Moist chocolate cake with berries and cream

Oven temperature: 180°C
1. Preheat the oven. Grease
a loose-bottomed cake tin
(26cm diameter) with butter
and sprinkle cake flour over it.
Invert and shake to get rid of
the excess flour.

2. Melt the chocolate, butter
and castor sugar in a glass
bowl over warm water (the
bowl should not touch
the water) to prevent the
chocolate from overheating.
Stir until everything has
melted, remove the glass bowl
from the water and set it aside
to cool slightly.

3. Beat the eggs. Add the
chocolate mixture to the eggs
while beating until it is well
combined. Beat in the brandy.
Stir in the sifted cake flour,
baking powder and salt using
a large metal spoon ? ensure
that it is well combined and
that no lumps have formed.

4. Pour the batter into the
prepared cake tin and bake
for about 45 minutes or until
a skewer comes out clean when
you test the cake.

5. Make the syrup while the
cake is in the oven. Heat the
water and sugar in a small
saucepan and stir to ensure
that the sugar has dissolved
before the mixture starts to boil.
Simmer the syrup for about
5 minutes or until it starts to
thicken slightly. Set it aside until
completely cool.

6. Remove the cake from the
oven and pour the syrup over it.
Leave it to stand until the cake
has cooled down completely.

7. Place the cake on a cake
stand and decorate with
blueberries and chocolate
truffles. You can make the cake
extra special by tying a ribbon
around it. Serve with fig and
hazelnut ice cream.