Dark chocolate, smoked chilli, espresso and tequila cake

5 free-range eggs

200g light brown sugar

100ml strong espresso

350g dark chocolate

250g unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp tequila

150g ground almonds

1 pasilla de Oaxaca (or a chipotle chilli)

Heat the oven to 160C. Butter a 23cm cake tin and line with baking paper.   Cut a slice into the chilli to open it up, discarding any loose chilli seeds and place it in a small saucepan with the butter, half the sugar, vanilla essence, tequila, salt and espresso and put over a medium heat to melt the butter, stirring every so often so that the sugar dissolves. Once the sugar has dissolved remove from heat and let the chilli infuse for 10-15 minutes. After ten minutes stir in the chocolate pieces. You may have to put the pan back on the gentlest heat to melt the chocolate or it may just melt with stirring into the still-hot butter, just be careful not to heat too much or the chocolate may burn.

Meanwhile beat the eggs and the remaining sugar until light and frothy. Remove the chilli from the chocolate sauce, scraping off any excess chocolate that clings to it, and pour the chocolate into the frothy eggs in a steady stream, folding it in gently as you do. Finally stir in the almonds.

Pour into the lined cake tin and put it in a deep roasting pan. Fill the pan with enough boiling water to come half way up the cake tin and then bake in the oven for around 50-60 minutes until the cake is just set. It will still be very soft. Leave the cake to cool in the cake tin and serve slices with great dollops of Gurnsey cream, clotted cream or crème fraiche.

 

Warning:  This cake will make you feel seriously sexy.