CHOCOLATE & ORANGE MOUSSE CAKE

This lovely cake has no flour – just cocoa powder – so it is as light as a feather. For children, replace the Cointreau with orange juice. Bake it for Easter and decorate with whatever you have to hand.

Makes 12 slices

l 180g (6oz) Cadbury Bournville dark chocolate or other dark chocolate

l 6 eggs, separated

l 75g (2½oz) caster sugar

l 2-3tbsp Cointreau or other orange liqueur

l 2 level tbsp cocoa powder For the topping

l 100g (3½oz) orange milk chocolate, coarsely grated

l 1-2tbsp Cointreau liqueur

l 200ml (7fl oz) double cream, lightly whipped

l Cocoa powder, to dust You will need

l 23cm round springform cake tin

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C fan/gas 4. To base-line the tin, put baking parchment over the base of the tin, clip the ring in place, and trim the paper with scissors. Grease with butter.

Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place in a small heatproof bowl. Sit the bowl over a pan of hot water, ensuring the base doesn’t touch the surface, and stir until melted. Leave to cool slightly.

Whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk until stiff. Put the yolks and sugar into a bowl and whisk until the mixture goes light and creamy.

Pour the melted chocolate into the yolk-sugar mixture, add the Cointreau, and gently fold together, taking care not to knock out any air. Add the whisked egg whites and gently fold in. Sift the cocoa powder in and fold until combined. Spoon evenly into the tin.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until risen, shrinking away from the sides of the tin and just firm to the touch in the centre. Leave to cool, then carefully remove the cake from the tin.

For the topping, stir half the milk chocolate and all the Cointreau into the cream. Spread over the top of the cake and sprinkle with chocolate. Sift the cocoa powder on top.