For the Dark Sugar Caramel Cream
1. To make the dark sugar caramel, place the Fairtrade Dark Soft Brown Sugar in a pan on medium heat and leave it to melt. No need to stir until the sugar starts to caramelise and liquify. Add a pinch of salt and mix well.
2. With the caramel off the heat, slowly and gradually pour in the double cream, being careful as it can bubble up. If the caramel does not incorporate to the cream simply place the pan back on the heat so that it melts and you have a smooth mixture.
3. Pur the mixture into a bowl and place into the fridge until it is thoroughly chilled.
For the Flourless Espresso Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat your oven to 180C (160 fan). Line a 9-inch springform tin with parchment paper and butter lightly.
2. In a large bowl, add the Fairtrade Espresso Chocolate cut into squares and the cubed butter and place over a pan of simmering water. Once it has completely melted, mix to combine and set aside to slightly cool off.
3. Place the egg yolks and the Fairtrade Light Soft Brown Sugar in a large bowl and mix using an electric hand whisk until pale and thick. This should take 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the chocolate mixture over, add the tablespoon of ground almonds and mix until well combined.
4. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites using a mixer or hand whisk, until stiff. To know when the eggs are whisked enough, you should be able to tilt your bowl upside down and the whipped eggs should stick to the bowl.
5. In three separate portions, delicately add the whipped egg whites to the chocolate mixture, folding gently to combine using a spatula or a large metal spoon. Take your time here as you want to ensure that the air bubbles remain intact. A good technique to fold the whipped egg whites is to almost 'slice' down vertically into the centre of the mixture, then gently fold the bottom of the mixture up and over the top of the egg whites, running the spatula up along the left hand side of the bowl, rotating your bowl a quarter turn, and repeating the procedure until no streaks of egg whites remain.
6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven once ready and allow your cake to cool at room temperature. It is normal for our cake's centre to collapse, so do not worry if it happens.
7. As the cake cools, get your dark brown sugar caramel cream out of the fridge and whip up using a handheld mixer or whisk. To ensure the best results, a good trick is to have everything really cold and to place your cream, whisk attachment and bowl in the freezer for a few minutes. Whisk for a few minutes until the cream is thick. t
8. Served the cool cake with a dollop of the whipped cream. Enjoy!
You could also flavour your cream with coffee liqueur for a full-on coffee kick! Simply whisk 300ml of cold double cream for 1 min, then add 45ml of coffee-flavoured liqueur and whisk for another minute, or until the mixture is thick and airy. Make sure to store in the fridge until you're ready to use it.