• You don’t need to be gluten intolerant to enjoy this seriously decadent cake

    Flourless chocolate cake

    Serves: 1 cake
    Cooking Time: 40 mins

    Ingredients

    • 200g butter, at room temperature, cubed
    • 100g sugar
    • 8 eggs, separated
    • 200g dark chocolate, melted
    • 200g ground almonds
    • 30ml vanilla extract
    • 12 baby apples, dipped in chocolate
    • icing sugar, to serve
    • CHOCOLATE GANACHE
    • 100g dark chocolate
    • 125ml fresh cream

    Instructions

    1

    Preheat the oven to 200°C.

    2

    Cream the butter and sugar together until very light and creamy.

    3

    Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the chocolate, and stir in the almonds and vanilla extract.

    4

    Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate.

    5

    Spoon the mixture into a prepared 22cm springform cake tin and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 170°C and bake until firm to the touch, for a further 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before turning out.

    6

    To make the ganache, mix the chocolate and cream, and melt over medium heat until well combined and smooth.

    7

    Turn the cake out and place it back on the rack. Pour the ganache over and let it drip over the sides.

    8

    Serve the cake sliced and topped with the chocolate apples. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

    Notes

    To prepare this cake tin, lightly butter the whole tin, pour in a little flour and shake to spread evenly. Pour out the excess flour. Alternatively line the tin with baking paper.