Serves 8-12

200g butter, cubed
200g dark chocolate (ideally 75 per cent cocoa solids), chopped
4 large eggs, separated
1/2 tsp salt
150g vanilla sugar
100g self-raising flour, sifted
200g ground almonds
6 tbsp dark rum or Armagnac

To decorate
100g plain dark chocolate (ideally 75 per cent cocoa solids), chopped
6 tbsp coffee, nut or elderflower syrup
4-6 sheets edible gold leaf
1 bunch black seedless grapes
20cm decorative ribbon
Cocoa or icing sugar, to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 170°C, Gas Mark 4. Use a little of the butter to grease a loose-based, 20.5cm cake tin. Melt the remainder with the 200g dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over hand-hot water, or microwave on high in 3 x 30-second bursts. With a hand-held electric beater, whisk the egg whites and salt in a straight-sided deep bowl until they form frothy peaks. Add half the sugar and continue whisking hard, gradually adding the rest until stiff peaks form. Add the yolks and whisk for a minute more, then the flour, ground almonds and chocolate-butter mix, and fold to an even, dark batter with a rubber scraper. Pour into the tin. Bake for 35 minutes or until the cake looks firm. Test the centre with a metal skewer; if sticky, cook for 10-15 minutes more until a skewer, when inserted, comes out almost clean. Cool the cake in its tin for 30 minutes, turn out on to a wire rack. While still warm, drizzle with 2 tbsp rum or Armagnac; leave for 1 hour more to cool completely.

Before serving, melt the plain dark chocolate with the syrup in a heat-proof bowl over boiling water (or microwave on high in 3 x 30-second bursts until melted). Stir, cool to barely warm, then stir in the remaining alcohol. Drizzle some of the chocolate syrup over the cake, serving the rest in a bowl alongside. Cover the cake surface with gold leaf and serve with the grapes on top, tying the stem with ribbon. If liked, dust with cocoa or icing sugar.

FEATURE CLARE FERGUSON
STYLING KAREN SMITH
PHOTOGRAPHS PETER CASSIDY
JANUARY 2008