Cherry chocolate torte

Preheat the oven to 160°C, gas mark 3. Grease a 20cm round cake tin with a little butter and line the base with baking parchment. Mix the cherries in the kirsch and set aside.

Melt the chocolate, butter and brown sugar together in a pan, then cool slightly and stir in the almonds, flour and egg yolks. Stir in ½ the soaked cherries and the liquid.

Whip the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Using a large metal spoon or spatula, fold a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the rest.

Pour into the tin, sprinkle over the remaining cherries and bake for 40-45 minutes until cooked through – a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean. Cool slightly, then remove from the tin, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve.