Chocolate Love Cake

Ingredients

Serves 8

25g golden caster sugar

6 -7mm-thick slice of sponge (see recipe introduction)

50ml brandy, or raspberry liqueur

220g 70% cocoa solids chocolate

450ml whipping cream

TO DECORATE

1 tbsp cocoa, to dust fresh, dry, unsprayed red rose petals

Deceptively light, this is essentially a simple chocolate truffle cake to share with the one(s) you love.

The recipe is based on one from the Tour D'Argent in Paris, no less. The trick is that the chocolate must be just melted and still hot when you pour it into the cream. You can bake the light sponge base (use the recipe on page 18, but you only need a very thin, 6-7mm layer of it, or simply buy a ready-made flan case and cut it to size. Once it is soaked in liqueur and syrup, it will be fine.

I've made this in a 20cm heart tin, but make it in a 20cm round tin if it's easier.

First, dissolve the sugar with 25ml of water in a small saucepan over a gentle heat, then bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Leave to cool.

Now take a 20cm heart-shaped cake tin, or round springform tin.

Line it with a thin cake card, or a piece of thin cardboard, cut to the same size as the tin. If using a springform tin, ensure the lip of the base is facing down, or it will be impossible to move the cake.

Place the sponge on a work top and press a chopping board gently on to it to flatten. Cut to fit the tin. Mix the sugar syrup with the alcohol and brush it all over the sponge. Place in the tin.

Using a serrated knife, chop the chocolate and place in a small bowl standing over very gently simmering water. Ensure the bowl is not touching the water. When it has just melted, remove from the heat. With a hand-held electric whisk and large mixing bowl, or a food mixer, lightly whip the cream until just beginning to thicken. Lightly stir the chocolate and, still whipping, pour the still-hot chocolate slowly on to the cream. Immediately pour into the tin, cover with cling film and leave overnight in the fridge.

When ready to serve, dip a knife in hot water and dry it, then immediately cut all around the edge of the tin. Remove the tin and move the cake on to a serving plate or cake stand.

Dust with a sprinkling of cocoa and a finish with a flourish of red rose petals.