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Cupcakes really are EASY to make. What’s more, they cook very quickly and the frosting doesn’t need to chill in the fridge – so they’re ready very quickly. (Something that Zoe appreciates hugely!) I’ve made these with cocoa powder in both the cupcakes and the frosting, instead of melting chocolate. And I’ve used a mixture of rice flour, ground almonds and buckwheat flour because it’s an excellent recipe to use buckwheat flour in (which is very nutritious). But you don’t need to use buckwheat flour, if you don’t have any to hand. (Just use 75g rice flour and 50g ground almonds, instead.)
I made these with a little helper – Zoe. She was excellent at helping to mix and at putting all the cupcake cases into the bun tin. She kindly licked the spoons to make them clean and helpfully tasted each stage to make sure that it tasted good. Unfortunately, though, once they were made, I heard a crash in the kitchen while I was having a bath. Cries of “Mummy” came from the kitchen, followed by Peter coming to explain that Zoe had tipped the container over and the cupcakes were now squashed. Luckily I’d already taken the picture – and I guess we’ll just have to eat the squashed ones quickly and make some new ones now for Easter day!
Happy Easter! x
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Makes 10 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened
- 150g/5½oz/heaped ¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 50g/1¾oz/heaped ¼ cup rice flour
- 20g/¾oz/scant ¼ cup buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- scant ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup cocoa powder
- 55g/2oz/½ cup ground almonds
Chocolate Frosting:
- 200g/7oz dairy-free margarine
- 400g/14oz/scant 3¼ cups icing sugar, or ground fruit sugar
- 120g/4¼oz/1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and arrange 10 cupcake cases in a bun tin. Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.
- Sift the rice flour, buckwheat flour, gluten-free baking powder, xanthan gum and cocoa powder into the mixture. Quickly fold in the ground almonds, using a spoon and mix well, but take care not to overmix. Divide the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. Put the dairy-free margarine, icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and beat, using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, until smooth, light and fluffy. (I find that my electric mixer makes the icing sugar cloud up at the beginning, so I use a wooden spoon initially to blend the ingredients together and then I use the electric mixer. Some mixers, though, work fine if you simply add the icing sugar in slowly.)
- When the cupcakes are cooked, remove from the oven and turn out of the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Spread or pipe a little of the frosting over each cupcake and serve.
Here we are in the midst of root veg season. Parsnips, swede, celeriac and, of course, the humble carrot – all impart deliciously sweet, earthy tastes to stews, casseroles, soups, gratins, and roasted veggie dishes. But you don’t have to always think of these veggies as only for savoury dishes. Forget dark winter nights in front of the fire with a roasted vegetable lasagne, and think of tea-times with crisp, clear skies and winter sunshine – perfect for pretty, colourful comfort food. Enter carrot cake…
Here’s an awesome gluten-free carrot cake with a dairy-free frosting – and the addition of pine nuts to add texture and taste.
Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 40–45 minutes Makes 1 cake (serves 10–12)
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 125g/4½oz/¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 4 tbsp clear honey
- 100g/3½oz/heaped ½ cup rice flour
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup gram flour
- 50g/1¾oz/¹⁄₃ cup maize flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 350g/12oz carrots, peeled and grated
- 100g/3½oz/⅔ cup pine nuts
Topping:
- 25g/1oz dairy-free margarine
- 75g/2½oz dairy-free soya cream cheese
- 85g/3oz/½ cup fruit sugar
- Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pine nuts and dry-fry until just starting to turn golden, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and leave to one side.
- To make the frosting, put the dairy-free margarine and soya cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat, using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, until smooth. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat until light and fluffy. Put half of the pine nuts into the bowl of a mini-food processor and whizz until finely chopped. Add to the frosting and mix in. Cover and chill in the fridge until needed.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and lightly grease a deep 20cm/8in cake tin with dairy-free margarine and line the base with baking parchment. Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until well mixed, then beat in the honey.
- Sift the flours, gluten-free baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, xanthan gum and cinnamon into the mixture and fold in, then fold in the carrot and the remaining pine nuts. Make sure the mixture is well mixed, but take care not to overmix it. Pour it into the tin.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then cover with baking parchment to prevent the cake from overbrowning. Bake for another 20–25 minutes until firm to the touch and cooked through and a skewer comes out clean when inserted.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, spread the frosting over the cake and serve.
It’s amazing how delicious raspberries are – and how incredibly versatile. Zoe adores them, so I’ve been making the most of the raspberries available this year, and experimenting with all different types of recipes that use them. This is a lovely cake, full of the taste of summer, no matter what time of the year. You can make this with delicious fresh raspberries but you can also make it with frozen ones, instead. Frozen fruits are a gem – often higher in nutrients than fresh fruit that has been shipped in and sitting around for ages during the distribution process. They’re much cheaper to buy and, of course, you can store them in your freezer and simply take them out when you want to use them.
I’ve used coconut flour alongside the rice flour because it makes baked goods deliciously moist. It’s hard to find but you can buy it from on-line retailers, such as Goodness Direct. And the cake is incredibly moist and moreish, anyway, because of the raspberries in it. Lovely summer-time food – even if it’s chilly and raining!
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Makes 1 cake (10–12 slices) Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 40 minutes
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 150g/5½oz/scant 1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 100g/3½oz/heaped ½ cup rice flour
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup ground almonds
- 350g/12oz fresh or defrosted, frozen raspberries
- 2 tbsp agarve syrup, to decorate
- 2–3 tbsp fruit sugar, to decorate
- raspberries, to decorate
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and lightly grease a deep 20cm/8in cake tin with dairy-free margarine and line the base with baking parchment. Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until well mixed.
- Sift the flours, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture and fold in, then fold in the ground almonds and gently fold in the raspberries. Make sure the mixture is well mixed, but take care not to overmix it. Pour it into the tin.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with baking parchment to prevent the cake from overbrowning. Bake for another 10–12 minutes until firm to the touch and cooked through.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, spread the agarve syrup over the cake, then sprinkle over the fruit sugar. Top with raspberries and serve.
These cupcakes are full of wonderful Italian flavours. The slightly crunchy texture of polenta, along with the ground almonds and the tangy lemon make these cupcakes delicious. And they’re incredibly quick and easy to make. This recipe is taken from Masterchef finalist Caroline Brewster’s book, Yummy, which gives you wonderful desserts you can make in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 or 30 minutes. These are from the 20 minute chapter, and you really can make these in under 20 minutes – and even do the washing up while you’re waiting for the cakes to bake!
I’ve adapted them slightly, using dairy-free margarine instead of butter, fruit sugar instead of the sugar or icing sugar, and I used less of the syrup topping.
- 115g/4oz dairy-free margarine
- 115g/4oz/1/2½cup fruit sugar, plus 4 tbsp for the topping
- 115g/4oz/heaped 1 cup ground almonds
- 55g/2oz/⅓ cup quick-cook polenta
- ½ tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- a large pinch of salt
- juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon
- P reheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and line a muffin tin with 8 paper cupcake cases. Put the margarine, sugar, ground almonds, polenta, baking powder, vanilla extract, egg, egg yolk and salt in a food processor and blend for 1 minute until combined. Add the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and pulse 2 or 3 times to mix.
- Spoon the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases and bake for 12–14 minutes until the tops are browned and firm. Rotate the tin halfway through baking.
- While the cupcakes are baking, put the remaining sugar for the topping in a mini food processor or spice mile and pulse until very fine and resembles icing sugar. Mix with 1 tablespoon of the remaining lemon juice to make a syrup.
- Carefully lift the warm cupcakes from the muffin tin, using a palette knife, and peel off the paper cases. Spoon over as much of the syrup as you want and serve.
These gluten-free cupcakes are truly indulgent and heavenly! The mixture is incredibly simple – just a combination of rice flour and ground almonds, along with the dairy-free margarine, sugar, eggs, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum. I think you have to be careful when you use ground almonds in baking – that you don’t use too much because I find they dominate and leave a slightly sticky taste at the back of your mouth otherwise. Here I’ve balanced the ground almonds with the same amount of rice flour and then I’ve added raspberries to the mixture – and these add moistness and texture, as well as a lovely berry taste. And then I’ve made a rosewater frosting with soya cream cheese. This is the image used on the cover of my new book, Simply Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free – and I think these cupcakes sum up the book – incredibly simple to make and truly delicious.
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, citrus-free
Makes 12 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened
- 125g/4½oz/¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 75g/2½oz/heaped ¹⁄₃ cup rice flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- scant ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 75g/2½oz/scant ¾ cup ground almonds
- 100g/3½oz/scant 1 cup raspberries, lightly mashed, plus 12 to decorate
Rosewater Frosting:
- 25g/1oz dairy-free margarine
- 75g/2½oz/¹⁄₃ cup soya cream cheese
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 85g/3oz/½ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and arrange 12 paper cupcake cases in a bun tin. To make the frosting, put the dairy-free margarine, soya cream cheese and rosewater in a mixing bowl and beat, using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, until smooth. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat until light and fluffy. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.
- Sift the rice flour, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture. Quickly fold in the ground almonds, using a spoon, then gently fold in the raspberries. Mix well, but take care not to overmix. Divide the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until golden brown and well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and turn out of the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Spread a little of the frosting over each cupcake, top with a raspberry and serve.
Here’s the Chocolate Birthday Cake recipe from my new book, Simply Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free published today! This was inspired by one my sister made for her husband’s birthday. It’s light and moist, with dark truffley chocolate flavours and a rich, creamy icing, all covered with sweetly sharp raspberries. Happy Birthday to my book!
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Makes 1 cake (14–16 slices) Preparation time 25 minutes, plus 10 minutes and at least 12 hours soaking to make the cashew nut cream icing
Cooking time 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 200g/7oz dairy-free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces
- 175g/6oz/scant 1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 60g/2¼oz/scant ¼ cup rice flour
- 60g/2¼oz/¹⁄₃ cup chestnut flour
- 2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 150g/5½oz/1¼ cups raspberries or strawberries, hulled, to decorate
Icing:
- 200g/7oz dairy-free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces
- 300g/10½oz/scant 2 cups cashew nuts
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 pitted dates
- Put the nuts in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak at room temperature overnight or for at least 12 hours.
- Drain and rinse the nuts thoroughly, then put them in a blender. Add the vanilla extract and dates and pour in 250ml/9fl oz/1 cup water. Blend for 10 minutes or until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and lightly grease two 23cm/9in springform cake tins with dairy-free margarine. Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and rest it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Using a large spoon, carefully fold in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift the flours, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture and fold in. Make sure the mixture is well mixed but take care not to overmix it. Evenly divide the mixture into the cake tins and level the surfaces with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and leave to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, put the chocolate for the icing in a large heatproof bowl and rest it over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. Put the blended nut cream and date mixture in a food processor or blender, add the melted chocolate and blend until well mixed.
- Put the cake on a plate and spread half of the icing over the top. Put the other cake on top, flat-side down, and spread the remaining icing over it. Decorate with the raspberries and serve.
I’m so excited about Christmas this year! Zoe is 2 years old, so I think she’ll get it this year. She was only a couple of months’ old for her first Christmas, 2 years ago – and she slept through most of it, including the very loud Mama Mia karaoke my sister had organized! And while she dressed up for the festivities last year, she didn’t understand the concept of presents or Santa Claus. But this year, we’re going to see Santa and I know she’s going to love all the presents, Christmas tree decorations, crackers, party hats etc etc. Can’t wait! Here’s a recipe for a fantastically delicious gluten-free and dairy-free Christmas cake – very rich and moist. By all means feed it with more brandy while you wait for the day. And wrap it tightly in foil, then in an airtight container to store it. I’ve made 2 cakes here, because I wanted one for Christmas day and one to freeze (it freezes brilliantly). But you could always make 1 very large one, instead. Just cook for another hour or so, peering at it frequently to make sure you don’t overcook it.
Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 3 hours Makes 2 cakes, each serve 8–10
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, seed-free, citrus-free
- 350g/12oz dairy-free margarine, plus extra for greasing
- 1.5kg/3lb 5oz mixture of sultanas, raisins and currants
- 300ml/10½fl oz/scant 1¼ cups brandy
- 250g/9oz/1⅔ cups almonds
- 150g/5½oz/heaped ¾ cup rice flour
- 100g/3½oz/scant 1 cup gram flour
- 100g/3½oz/⅔ cup maize flour
- 100g/3½oz/1 cup ground almonds
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- a large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 350g/12oz/2 cups fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp molasses (I used pomegranate molasses)
- 200g/7oz dried pineapple or mango, finely chopped
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2 and lightly grease 2 x 23cm/9in springform cake tins with dairy-free margarine. Put the sultanas, raisins and currants and 1l/35fl oz/4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 30–40 minutes until all of the fruit has softened and the water has been absorbed. Pour the brandy in, mix thoroughly, and leave to one side.
- Put the almonds in a food processor and pulse until chopped.
- Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl and add the ground almonds, salt, gluten-free baking powder, xanthan gum and spices and mix well.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed, then stir in the softened fruits, chopped almonds and pineapple or mango pieces, using a spoon. Quickly fold in the flour mixture. Make sure the batter is well blended, but take care not to overmix. Pour the batter into the tins and smooth the surfaces with the back of a metal spoon.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then cover both tins with baking parchment, tucking the ends under the tins securely. Bake for another 1¾–2 hours until browned on top, well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before serving.
Zoë is now 2 years old! We had a birthday party in the park at the weekend to celebrate with her friends, including Ivy pictured here – and it was wonderful! For the tea I cooked chicken nuggets, squash nuggets, sweet potato wedges, sausages and dips with vegetable sticks. And then I made Carrot and Beetroot Cupcakes from my book, The Best Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes. I still don’t give Zoe sugar generally and I thought these cupcakes would be good because they’re much lower in sugar than most cupcakes. I promised that I would post the recipe…
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, nut-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 15–18 minutes makes 12
Ingredients:
150g/5oz dairy-free margarine, softened
125g/4oz/¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
75g/2½oz/scant ½ cup rice flour
75g/2½oz/⅔ cup gram flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
scant ½ tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp ground cinnamon
200g/7oz carrots, peeled and grated
100g/3½oz beetroots, peeled and grated
Topping:
100g/3½oz soya yogurt
2 tbsp clear honey
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Arrange 12 paper cupcake cases in a bun tin.
- Using an electric whisk, beat the margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until well mixed.
- Sift the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and ground cinnamon into the mixture, then quickly fold it in, followed by the grated carrots and beetroots, using a metal spoon. Make sure the mixture is well blended, but take care not to overmix.
- Divide the mixture between the cupcake cases and bake in the hot oven for 10 minutes, then cover them with a sheet of non-stick baking parchment to prevent them from overbrowning and bake for a further 5–8 minutes until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Take the cupcakes out of the oven, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- When the cupcakes have cooled, prepare the topping. Using a whisk or electric blender, whisk together the yogurt and honey in a bowl until smooth. Spread a little of the topping over each one.
This is a wonderfully moist cake, with a beautiful topping of sliced peaches. I’ve added some soya milk to this recipe, which adds extra liquid and ensures the cake comes out of the oven a beautiful golden-brown colour.
gluten-free, wheat-free, yeast-free, dairy-free, seed-free
Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 30–35 minutes Makes 12–16 slices
- 200g dairy-free margarine
- 175g sugar, fruit sugar or xylitol
- 6 ripe peaches, peeled, stoned and sliced
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 3 eggs
- 100g rice flour
- 100g ground almonds
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 125ml soya milk
- 2 tbsp apricot jam
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Grease the side of a 22½ x 7½cm loose-bottomed baking tin with dairy-free margarine.
- Put 50g of the margarine in a saucepan and heat over a gentle heat until melted. Stir in 100g of the sugar or xylitol and heat for 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Pour over the bottom of the tin and arrange the peach slices on top.
- Using a hand-held electric whisk, beat the margarine and sugar or xylitol together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the almond extract and then the eggs, one at a time. Sift the flour, ground almonds, baking powder and xanthum gum into the bowl and carefully fold in with a metal spoon. Pour in the lemon juice and soya milk and stir in gently.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tins, over the peaches, and spread it evenly with the back of a wooden spoon. Bake for 30–35 minutes until golden brown, risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Then remove the side of the tin and quickly turn the cake over onto a plate. Slide onto a wire rack.
- Heat the jam in a saucepan over a gentle heat until warm and, using a pastry brush, brush over the peach slices. Leave the cake to cool completely.
This is heaven in rich, dark, more-ish mouthfuls! The secret is all in the eggs and the chocolate. I try to use the freshest, organic eggs and a wonderful dairy-free dark chocolate with a high cocoa content. If you want a lighter cake, just ignore the topping part of the recipe.
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 25–30 minutes Serves 10
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 110g dairy-free margarine, plus extra for greasing
- 225g dairy-free dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids
- 6 eggs, separated
- 125g fruit sugar
Topping:
- 150g dairy-free dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids
- 150g chestnut purée
- 30g fruit sugar
- 30g dairy-free margarine
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Lightly grease a deep 20cm cake tin with dairy-free margarine and line the base with a circle of non-stick baking parchment.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large heatproof bowl. Rest the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir from time to time until the chocolate has melted. Add the margarine to the bowl and continue stirring occasionally until it is completely melted and mixed in with the chocolate. Remove from the heat.
- Put the egg whites in a mixing bowl and whisk using a hand-held electric whisk until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar and continue whisking until they form glossy peaks.
- Lightly beat the egg yolks in another bowl, then stir into the melted chocolate mixture until well blended. With a large metal spoon, carefully fold in the whisked egg whites until they are thoroughly mixed in.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the hot oven for 25–30 minutes until risen and cooked around the sides but still slightly soft in the centre. Insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if there is only a little of the cake mixture sticking to it, the cake is ready. Take the cake out of the oven and leave to cool in the tin for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, prepare the topping. Melt the chocolate as above. Add the chestnut purée and sugar and stir well, then stir in the margarine until thoroughly blended. Remove from the heat, leave to cool and serve with slices of the cake.
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