MY FAVOURITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

SERVES 10

Ingredients:

150g dark chocolate (I use 54% Callebaut)

150g unsalted butter, diced 4 large eggs, separated

100g caster sugar

100g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

4 tbsp Jamaican rum

For the topping:

100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces 100g unsalted butter

Chocolate curls (optional – see below) Cocoa powder, to dust (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas mark 3 and line a 20.5cm (8in) cake tin with baking parchment.

Put the chocolate and 3 tbsp of water into a heat-proof bowl. Sit it on top of a saucepan with a little water over a low heat – the base of the bowl must not touch the water. Bring to boil, turn off the heat immediately and add the butter. Leave the bowl to sit until the chocolate and butter have melted.

Put the egg yolks, caster sugar, ground almonds, baking powder and rum into a bowl and mix well. Add the melted chocolate and butter and stir. Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold gently into the mixture. Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm.

Meanwhile, make the topping. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a small bowl over hot water, as before, then mix well. Leave to cool until thick and spreadable. Pour over the cake. Smooth around the sides and top.

Decorate cake with chocolate curls and dust with cocoa powder, if using.

For the chocolate curls:

Melt 150g chocolate with a minimum of 54% cocoa solids in a pan over hot water and stir until smooth. Pour the chocolate over a flat baking sheet and tap the sheet gently to spread. Leave to cool. Once cool, using a cheese slice, or the blade of a chopping knife, pull the blade across the chocolate, creating curls as you go.