Serves 8
Preparation time 30 minutes
Baking time 30 minutes
Oven temperature 190°C

• 300g dark chocolate
• 65ml soft butter
• 190ml castor sugar
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 45ml flour
• 15ml brandy
• 250ml assorted nuts, roughly chopped (such as pistachios, almonds and walnuts)
• icing sugar, to serve
• 6 nectarines or apples
• 30ml brown sugar
• 45ml grappa
• 250g tub mascarpone

1 Melt the chocolate and set aside.
2 Beat the butter until light. Gradually add the castor sugar, then mix in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the chocolate slowly, along with the flour, brandy and nuts and set aside.
3 Beat the egg whites with two pinches of salt until peaked and white. Fold in the chocolate mixture and pour into a greased spring-form cake tin. Bake in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
4 Halve the fruit and dust with brown sugar. Heat a non-stick frying pan and sauté the fruit until caramelised. Add the grappa and light with a match to flambé.
5 To serve Dust the cake with icing sugar and top with the flambéed fruit. Serve with a dollop of mascarpone.

Text and image: Ideas magazine