Chocolate Gateau

Chop the almonds and roast them in a preheated oven at 160°C (fan 140°C gas mark 3) until nice and golden.

Raise the temp of the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C, gas mark 4).

In a bowl mix the muscovado sugar and the eggs. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate and then incorporate the butter, and mix until smooth. Add to the egg mixture.

Sift in the flour and fold in the almonds. Divide the mixture into 2 x 16cm square tins then bake for 15 minutes. Leave to cool down.

Pour the whisky over the raisins and leave to plump.

For the white chocolate ganache: Heat 125 ml of the cream in a saucepan with the vanilla pod until just simmering. Melt the white chocolate. Add the hot cream to the chocolate in 2 stages and mix using a rubber spatula. When smooth and glossy whisk in the remaining cream. Leave to set in the fridge for 2 hours. When needed whisk it at medium speed until you get a nice soft peak consistency.

To make the chocolate Chantilly cream: Whisk 400ml of cold cream until it forms soft peaks. Melt the dark chocolate and then slowly mix the chocolate into the hot cream until nice and glossy. When the mixture is around 40°C temp fold in the 200 ml chilled whipped cream in stages and mix until it becomes a smooth mousse consistency.

To assemble the gateau; Spoon the chocolate Chantilly cream into a piping bag. Use some of this to secure the first layer of sponge to your cake board or stand, then pipe the cream in rows along the sponge. Cover with the whisky soaked raisins, then pipe a little more cream on top to help secure the top layer of sponge.

Place the next layer of sponge onto the cake. Then spoon the white chocolate ganache into a piping bag and pipe 'bulbs' onto the top of the cake, alternating with the remaining dark chocolate Chantilly cream, covering the top of the sponge.

For a professional finish use white chocolate curls and dark chocolate puff balls to decorate the gateau, then finish with copper flakes.