Oompah Loompah Cake

Instructions

1. Place the chocolate and butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high power for 1-2 minutes.
2. Remove and stir until smooth.
3. Dissolve the coffee powder in the brandy and add to the chocolate mixture.
4. Separate the eggs and beat the yolks with the sugar until light and thick.
5. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture then stir through the flour and almond meal.
6. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then beat in the remaining 1 tablespoon castor sugar. Continue to beat until firm but not dry.
7. Gently fold 1/3 of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest.
8. Pour into a lined 22cm cake pan.
9. Cake can also be baked in a kugelhopf pan - make sure you liberally butter the pan and dust with a mixture of cocoa, flour & castor sugar (about 1 t of each). baking time about 40 minutes.
10. Bake in a preheated 160 degree celcius oven for about 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean (leave the cake slightly undercooked for a fudgey centre).
11. Leave to cool for 5 minutes before unmoulding onto a wire rack to cool.
12. Dust with icing sugar before serving.
13. Delicious served slightly warm with vanilla ice-cream or cream and strawberries or cherries.
14. Cooled cake can also be covered with whipped fresh cream and decorated with fresh strawberries and mixed berries (the frozen mixed berries work well) and then dusted with icing sugar.
15. Chocolate Ganache-250g dark cooking chocolate, chopped & 1/3 cup cream, melt in microwave in 30 second bursts, until chocolate melted, stir till combined & drizzle over cake.
16. Note: Preparation time includes baking time.