200g butter
200g good quality dark chocolate
4 eggs, separated
200g golden caster sugar (use normal caster if you don’t have golden)
100g ground almonds / hazelnuts (you can use plain flour if you can’t have nuts)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
optional: for a chocolate orange torte: zest of 1 orange
optional: for a mocha torte: 1 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in a little boiling water
optional: for a chocolate hazelnut torte:  few drops of hazelnut extract

• Preheat the oven to 180*c. Line an 8 inch loose bottomed tin
• Place the butter and chocolate (plus any flavouring you are using) in a heat proof bowl and melt over a bain marie or in the microwave, then allow to cool slightly
• Meanwhile, separate the eggs. Place the egg yolks in a bowl with 150g of the sugar and whisk until light and creamy
• Place the remaining sugar in a bowl with the egg whites and whisk until they form a soft meringue (medium peak)
• Fold the chocolate mixture through the egg yolks, followed by the ground nuts and cocoa powder
• Fold in 1/3 of the egg white mix. Then gently fold in the remaining egg white mix.
• Place in a tin and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle come out with moist crumbs – the edges will be set but there should be a slight wobble in the centre. Allow to cool
• Dust with icing sugar or cocoa to serve.  Serve with mascarpone cream and berries, ice cream or coffee