Honey, Chestnut and Chocolate Torte

This easy-to-make cake is perfect for an impromptu gathering. Lovely served warm or cold, I also find it tastes even better when a day old. Crème de marrons is the French equivalent of peanut butter. It is eaten spread on bread and sweet brioche or used as a filling for delicate desserts. Hands-on time 20min, plus cooling. Cooking time about 50min. Serves 8  200g 70% dark chocolate, chopped  150g unsalted butter, chopped  300g chestnut spread (crème de marrons), see GH TIP

 6 eggs, separated

 100g runny honey

 Icing sugar, to dust

1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Line the base and sides of a 24cm round tin with baking parchment. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water).

2 Once melted and smooth, remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool for a couple of min, then whisk in the chestnut spread, egg yolks and honey until fully combined. Set aside.

3 In a separate bowl, using a handheld electric whisk, beat the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Using a large metal spoon, fold 1/4 of the whites into the chestnut mixture to loosen. Fold in the remaining whites, keeping in as much air as possible.

4 Pour the mixture into the lined cake tin and bake for 45min, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin on a wire rack.

5 Transfer to a cake stand or plate. Dust with icing sugar and serve. PER SERVING 474cals, 8g protein, 27g fat (15g saturates), 50g carbs (45g total sugars), 2g fibre