Gluten-free chocolate and walnut cake

Preparation time:15 mins Cooking time: 40 mins Serves 12

Cooking oil spray, to grease 3 free-range eggs, separated 1 cup caster sugar 3 slices (130g in total) Abbott’s Village Bakery Gluten Free Mixed Seeds bread, made into fine breadcrumbs (see page 114 for instructions) 1 cup walnuts, very finely chopped,

plus extra, to garnish ¼ cup cocoa powder, plus extra ¼ cup 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder 40g butter, melted, plus

extra 20g, melted 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup icing sugar mixture Dark chocolate shards, to garnish

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin with cooking oil then line base and sides with baking paper. Put egg yolks, sugar and 60ml water in a large bowl and beat, using electric hand mixer, for 1 minute or until thick and pale. Stir in breadcrumbs and walnuts until combined. Sift in cocoa and baking powder and stir. Pour in butter and vanilla then stir until just combined. 2 Put egg whites in a second large bowl and beat for 1 minute or until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites through batter, in 2 batches, until just combined. 3 Pour batter into prepared tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until top of cake is dry to touch and feels slightly springy. Set aside in tin for 15 minutes to cool then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 4 Meanwhile, to make icing, sift icing sugar and extra cocoa into a large bowl. Stir in extra butter and 2 Tbsp hot water until smooth and spreadable. 5 Spoon icing onto cooled cake and gently spread to coat top of cake. To serve, garnish cake with extra walnuts and chocolate shards. Serve.