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by Diana Henry from ‘Simple - effortless food, big flavours’

ÌýServes 8

ÌýPrep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 35 minutes

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For the Cake

160g (5¾oz) butter, plus more for the tin

320g (11½oz) good quality dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces

145g (5¼oz) caster sugar

5 large eggs, separated

40g (1½oz) ground almonds

icing sugar to dust

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For the Cream

300ml (½ pint) double cream

½ tbsp instant espresso coffee dissolved in

½ tbsp boiling water

2 tbsp whiskey, or to taste

3 tbsp icing sugar, or to taste

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Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.

ÌýButter a 20cm (8in) springform cake tin.

ÌýPut the chocolate, butter and sugar into a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (the water shouldn't touch the bowl). Melt the mixture, stirring a little.

ÌýRemove the bowl, leaving it to cool for about 4 minutes. Stir in the egg yolks, one at a time.

ÌýBeat the egg whites with electric beaters until they form medium peaks (stiff but with the peaks drooping slightly). Ìý

ÌýUsing a big metal spoon, fold the ground almonds into the chocolate mixture along with half the egg whites, then fold in the rest of the whites.

ÌýScrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes.

ÌýCool completely, carefully remove the ring and base and put the cake on a serving plate. It will deflate and crack as it cools.

ÌýWhip the cream until it is just holding its shape, then drizzle in the coffee and whiskey, still whipping.

Add the icing sugar and taste for sweetness and booziness.

ÌýSift icing sugar over the cake and serve with the cream.

Ìý

Hot Cherries with Grappa

ÌýServes 4

Ìý

Ingredients

25g unsalted butter

450g cherries, pitted (I like to tear rather than cutÌý them to remove the stones)

100g caster sugar

Juice of ½ lemon

3-4 tbsp grappa

ÌýMethod

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, then add the cherries and any juices that came out of them when you were pitting them.

ÌýToss them around over a medium heat, adding the sugar and stirring gently to help it dissolve. Add the lemon juice. Keep tossing the cherries and cooking until they have a thickish syrup around them.

ÌýAdd the grappa (you can now flambé the cherries if you want, but it’s not necessary) and you’re done. Take to the table and serve the hot cherries with cold vanilla ice-cream.

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