When I moved to the south of France as an exchange student, the family next door to mine was also hosting a foreign student – a Brazilian named Claudia. She knew two words in French: ‘plus tard’ (later), meaning ‘we’ll talk about that later when I learn more French.’ Lucky for everyone she was a quick study and we didn’t have to wait too long, especially as she had beauties like this chocolate cake recipe to share with us!

Nega Maluca (literally ‘Crazy Negress’) is a dense and not-too-sweet cake and (according to Claudia) is often served at Brazilian parties to ‘help soak up the alcohol’. Perhaps that’s why the recipe makes such a large cake – enough to feed an entire samba troupe! It’s also, as you will notice, not a gourmet recipe. It calls for oil instead of butter, water and instant drinking chocolate (she used Nesquik so that’s what I use, or equivalent). But trust me, this cake impresses even the most die-hard food snobs I’ve encountered. A guaranteed crowd-pleaser, it has become a standard at our family celebrations.  At Easter I decorate the top with those beautiful little speckled chocolate eggs in pastel colours.  For a female birthday, I use fresh (edible) flowers such as violets, rose petals or nasturtium.  You can also use fresh fruit or leave it bare – it’s fab just as it is!

As for Claudia, I have seen her just once since our exchange year ended 20 years ago. We rarely write or talk anymore and yet we’re still very much connected – soul-mates you might say. Once, after almost a year without contact, she was on my mind more than usual and I decided to call her. She picked up the phone and, instead of the usual greeting in Portuguese, she said ‘C’est toi?’. She had been thinking of me for a week and knew, when the phone rang that day, who it was on the other end. And so whenever I make Nega Maluca I think of my dear friend, my split-apart across the seas whom I miss incredibly (can you tell?). Perhaps that’s why I make it so often.

Claudia's used and abused recipe.