Rhubarb Cream

Serves 8/vegetarian

This is a delicious chocolate cake that uses ground almonds instead of flour, which makes wonderfully moist.  It’s an excellent grown-up birthday cake, but if you wish to make this for children.  Fill it with whipped cream and rasberries instead.

Ingredients

  1. For the cake:
    1. 125g (4 1/2oz) dark chocolate
    2. 4 eggs
    3. 150g (5 oz) caster sugar
    4. 150g (5 oz) ground almonds
    5. Icing sugar, for dusting
  2. For the brandy cream:
    1. 100ml (3 ½ fl oz) double cream
    2. 1-2 tbsp icing sugar
    3. 2 tbsp brandy (or another liqueur like rum or cointreau)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F), Gas mark 4.  Prepare two 18cm (7in) cake tins by oiling the sides and lining the base with discs of greaseproof paper.  Melt the chocolate in a bowl by sitting it over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
  2. While the chocolate is melting, place the eggs and sugar in a food mixer and whisk for about 5-8min until light and frothy.   When the chocolate has melted, allow to cool for a min, then pour the egg and sugar mixture gradually onto the chocolate, stirring all the time, and mix until combined.  Gently stir in the ground almonds.
  3. Divide the mixture between the two prepared tins and place in the preheated oven.  Cool 17-22min (in my oven they usually take 19mins) until the tops of the cakes feel firm in the centre.  Allow to cool in the tins for about 10mins before carefully transferring to a cooling rack.  As they cool, the tops and sides of the cakes will crisp up and crack a little.
  4. Meanwhile make the brandy cream.  Whip eh cream until just stiff and fold in the sifted icing sugar and brandy.  Spread the brandy cream on one cake.  Sandwich the cakes together and dust with icing sugar.