SIMPLY DIVINE - Chocolate

fudge cake

IngredientsFor one round tin 26cm in diameter

* 225g plain dark chocolate
* 225g unsalted butter
* 345g caster sugar
* 6 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
* 120g ground almonds
* 145g soft white breadcrumbs
* 30g plain flour
* 2 tbsp vanilla essence
* Icing
* 85g cocoa powder
* 255g icing sugar
* 130g butter
* 170g caster sugar
* 6 tbsp water


Top tip: Always use dark, as opposed to milk, chocolate when cooking and baking, because it provides the desired taste and texture for a recipe.


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/320°F/gas 3. To make the cake, melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a bowl placed over a pan of boiling water. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until white and soft. Add the egg yolks gradually, one by one, then add the almonds and beat them in. After this, gently fold in the chocolate with a spoon, then add the breadcrumbs, flour and vanilla essence, and mix together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites, along with a pinch of sugar, until stiff – but do not overbeat. Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture, then pour the mixture into your buttered cake tin (lined with paper). Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour.
2. During the cooking time, make the icing. Place the cocoa powder and the icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Then warm together the butter, sugar and water until dissolved. Add the liquid into the dry mixture and mix together for a thick but “pourable” consistency. Once the cake has cooked and cooled, pour the mix over the cake.