Chocolate Fruit and Nut Refrigerator Cake

First of all roast the hazelnuts. 

To do this, pre-heat the oven to 170°C, gas mark 3, spread them out on a tray and pop them into the oven near the centre for 8 minutes – use a timer to help you remember.

Then place the chocolate in a bowl with the butter and fit the bowl over a pan containing 5cm of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Then turn the heat to its lowest setting and allow the chocolate to melt (which should take about 5–10 minutes). After that remove the bowl from the pan and give it all a good stir till it’s smooth and glossy. Now allow it to cool for about 3 minutes.

While it’s cooling, whip the cream to the floppy stage, then fold it into the cooled chocolate mixture. Follow this with the nuts, fruit and chopped biscuits, giving it all a really good mix. Finally spoon it into the cake tin as evenly as possible and level it off with the back of a spoon. Cover the tin with clingfilm and chill for a minimum of 4 hours.

Just before serving, dust the surface with a little cocoa powder then remove the cake from the tin and cut into wedges. It’s great as a dessert with some crème fraiche or pouring cream; or cut into small cubes for after dinner with coffee.

Store in a polythene box in the fridge.