Chocolate and Cashew Cake

To show how much fun Fairtrade can be - a chocolate cake recipe by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall.

Chocolate and Cashew Cake

This is a particularly easy cake to make because you don't hae to cream the butter and sugar together - just melt everything together and then fold in the egg whites.

The cake will rise in the oven and then collapse back as it cools. Don't be disappointed - it's meant to. That's what gives it its delicious fudgy texture.

Ingredients

• 200g Equal Exchange Cashew Nuts
• 250g Dark Fairtrade Chocolate
• 2 Tbspns strong black Fairtrade coffee (Equal Exchange dark roast is ideal.)
• 2 Tbspns rum or brandy (optional)
• 200g unsalted butter
• 200g Equal Exchange Unrefined Cane Sugar
• 50g plain flour
• 3 large eggs

Method

Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees celsius / Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a loose-bottomed 20 - 25cm cake tin. In a food processor, grind the cashew nuts until they are the texture of instant coffee granules (or put in a plastic bag and bash with a rolling pin).

Put all the ingredients except the cashew nuts, flour and eggs into a saucepan and place over a low heat. Stir until the butter and chocolate have melted and everything is blended and smooth. (Use just enough heat to melt everything without it getting hot.)

Take the pan off the heat, add the cashew nuts and flour  and mix in well. Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks one at a time into the cake mix. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, and fold them gently in.

Pile the mixture into the tin and put straight in the oven. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes until risen, and just firm. (If you are going to serve this cake as a pudding, err on the side of underdone).

Serve plain, or with whipped cream or creme fraiche.