Chocolate, marsala and coffee torte with macadamia brittle

Method

1. Heat the oven to 130°C/fan110°C/gas ¾. Lightly grease a watertight 20cm diameter cake tin and dust with cocoa powder, shaking out the excess. Line the bottom with a circle of baking paper and set aside.
2. Melt the butter, chocolate, golden caster sugar and espresso powder in a heavy-based saucepan until smooth. Take off the heat, then stir through the marsala. Add the flour and eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared tin and put in a roasting tin. Fill the roasting tin with just-boiled water to halfway up the cake tin, then carefully put in the middle of the oven for 1-1¼ hours until springy to the touch.
3. Remove the torte and cool in the tin for 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Chill overnight, then bring up to room temperature for about an hour before serving.
4. To make the brittle, roughly chop the macadamias and scatter over a metal tray lined with baking paper. Put the sugar in a frying pan and heat gently to melt – don’t stir. Keep heating it until it forms a rich red caramel, then pour this over the macadamias. Leave to cool completely, then chop into small chunks. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
5. To serve, scatter the brittle over the torte or pile it up in the centre, then slice with a hot, dry knife. Keep leftover brittle to scatter over ice cream or to tart up shop-bought puds. The torte will keep, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days.