Yield: 8 slices

This is a very dense, deeply chocolate flavoured cake.

Softened butter to grease 20cm (8 inch) cake pan

50g (1/2 C) cocoa powder

80ml (1/3 C) hot water

2 tsp instant coffee

2 tsp boiling water

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g almond meal or hazelnut meal

100g (1/2 C) xylitol

3 large eggs, separated

pinch of fine salt

Strawberries, washed to serve

Greek Yogurt or Cream to serve

1.  Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Grease 20cm (8″) round springform cake tin, and line the bottom with non-stick baking paper
2.  Separate egg whites in mixing bowl and yolks in a smaller bowl.
3.  Combine the cocoa powder and hot water in a medium bowl. Combine the instant coffee powder and boiling water in a cup to dissolve. Add coffee to cocoa powder and stir to combine.
4.  Add vanilla, xylitol, egg yolks to chocolate mixture
5.  Whip egg whites to soft peak, adding a pinch of fine salt at the end.
6.  Gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Add remaining chocolate mixture and gently fold egg whites to combine, then add the almond/hazelnut meal, but without beating out the air.
7.  Turn mixture into prepared cake tin. Place filled cake tin into a roasting pan and put into the middle rack of oven. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan to come up about 1/2-2/3 of the way on the cake pan.
8.  Bake about 35 minutes or test with a skewer so that it comes out clean. (Don’t over bake, it should be rather dense and brownie-like.)
9.  Remove cake from water bath, cool for 20 minutes. Turn cake out and remove paper and allow to cool for a further 20 minutes before cutting.
10.  Serve with sliced strawberries and Greek yogurt or cream.