Naughty But Nice

Chocolate Nut Cake

Ingredients

6 egg whites

Pinch of salt

325g caster sugar

175g hazelnuts

1 1/2 white vinegar

1/2tsp vanilla extract

For the filling

300ml double cream

For the sauce

200g dark chocolate

450ml water

125g granulated sugar

Method

Grease 2 9in diameter cake tins and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas 4

Using a hand held electric whisk, whip the egg whites until really firm, then gradually add the caster sugar, continue whisking until the mixture stands in peaks.

Brown the hazelnuts by baking for 5-6 minutes in a hot oven, then rub the nuts inside a tea towel to remove the skins, chop finely in a food processor.

Fold the nuts into the mixture with the vanilla and vinegar then transfer the mixture into the prepared cake tins.

Bake for 35 minutes then wait 5 minutes before turning out.

Break up the chocolate and put it in a saucepan with the water, stir over a gentle heat until dissolved then add the sugar and boil gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes until it has the consistency of cream.

Pour the chocolate into a bowl, dust with caster sugar, cover with damp greaseproof paper to prevent a skin forming and leave to get cold.

Lightly whip the cream and fold in 2-3 tbsp of the chocolate mixture to flavour it. Spread this on one half of the cake, place the other half on top and press together lightly.

Leave cake overnight in the fridge or chill for several hours.

To serve: Dust the top of the cake with icing sugar and serve with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.