Recipe for Gluten-free Chocolate and Raspberry Torte
Serves 8-10
This is a very rich chocolate cake and a little goes a long way!
200g (7oz) best quality dark chocolate (Lesme, Callebaut, Valrhona)
50g (2oz) butter
3 eggs, preferably free range
50g (2oz) castor sugar
110g (4oz) ground almonds
150g (5oz) raspberries
50g (2floz) cream
Preheat the oven to 180oC/350oF/gas4. Line the base of a 20cm (8") spring-form tin with bakewell paper and brush the sides with a little melted butter, followed by a dusting of ground almonds. Place the chocolate and the butter in a pyrex bowl, over a pan of simmering water on a very gentle heat. Separate the eggs and using an electric whisk beat the egg yolks with the sugar until pale light and fluffy. When the chocolate / butter mixture has melted add to the egg yolk/sugar mixture and mix well to combine.
Stir in the cream and the ground almonds.
In a clean pyrex bowl, beat the egg whites until they reach the stiff peak stage.
Fold in the egg whites a third at a time into the chocolate mixture very gently until they are combined.
Now, gently fold in the raspberries and pour into the lined spring-form tin. Bake in the moderate oven for approximately 25-30 minutes. The edges should be cooked but the centre should be slightly underdone.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin and serve a little slice with softly whipped cream and a few extra fresh raspberries.
