Rich, indulgent and wonderfully intense, Chocolate Nemesis is one of the iconic desserts from London’s famous River Café. With its deep chocolate flavour and silky, truffle-like texture, it’s a true showstopper that’s surprisingly simple to make. This recipe was one of the highlights of our Village Bakers Baking Masterclass in July 2026, where members mastered the techniques needed to create this elegant dessert before enjoying a well-earned slice together.

INGREDIENTS

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 130°C. Use greaseproof paper to line the base of a round cake tin.

Beat the eggs with 63g of caster in a free-standing electric mixer until the volume quadruples – this will take at least 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of boiling water. The water should not touch the base of the bowl. Remove from the heat.

Heat the 126g sugar in a small pan with 80ml water until the sugar has completely dissolved to a syrup, stirring occasionally. Gently pour the syrup into the melted chocolate, stirring.

Reduce the speed of the mixer and slowly add the warm chocolate and syrup mixture to the eggs. Increase the speed and continue beating until completely combined. The mixture will lose volume.

Pour into the cake tin and place in a bain-marie (bath of hot water). For the cake to cook evenly, it is essential that the water level comes at least two-thirds up the side of the tin. Bake for 1hr 25min or until set.

Remove the cake tin from the water. Leave the cake in the tin to go completely cold before turning out (don’t refrigerate it).

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Recipe Credit: The River Cafe