RICH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Serves: 4

Ingredients

•100 grams butter, diced

•140g best-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces

•6 eggs, separated

•140g ground almonds

•1 tbsp kirsch or Cointreau (optional)

•85g caster sugar

•Cocoa powder, for dusting

•Creme Fraiche to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170C degrees. Line the base of a 23-centimetre springform cake tin with baking paper and butter. Dust the sides with a little flour. Melt the butter and chocolate, stir until smooth and leave for about 5 minutes to cool slightly. Stir in the egg yolks, ground almonds and liqueur, if using.

2. Put the egg whites into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and whisk until soft peaks form. Continue whisking, sprinkling in the sugar a little at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stir two tablespoons of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the remainder.

3. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until well risen and just firm. Cool in the tin. Remove the cake and peel away the paper. Dust with cocoa powder, slice and top with creme fraiche.