Ingredients

• 125g/4 ozs. butter
• 75g/3 ozs. caster sugar
• 25g/1 ozs. soft brown sugar
• 125g/4 ozs. melted plain chocolate
• 125g/4 ozs. ground almonds
• 50g/2 ozs. sifted plain flour
• 4 medium eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

1. Cream and butter and sugars together.
2. Beat the eggs yolks into the creamed mixture
3. Mix in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract.
4. Mix in the almonds and the flour.
5. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff.
6. Fold the stiff whites gently into the cake mixture.
7. Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin and level the top.

Baking

AGA - 2 OVEN: Pre-heat the cake baker in the ROASTING OVEN. Put the cake tin in the cake baker and bake for 45-55 minutes .

AGA - 4 OVEN: Put the cake tin in the BAKING OVEN on the grid rack resting on the floor of the oven. Slide cold shelf two runners above the cake tin. Bake for approx 50-50 minutes.

When the cake it baked, remove from the Aga and leave the cake, still in its tin, on a cooling rack for about 8 minutes. Then carefully turn it out of the cake tin to finish cooling on the wire rack.

To Ice

• 75g/3 oz. plain dark chocolate
• 15g/½ oz. butter
• ½ a tablespoon water

Melt the three ingredients in a basin suspended over a pan of hot water. Beat well, and allow to cool slightly before spreading over the top of the cooled cake.