Chestnut and chocolate cake with chestnut cream

Serves 10-12

For the chestnut cream

• 250g dark chocolate
• 250g unsalted butter
• 180g caster sugar
• 3 tbsp mezcal
• 200g chestnut puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 small pinch ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp fine sea salt

• 200g chestnut puree
• 2 tbsp mezcal
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 60g icing sugar
• 220g double cream
• 30g dark chocolate

Step 1
Heat the oven to 170C/325F/gas mark 3.

Step 2
Butter a 25cm cake tin and line it with baking paper.

Step 3
Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a heatproof bowl with the butter.

Step 4
Position the bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, and stir until the chocolate has melted.

Step 5
Add the sugar and mezcal, stir again until the sugar crystals have melted and the mix is smooth, then leave to cool slightly.

Step 6
In a bowl, beat the chestnut puree with a hand blender until very smooth, then beat in the egg yolks two at a time, to make a smooth cream.

Step 7
Fold in half the melted chocolate mix, then add the rest.

Step 8
Season with the cinnamon and salt.

Step 9
In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, then use a large metal spoon to fold a third of them into the chocolate mixture, to loosen.

Step 10
Once well combined, gently fold in the rest of the egg whites, then scrape the mix into the tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, until just set.

Step 11
While the cake is baking, make the chestnut cream.

Step 12
Beat together the chestnut puree, mezcal, vanilla and sugar.

Step 13
Gently whip the cream to soft peaks and fold into the chestnut puree mix.

Step 14
To serve, cut the cooled cake into slices and serve with dollops of cream and dark chocolate grated on top.