Tomo's Aquarian torte

Ingredients

Cake:

200g marzipan

225g plain chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, broken into pieces

175g butter

75g Muscovado sugar

100g caster sugar

5 eggs

125g flour

1½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

3 tbs cocoa powder, sifted

60ml amaretto

White ganche:

175g white chocolate, broken into pieces

140ml double cream

¼ tsp vanilla essence

Dark ganache coating:

175g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

75g butter

60ml double cream, warmed

Preparation

Freeze the marzipan for 30 minutes to firm it up and make grating easier.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Gradually beat in three eggs - don't worry if the mixture curdles.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, add 3 tbs of the flour and all the cocoa to the butter and eggs mixture. Gradually beat in the remaining eggs. Fold in the rest of the flour.

Grate the chilled marzipan and crumble into the cake mixture. Pour all the melted chocolate into the mixture, then stir in, making sure it's evenly distributed.

Add 2 tbs of the amaretto and stir thoroughly to combine.

Grease and line a 20.5cm spring form tin with baking parchment. Put the mixture into the cake tin, spread evenly and bake for 45 min at 190°C or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. (If the cake is browning too quickly, cover it with foil). Cool in the tin for 30min.

Remove cake from tin and cool completely on a wire rack, then drizzle with remaining amaretto.

To make the white chocolate ganache coating, put the broken pieces into a pan with cream and gently melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth.

Remove from flame, stir in vanilla essence and allow to cool completely (you may place it in the fridge for 30 minutes).

Beat the chilled mixture thoroughly to lighten it and increase in volume.

Spread the ganache immediately (it hardens very quickly) with a spatula or knife over the lower slice of the torte. Cover with the top layer and press it down lightly but firmly.

To make the chocolate ganache coating, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add the butter and the warm cream and stir everything together until smooth.

Ladle the warm ganache coating over the cake top, letting it trickle down the cake sides. Use a palette knife to spread the ganache evenly over the cake.

You may store the cake in an airtight container and eat it within one week.