Bitter chocolate cake with boozy cranberry compote and port cream

Prep time: 25 minutes, plus cooling time Cook time: 40 minutes

Serves 8

Cranberries are lovely with chocolate cake – I make a version of Black Forest gateau with them when they’re around – but this cake might be too dark and bitter for children (more for you!). Don’t add too much port to the cream or it could split.

INGREDIENTS For the cake

– 160g unsalted butter,

plus extra for greasing – 320g dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), broken up – 145g caster sugar

– 5 large eggs, separated – 40g ground almonds – icing sugar, for dusting

For the compote

– 500ml red wine

– 150g caster sugar

– ½ cinnamon stick

– a broad strip each of

orange and lemon zest – 500g fresh cranberries

For the cream

– 300ml double cream – 2 tbsp port, or to taste – 3 tbsp icing sugar, or

to taste

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180C / 170C fan/gas mark 4. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin.

Put the butter, chocolate and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (the water shouldn’t touch the bowl). Melt the mixture, stirring a little. Remove the bowl, leaving it to cool for about 6 minutes, then stir in the egg yolks, one at a time.

Beat the egg whites with electric beaters until they form medium peaks (stiff but with the peaks drooping slightly). Using a big metal spoon, fold the ground almonds into the chocolate mixture along with half the egg whites, then fold in the rest of the whites.

Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes. Cool completely, then carefully remove the tin and put the cake on a serving plate. (It will deflate and crack as it cools and it’s quite fragile so be careful as you move it.)

Meanwhile, put everything for the compote, except the cranberries, in a saucepan and increase the heat until the liquid is simmering. Stir to help the sugar dissolve. Add the cranberries and poach them slowly until tender (about 20 minutes).

Remove the poached berries to a dish, then increase the heat and reduce the wine by boiling until you have about 250ml left. Let this cool, then pour it over the cranberries.

Whip the cream until it’s just holding its shape, then drizzle in the port while continuing to whip. Add the icing sugar and taste for sweetness and booziness. Sift icing sugar over the cake and serve with the cream and the compote.