Morro's: Bitter Chocolate, Coffee and Cardamom Truffle Cake

Serves 8 - 1

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Taken from 'Only the Best' by Michel Roux (Quadrille, £25)

340g/12oz dark chocolate (preferably 70 per cent cocoa solids), broken up

400ml/14fl oz milk

30g/1oz green cardamom pods, crushed

1 teaspoon instant coffee

2 tablespoons caster sugar

800ml/11/2 pints double cream

65g/2oz roasted almonds, roughly chopped

Melt chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of water. Meanwhile, reduce milk with cardamom by a third until dark creamy yellow. Strain. Add coffee to hot milk and enough sugar to balance out the bitterness. Whip cream until it just begins to thicken but stop the second it does so.

Gently fold the melted chocolate (the cream will thicken now) and milk/coffee mixtures into it. (Do not mix the chocolate and coffee mixture beforehand.)

Take a 20cm/8in cake-tin lined with clingfilm or greaseproof paper and cover base with almonds. Spoon chocolate on top and chill for an hour until firm. Alternatively, sprinkle almonds over cake once you have taken it out of its mould. Serve with yoghurt or crème fraîche.