Dark chocolate torte with mint ice milk

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin (not loose-bottomed or springform) with baking parchment. Combine the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl and set over a pan of barely simmering water (ensure the bowl is not touching the water). Allow to melt, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool a little.

Step 2

Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, sugar and salt in a freestanding mixer (or using an electric hand mixer) on medium speed until pale and very airy (8-10 minutes). Gently fold in ⅓ of the cooled chocolate, along with the coffee, followed by the remaining chocolate. Sift in the cocoa powder and gently fold together until no clumps remain.

Step 3

Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the top. Put the tin in a large roasting tin and pour enough boiling water around it to meet the depth of the batter; bake for 35-45 minutes until there is just a slight wobble in the middle. Carefully remove the cake tin from the water and cool in the tin overnight.

Step 4

Meanwhile, make the ice milk. In a high-speed blender, whizz the mint leaves, milk and xanthan gum until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a large bowl and set aside. In a freestanding mixer (or using an electric hand mixer), whisk the egg white and salt until pale. Gradually add the sugar, whisking constantly, until soft peaks form.

Step 5

Fold the egg whites into the milk mixture until roughly mixed through. Churn in an ice-cream maker according to appliance instructions, then transfer to an airtight container and freeze for at least 2 hours. If you do not have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezerproof container and freeze for 6 hours, stirring every hour. Once frozen, whizz the ice milk in a food processor until smooth, then freeze again for another 2 hours.

Step 6

To serve, remove the cake from the tin, turning it out onto a serving plate so the crust is on the bottom. Slice and serve alongside a scoop of the mint ice milk.