Ingredients
Sponge
7 eggs
200 g/ 7 oz/ 1¾ cups of caster (superfine) sugar
150 g/ 5½ oz/ 1¼ cups of plain (all-purpose) flour
50 g/ 1¾ oz/ ½ cup of cocoa powder
50 g/ 1¾ oz/ 4 tbsp of butter, melted
CAKE FILLING
200 g/ 7 oz of dark chocolate
125 g/ 4½ oz/ ½ cup of butter
50 g/ 1¾ oz/ 4 tbsp of icing (confectioners') sugar
CAKE DECORATION
75 g/ 2¾ oz/ 10 tbsp of toasted flaked almonds, crushed lightly
small chocolate curls or grated chocolate
Preparation
- Grease a deep 23 cm/ 9 inch square cake tin (pan) and line the base with baking parchment.
- Whisk the eggs and caster (superfine) sugar in a mixing howl with an electric whisk for about 10 minutes, or until the mixture is very light and foamy and the whisk leaves a trail that lasts a few seconds when lifted.
- Sieve (strain) the flour and cocoa together and fold half into the mixture.
- Drizzle over the melted butter and fold in the rest of the flour and cocoa.
- Pour into the prepared tin (pan) and bake in a preheated oven, 180°C/ 350°F/ Gas Mark 4, for 30-35 minutes or until springy to the touch.
- Leave to cool slightly, then remove from the tin (pan) and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Wash and dry the tin (pan) and return the cake to it.
- To make the filling, melt the chocolate and butter together, then remove from the heat.
- Stir in the icing (confectioners') sugar, leave to cool, then beat until thick enough to spread.
- Halve the cake lengthways and cut each half into 3 layers.
- Sandwich the layers together with three quarters of the chocolate filling.
- Spread the remainder over the cake and mark a wavy pattern on the top.
- Press the almonds on to the sides.
- Decorate with chocolate curls or grated chocolate.
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