Flourless chocolate cake with chilli almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C and butter and line 23-25 cm cake tin with baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, add salt, then put to the side.
3. Using an electric mixer whisk the eggs. Once it starts to become frothy, slowly add the sugar, 50g at a time, and keep mixing until the egg and sugar mix thickens to the ribbon stage. Let the chocolate and butter mixture cool to 40°C then fold into the egg mix. Then fold in the almond meal.
4. Pour the cake mixture into the tin and place in a bain-marie. Bake for 1 hour. Once cooked, remove from the bain-marie, switch off the oven and let the cake cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
5. Meanwhile, for the chilli almonds: Place sugar in a pan over a high heat and shake the pan to maintain an even heat so the sugar will not burn. Once you see 40 per cent of the sugar turned to liquid, add the almonds. Keep swirling the pan so the sugar coats the almonds. Once the almonds are starting to go brown, add the chilli flakes (and salt if using). Make sure the chilli is evenly dispersed and take off the heat.
6. When the cake is cool, place in the fridge for two hours before serving. Sprinkle the chilli almonds on top of the cake and serve with a dollop of crème fraiche.