Fudgy Chocolate Meringue Cake – yes please!

Serves 10, Prep and Cook: 1 hour, 15 mins

200g block dark cooking

chocolate, chopped 150g unsalted butter, chopped 1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup plain flour

2 tblsps cocoa powder

½ cup Milk Choc Bits Vanilla ice-cream, to serve

MERINGUE

3 egg whites, at room temperature

¾ cup caster sugar

½ cup Dark Choc Melts, melted, cooled slightly

1 Invert the base of a 22.5cm springform pan (base measures 21cm). Grease and line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 5cm above pan edge.

2 Combine cooking chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl. Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted.

3 Remove bowl from pan.

Stir sugar into warm mixture. Cool for 15 minutes.

4 One at a time, whisk eggs into chocolate mixture. Add combined sifted flour and cocoa. Whisk until smooth. Stir in Choc Bits. Pour into pan. Spread evenly.

5 Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) for 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Set aside while making meringue. Reduce oven to slow (150C).

6 To make meringue, beat egg whites in small bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in 1 tblsp sugar at a time, beating well after each addition, until dissolved. Beat for a further 2 to 3 minutes, or until smooth and glossy.

7 Pour melted chocolate over meringue. Using a large metal spoon, fold through twice only to create a marbled effect. Spoon over warm cake in pan.

8 Cook in slow oven for about 30 minutes, or until meringue is crisp. Turn off oven. Cool cake in oven with door ajar for 20 minutes. Remove. Cool to room temperature.

9 Remove side of pan. Transfer cake to a serving plate.

Serve cake with ice-cream.