Rich Chocolate Almond Cake

Ingredients

- olive oil - cocoa powder - boiling water - vanilla extract - half oz ground almonds or 4 and a half oz plain flour - bicarbonate of soda - salt - caster sugar - eggs

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3. 2.Butter the sides of a 23cm/9in diameter cake tin (or spring-form tin) and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. 3.Sift cocoa powder into bowl/jug and whisk in boiling water until smooth and just runny paste. Whisk in vanilla and set aside to cool. 4.In another bowl combine almonds with bicarbonate and salt. 5.Put sugar, olive oil and eggs in bowl and beat for 3 mins until pale and aerated. 6.Pour in cocoa on low speed then add almonds. 7.Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for about 45mins, until the centre is just set. 8.Allow to cool in the tin. 9.Can replace 150g of almonds with 125g plain flour for everyday cake. 10.Melt the chocolate, milk and butter together and stir until smooth. 11.Allow to cool a little until it has thickened slightly (about 10 minutes) but do not place in the fridge as it will lose its glossy sheen. 12.Take the cooled cake out of the tin and place on a plate or cake stand, and pour the glaze over the top, letting it drizzle down the sides.