Chocolate & Almond Torte

This torte is perfect for serving on a hot sunny day with double cream and a fresh strawberries.

Ingredients

• 225 g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 3 tbsp water
• 150 g soft brown sugar (I used only 100 g)
• 175 g butter, softened
• 25 g ground almonds
• 3 tbsp self-raisin flour
• 5 eggs, seperated
• 100 g blanched almond, chopped finely
• icing (confectioners) sugar, for dusting
• double (heavy) cream, to serve (optional)
• fresh strawberry

1. Grease a 23 cm/9 inch loose bottomed cake tin (pan) and base line with baking parchment.
2. In a saucepan set over a very low heat, melt dark chocolate with water, add sugar and butter, stir until dissolved, take the pan off the heat.
3. Stir in ground almond and seft raisin flour. Add the egg york one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until they stand in soft peak, then fold them into the chocolate mixture with a metal spoon.
5. Stir in the chopped almonds. Pour the mixture into the tin (pan).
6. Bake in preheated oven, 180 C/350F for 40-45 mins until well risen and firm (the cake will be crack on the surface during baking)
7. leave the cake to cool in the pan for 30-40 mins, then turn it out on to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve in slide with double cream and fresh berries.