Name: Chocolate almond cake with amaretto cream
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 250g unsalted butter softened; 125g caster sugar; 125g soft light brown sugar; 3 eggs; 150g plain flour sifted; 1 tsp baking powder; 30g cocoa powder sifted; 100g ground almonds; 5 tbsp instant coffee mixed with 1-2 tbsp hot water to make a paste; 130g dark chocolate melted and cooled, plus 30g to decorate; 400ml double cream; 3 tbsp amaretto

250g unsalted butter
softened
125g caster sugar
125g soft light brown sugar
3 eggs
150g plain flour
sifted
1 tsp baking powder
30g cocoa powder
sifted
100g ground almonds
5 tbsp instant coffee
mixed with 1-2 tbsp hot water to make a paste
130g dark chocolate
melted and cooled, plus 30g to decorate

AMARETTO CREAM

400ml double cream
3 tbsp amaretto

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4 and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
step 2
To make the cake, beat the butter and both the sugars with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
step 3
Add in the flour, baking powder, cocoa and ground almonds, and mix briefly, followed by the coffee paste, beating until fully combined.
step 4
Finally, add in the melted chocolate and stir until just combined.
step 5
Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for 50 minutes – the cake should still be slightly fudgy in the middle.
step 6
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin. It might sink a little on cooling but the cream will cover this. Gently whip the cream with the amaretto until just starting to thicken.
step 7
Remove the cake from the tin to a serving plate and pile the cream high on top of the cake. Use a large knife to drag along the back of the decorating chocolate, to create curls. Sprinkle over the cake and serve.