Chocolate cake with almonds salted cashews.

Ingredients:

Makes approx. 12 slices.

350 g          dark chocolate        
150 g           butter             
6                  eggs, separated 
1                   vanilla pod  
200 g           cane sugar 
2 tbsp          orange liqueur
200 g           ground almonds
60 g             salted cashews 
1 tbsp          cocoa powder 

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C using top and bottom heat (fan not suitable).
2. Line the base of a springform pan (approx. 22 cm in diameter) with baking paper. Grease the sides thoroughly and sprinkle with a thin layer of cane sugar.
3. Coarsely chop the chocolate and melt with the butter in a bain-marie. Split the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Using a hand mixer, whisk the vanilla pulp with the egg yolks and half of the cane sugar until pale and frothy. Stir in the chocolate. Add the orange liqueur, ground almonds and cashews, briefly stir until smooth.
4. Beat the egg whites with the hand mixer until stiff. Slowly add the remainder of the cane sugar and beat until the mixture turns glossy. Gradually fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
5. Transfer the cake batter to the springform pan and bake in the preheated oven for approx. 1 hr. 15 mins. 
6. Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool completely in the tin. Carefully slide a knife around the edge of the cake, serve with a dusting of cocoa powder.

Preparation time: approx. 2 hrs.
Cooking time: 45 mins.