EASY 10-12 SERVES 30MIN PREP 1HR 15MIN COOKING

Torte

  • 200g unsalted butter, diced, plus extra for the tin
  • 200g Haigh’s Dark Chocolate Pastilles, chopped
  • ¼ cup (60ml) brandy
  • 1/3 cup (75g) light muscavado sugar
  • ½ cup (110g) raw caster sugar
  • zest ½ orange
  • 6 eggs, separated
  • pinch salt
  • 2/3 cup (80g) ground walnuts
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • cocoa, for dusting

Chocolate Ganache

Method

  1. Heat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a 23cm round spring-form tin with butter and line base with baking paper. Lightly dust inside of tin with extra cocoa and tip out excess.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter, chocolate and brandy together over a saucepan of gently simmering shallow water, stirring occasionally until butter has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, combine sugars, zest and egg yolks together in mixing bowl and using electric beaters beat until mixture is pale and mousse like. Add cooled chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Add ground walnuts, cinnamon and mixed spice to the chocolate mixture, folding gently to combine.
  4. In a large clean mixing bowl combine egg whites and salt, beating with electric beaters until stiff peaks form.
  5. Add one-third of the egg whites to the chocolate mixture, stirring to combine, to help loosen the mixture. Add remaining egg whites, folding gently until combined.
  6. Pour mixture into prepared tin and level top using a palette knife. Bake torte in preheated oven for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out of centre clean. Remove from oven and allow torte to cool in tin. It will sink and possibly crack on top, which is expected with this type of cake.
  7. For ganache icing, combine chocolate, cream and butter together in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring occasionally until butter melts and mixture becomes smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 30 minutes or until it firms up enough to spread.
  8. Carefully place cake out onto a serving plate and spread ganache over the top. To finish, garnish with toasted walnut halves.