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Glazed chocolate cake

Enjoy this unadulterated chocolate indulgence for the truest of chocaholics. I top this with beautiful crystallised rose petals to add some colour for an occasion, but if that’s too much of a distraction from the chocolate, I understand.

Serves 8

125g (4½oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

150g (5½oz) dark chocolate (55–62% cocoa solids), chopped

150g (5½oz) caster sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

50g (1¾oz) ground almonds

crystallised rose petals (optional), to decorate

For the chocolate glaze

110g (3¾oz) dark chocolate (55–62% cocoa solids), chopped

2 tbsp milk

50g (1¾oz) butter

20cm (8in) cake tin

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F) Gas mark 2½. Grease the side of the tin, and line the base with baking parchment. Put the chocolate, butter and sugar in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Melt the mixture and stir until smooth. Beat in the eggs, then fold in the almonds.

2. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 40–50 minutes until the centre is just set. Leave to cool in the tin on a wire rack.

3. To make the chocolate glaze, put all the ingredients in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water as before and melt together, stirring occasionally until smooth. Leave for 10 minutes to cool a little or until it has thickened slightly, but do not put the bowl in the fridge, as the mixture will lose its glossy sheen.

4. Transfer the cake onto a plate or cake stand, and pour the glaze over the top, allowing it to drizzle down the sides. I like to decorate this for a celebration with crystallised rose petals.