• Heat your over to 170°C fan/150°C/Gas mark 3
• Grease your 23cm baking tin and line the base with greaseproof paper.
• Bring a small pan of water to boiling point then remove from the heat.
• Break your dark chocolate into chunks and put into a heatproof bowl that will balance on top of the small saucepan.
• Put the bowl with the chocolate on top of the saucepan of just boiled water and allow the heat to gently melt the chocolate.
• Melt your butter slowly over a gentle heat in your large saucepan.
• Add your brandy, espresso, vanilla essence and sugar.
• Mixing continually with a balloon whisk, heat gently until all of the sugar has dissolved.
• Add your melted chocolate and mix in thoroughly.
• Set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
• Add your egg whites to a bowl, ensure the bowl is completely clean and grease free.
• Whisk your egg whites until they form stiff peaks, this will take about 1 minute and 15 seconds in a stand mixer on a high setting. Set aside.
• Add your eggs yolks and ground almonds to your cooled chocolate mixture and beat together for about 1 minute on a medium setting.
• Add half of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture and gently fold in with a large metal spoon.
• Fold in the rest of your egg whites, again do this gently so that you keep plenty of air in the mixture.
• Transfer your cake batter to your cake tin.
• Bake in the centre of your oven for 50-55 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
• Leave to completely cool before adding your topping.

Amaretti cream and raspberry topping

• Beat your double cream until it forms peaks, do not overbeat.
• Put your amaratti biscuits into a food bag and smash gently with a rolling pin so that they break into small pieces, then mix into the cream.
• Spread the cream over the top of your cake and decorate with raspberries.
• Sift over a little icing sugar.