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Ingredients

For the torte

250g unsalted butter

250g good quality chocolate

¾ cup Dutch processed cocoa powder, sifted

1 ⅔ cups roasted pecans

6 eggs

1 ½ cups caster sugar

⅓ cup brandy or cognac (optional)

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup raspberries (fresh or freeze dried)

Double thick cream, for serving

For the chocolate glaze

250g good quality dark chocolate

125g unsalted butter, chopped

2 ½ tbsp water

Method

For the torte

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm springform cake pan and line the base with buttered baking paper. Dust cake pan with flour or rice flour (if you're avoiding wheat) and tap out the excess. Set it aside.
2. Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted. Take the pan off the heat, then add the cocoa, stirring it in until the mixture is thick and smooth. Set it aside to cool a little.
3. Meanwhile, whiz the pecans in a food processor to chop them as finely as possible. Stop the machine every so often to check them so they don't become oily and form a paste. Set them aside.
4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar with a balloon whisk until they're just blended together, then whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until it's well combined. Mix in the brandy and vanilla. Finally, stir in the ground pecans - the batter will look very loose and sloppy, but don't worry, it's fine.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake the torte for 40 to 45 minutes or until the side is set, but the middle 15cm or so of the torte is still a bit wobbly when you gently shake the pan.
6. Cool the torte completely in the cake pan on a wire rack. Once cool, release the sides of the pan and carefully invert the torte onto the rack. Remove the baking paper.

TIP: A Bamix stick blender will easily blitz your pecan nuts to perfection. Click here to learn how.

For the chocolate glaze

1. Put the chocolate, butter and water into a medium sized, heavy based saucepan over low heat. Let the chocolate and butter melt, stirring regularly, until they are smooth. Don’t let the glaze get too hot and boil; if it does, it will become oily and grainy and there's not much chance of salvaging it.
2. Once it's silky smooth, take it off the heat. Let it cool until it's only slightly warm and a thick pouring consistency before using it.
3. To ice the torte, place it on the rack over a plate to catch any drips, then pour a good amount of the slightly warm glaze into the middle of the torte. Tilt the rack so the glaze flows evenly over the top and runs down the sides. If your room is cool, you can leave the glaze to set at room temperature. However, if it's hot and humid, transfer the torte on its rack into the fridge to set.
4. Once set, slide the torte onto a serving plate and cover it in plastic wrap - it will keep well like this for at least a week. Before serving, remove the wrap and return the torte to cool room temperature.
5. Finish off with fresh or freeze dried raspberries.
6. Serve with cream or ice cream or both.