Spoil your Valentine with a sweet treat from the heart

Serves 6- 8, Prep and Cook: 1 hour, 10 mins

200g block dark cooking chocolate, chopped 125g unsalted butter, chopped 4 eggs, at room temperature, separated ½ cup caster sugar 1 cup almond meal 250g punnet strawberries, hulled, quartered Ferrero Rocher chocolates, to serve 50g dark chocolate, melted, to decorate

1 Grease a 20cm x 22cm heart-shaped springform pan. Line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above pan edge. 2 Place chocolate and butter in a large, heatproof bowl. Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool completely. 3 Beat yolks and sugar in a small bowl of an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Add to chocolate mixture with almond meal. Fold gently to combine. 4 Beat egg whites in same, clean bowl of electric mixer until soft peaks form. In two batches, fold into chocolate mixture until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. 5 Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool completely in pan. 6 To serve, remove side of pan. Transfer cake to a serving plate. Decorate with strawberries and chocolates. Spoon chocolate into a medium snap-lock bag and squeeze into one corner. Twist bag and snip tip off corner. Drizzle over top.

This Valentine’s Day, treat those you love to a delicious dessert cake