Ingredients

2 cups walnuts, thinly chopped
1 ½ cup breadcrumbs
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
125g dark chocolate, thinly chopped
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, separated
2 pinches salt
4 tbsp cognac
lemon zest

For garnishing

a few walnuts

For the chocolate syrup

2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 ½ cup water
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp cognac 

Preparation

Preheat the oven at 180ºC, using the cooking elements. Butter a round pan (32cm) or a rectangle (22x36cm). 

In a bowl, mix the walnuts, breadcrumbs, cocoa powder, chocolate, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves, then stir till blended. 

Mix the butter and sugar in a blender for 4-5’ till creamy. Add the egg yolks one by one till absorbed. Then, add the lemon zest and cognac. Finally, pour in the solids and use a spatula to lightly stir. 

In a different bowl, whisk the egg whites with the salt till they blend into a meringue. Gradually pour the meringue into the batter, folding it over with a spatula, moving from the bottom to the top. 

Pour the batter into the buttered pan and bake for 40-45’ till golden brown. Test the cake with a knife to check if done. 

Let it cool completely. Drill small holes all over the surface so that the syrup can get better absorbed. 

For the chocolate syrup

Add all the ingredients, apart from the cognac, into a pot. Boil over medium heat for 5’ to keep from curdling. Add the cognac, then pour over the cake pie slowly. 

Decorate the cake with the rest of the walnuts. Let it cool before serving.