4
Meanwhile, place pecans, potato flour and salt in a food processor and process until finely ground.
Step 5
Place the egg yolks and 100g of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until pale, thick and tripled in volume and the mixture falls in a ribbon when the whisk is lifted. Scrape into a large bowl.
Step 6
Fold about a third of the tepid chocolate mixture into the yolk mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remainder. Add the pecan mixture and fold until just combined, then stir in the figs along with the marsala.
Step 7
Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced (170C conventional).
Step 8
In a clean, dry mixer bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue whisking until soft peaks form, then gradually add the remaining 30g sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
Step 9
Fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the remaining whites until fully incorporated.
Step 10
Scrape the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted about 5cm from the edge comes out clean. The centre should remain slightly moist.
Step 11
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin before releasing and transferring to a serving plate. Dust lightly with cocoa powder.
Step 12
Just before serving, whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla until soft waves form, and serve alongside each slice.

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