Chocolate Meringue Cake

Ingredients
• 8 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 60g dark chocolate, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup glacé figs, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup seeded prunes, chopped finely
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (extra), sifted
• 1/3 cup thickened light cream, whipped
• fresh cherries, for serving

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 120°C
2. Grease deep 22cm springform tin, line base and side with baking paper
3. Beat egg whites in bowl with electric mixer until peaks form
4. Add sugar, little bit at a time, beating until sugar dissolves with each addition
5. Fold in chocolate, fruit, breadcrumbs and cocoa
6. Spoon mixture into cake tin and bake in 120°C oven for 1 & 1/2 hours
7. Cool in oven with door open slightly
8. Combine icing sugar and extra cocoa powder and dust cake
9. Serve with whipped cream & fresh cherries

Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 100g butter
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped roughly
• 2/3 cup almond meal

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 150°C
2. Grease 18cm springform tin and line base and side with baking paper
3. Beat eggs and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, or until mixture doubles
4. Melt half the butter and combine with half the chocolate in a bowl, stir until melted
5. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture, then fold in almond meal
6. Bake in 150°C oven for about 45 minutes then cool in pan
7. Melt remaining chocolate and butter in a heat-proof bowl over a small pan of simmering water, stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until mixture is spreadable
8. Remove cake from pan and spread chocolate mixture over top and side of cake

Caramel-Choc Tarts (Makes 24)

Ingredients
• 1 cup plain flour
• 90g butter, chopped
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 400g can sweetened condensed milk
• 30g butter (extra)
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 100g milk chocolate, melted

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Grease two, 12-hole mini-muffin trays
3. Blend flour, butter and sugar until ingredients come together
4. Press level tablespoon of mixture into each hole of tray
5. Bake in 180°C oven for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned
6. Meanwhile, combine condensed milk, extra butter and syrup in a saucepan, stir on low heat until smooth Ñ do not boil
7. Pour hot caramel filling over hot bases and return to oven for 3 minutes, or until caramel begins to brown around edges
8. Stand for 2 minutes
9. Using a pointed vegetable knife, gently remove tarts from tray and cool
10. Spread top of cooled tarts with melted chocolate and stand until set

Caramel Mud Cake

Ingredients
• 200g white chocolate, chopped roughly
• 250g unsalted butter, chopped
• 2 & 1/4 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 & 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups plain flour
• 2/3 cup self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3 eggs, whisked

Steps
1. Preheat oven to 150°C
2. Grease deep 22cm cake tin, line base and side with baking paper, extend paper 5cm above edge of tin
3. Combine white chocolate, butter, sugar and water in saucepan, stir over low heat until mixture is smooth
4. Transfer mixture to large bowl and leave to cool for 15 minutes
5. Whisk in flours, then essence, then eggs
6. Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake in 150°C for about 2 hours
7. Stand in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool
8. Place cake, top-side up, on serving plate and spread cold cake with caramel icing

Caramel Icing for Mud Cake

Ingredients
• 125g butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 & 1/2 cups icing sugar

Steps
1. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in brown sugar and milk, bring to the boil
2. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes then let cool
3. Gradually stir in icing sugar until a mixture is a spreadable consistency