Ingredients

• 200g/7oz dark chocolate
• minimum 70% cocoa solids
• cut into pieces
• 200g/7oz unsalted butter
• softened
• cut into small pieces
• 200g/7oz golden caster sugar
• 5 free-range eggs
• ‎separated
• 200g/7oz ground almonds

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160 Fan/Gas 4. Grease a 23cm/9in loose-bottomed round cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
• Melt the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of gently simmering water
• making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
• Put the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat until light and creamy. Whisk in the egg yolks. Mix in the almonds
• then lightly fold in the melted chocolate.
• Using an electric hand whisk
• beat the egg whites in a large
• clean glass bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold into the almond mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin and level out the top.
• Bake for 30–40 minutes
• or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tin
• then transfer to a cooling rack.