300g10½ oz plain chocolate, broken into small pieces
200g7oz whole blanched hazelnuts
150g5oz unsalted butter, softened
150g5oz caster sugar
4medium eggsseparated
3tbspcrème fraîche
Cocoa powderfor dusting
Chocolate curlsfor decorating
Instructions
Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Set aside to cool. Whizz the nuts in a processor until they look like coarse breadcrumbs. Set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar until creamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating as you go. Stir in the melted chocolate, crème fraîche and nuts.
Whisk the egg whites until quite firm. Fold into the cake mixture. Tip the mixture into a 20cm (8in) square loose-based tin lined with greaseproof paper and bake at 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4) for 40 mins.
Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack. Remove from the tin, dust with cocoa powder and decorate with chocolate curls.
Notes
Remember this is a very rich recipe: a little goes a long way!