Preheat the oven to 190C

You need:

100 grams prunes

150ml whisky

Soak the prunes overnight in the whisky

 

425g dark chocolate

6 tablespoons of water

250 unsalted butter, cut into cubes and popped back in the fridge

6 eggs, separated

200 grams Tagatesse

300g ground almonds

9 tablespoons wholewheat spelt

A pinch cream of tartar

 

 

Using a bain marie (as per the picture), cut the chocolate into cubes, add the water and melt.  The trick is to keep the water away from the base of your melting bowl. Otherwise your chocolate will burn.

Take it off the heat and chuck the butter cubes in. They will start to melt immediately. Continue mixing until you have a clear mix.

Beat the egg yolks with the Tagatesse in a mixer, a Kenwood with a whisk, or a food processor: you need to end up with a very creamy mix.

Add the almonds and the spelt.

Now amalgamate the chocolate mix to the creamy one.

Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar. Remember that your whites should be at room temperature and the bowl superbly clean so that your whites rise and stiffen quickly and well. Continue whisking until you have a very stiff mix.

Now start the mixing process. Add a heaped spoonful of the egg white mixture to the chocolate and egg yolk one. Continue to add and mix lightly until you have incorporated all.  The egg-white mix is what will give height and lightness to your cake.

Pour the mix into either a paper case which you use to line a 23cm tin, or into a normally-lined 23cm tin.  It is very important to note that when you insert a tootpick to check if the cake is done, it will come out wet because of the prunes, so I suggest you wait until 20 minutes have passed and check the cake by pressing your finger pads against the top. If it is firm, it is done.  It should take between 20 and 30 minutes to be ready.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool, in the tin, for 30 minutes.

Then place it on a rack to continue cooling further.

Serve with low carb vanilla ice-cream or a dollop of double cream.