Prune and port chocolate cake with port-poached prunes

Poached prunes

Makes 1 cups Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking: 5 minutes

cup port 250g prunes

star anise Peel of one orange 1 cinnamon stick 4 whole cloves 3 tablespoons caster sugar

Put cup of port in a medium saucepan with cup water and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar, for 5 minutes then remove from heat and stir in remaining

Put prunes and port into a medium saucepan with cup water. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes then add butter and cocoa. Stir until the butter is melted then remove from the heat and add baking soda. Leave to cool for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius, and spray a bundt or ring tin lightly with baking oil.

Put prune mixture into a food processor and whiz to a smooth-ish paste. Add the sugar and eggs and whizz again to combine. Add the flour and pulse once or twice then 200g dark 50-70% chocolate, roughly chopped cup cream 2 tablespoons port

Put chopped chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl and place over a pot of simmering water on the stove top. Stir until melted then remove from the heat and whisk until smooth. Add the port and whisk again.

Leave to cool in the fridge for 45 minutes before pouring over the cake. Recipes, food styling and photography by Sarah Tuck