Chocolate Clementine Torte

It wouldn’t be Christmas without an amazing chocolate dessert and this one - inspired by the River Café’s Chocolate Nemesis - is a complete game changer. It’s so rich and silky that you’ll only want a little slice, but your guests will go mad for it. Hands down delicious.

12 oz quality 70% dark chocolate (350 g)
1 cup unsalted butter (250 g)
5 large free-range eggs
1 cup white caster sugar (250 g)
¾ cup fresh clementine juice, (roughly 15 clementines) (200 mL)

Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C, Gas Mark 3-4).

Snap the chocolate and melt in a heatproof bowl with 225 g of the butter and a pinch of sea salt over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy, stirring occasionally. Whisk the eggs and sugar in a freestanding mixer on a high speed until light, fluffy and tripled in size.

Grease a 25 cm round cake tin all over with the remaining butter and line the base with greaseproof paper. Remove the chocolate from the heat, leave to stand for a couple of minutes, then pour it into the egg mixture. Whisk on a medium speed to combine, then pour into the lined tin. Give a few taps on the work surface to bring the air bubbles to the surface, then place the tin into a shallow roasting tray. Place the tray in the oven, then carefully pour enough boiling kettle water into the tray to come halfway up the side of the cake tin. Gently slide the shelf back in and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until set but with a slight wobble.

Squeeze the clementine juice through a sieve into a small pan and simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, or until syrupy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Carefully pour it into a bowl and leave to cool.

Remove the torte from the oven and leave to cool in the water-filled tin for 1 hour. Gently loosen the edges with a butter knife, then carefully turn it out onto a serving board and peel off the paper. Slice and serve with a drizzle of clementine syrup.

Makes 16 servings.