Chocolate Amaretti Cake (Rachel Allen)

Ingredients

• 150 g good dark chocolate (at least 55% cocoa solids, preferably 70%)
• 50 g amaretti (biscuits)
• 100 g sliced almonds
• 175 g caster sugar
• 1 orange, zest of, finely grated
• 100 g butter, cubed
• 4 eggs, beaten
• cocoa powder or icing sugar, for dusting

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.

2. 2

   Line the base of a 20cm-diameter springform tin with greaseproof paper and butter the sides.

3. 3

   Melt the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water.

4. 4

   Place the amaretti biscuits, almonds, sugar and orange zest in a food processor, then whizz until the biscuits and almonds are almost finely ground .(not too fine).

5. 5

   Add the butter and eggs, whizz until blended, then add the melted chocolate and briefly whizz again until well combined.

6. 6

   Pour into the prepared tin and pop straight in the oven.

7. 7

   Cook for 35-45 minutes until the cake is puffed and slightly cracked around the edges.( test with a skewer after 35 minutes, it should come out clean)

8. 8

   Remove and leave to sit for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a plate.

9. 9

   The top is quite crisp, and cracks easily, dust it with lots of icing sugar or cocoa powder before serving, to hide any imperfections.