Ingredients

• 500g peeled chestnuts
• 300ml milk
• 120g whole blanched almonds
• 150g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 120g butter
• 250g caster sugar
• 5 eggs, separated
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 150g dark chocolate, melted
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Method

Preheat oven to 150 C.
Simmer the chestnuts in milk for 15 minutes. Drain and discard the milk. Place the almonds, chocolate and chestnuts in a food processor and roughly chop. Beat butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and creamy, add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate and nuts and then the lemon zest.
Beat the egg whites until soft peaks and then carefully fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into a greased and lined 25cm cake tin and bake for 45 minutes. Leave to cool in tin. Melt chocolate and butter together and cover cooled cake with icing.

Method