Cookies & Cream Cake

Preheat the oven to 180˚C fan. Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin. Separate the egg whites and yolkds into two separate bowls. Roughly chop the dark chocolate into 2-3cm pieces.

Use an electric whisk to beat together the butter and sugar for about 4 mins until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks gradually and beat until combined.

Into a separate bowl, sift the cocoa powder and add the poppy seeds, ground almonds, salt and baking powder. Mix to combine.

Use an electric whisk to beat the egg whites, first on a slow setting, then on medium and finally on high, until they are thick and glossy with soft peaks forming.

Using a spoon, fold half the cocoa powder mix into the butter and sugar mixture, then very carefully fold in half the beaten egg whites (be careful not to knock the air out of the egg whites). Once combined, gently fold through the remaining the cocoa powder mix followed by the remaining egg whites.

Transfer the mixture to your prepared tin and level out to the edges. Bake for 25–30 mins, until risen and firm. Press the top of the cake gently with your fingertips to see if it feels baked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the vanilla buttercream: Beat the butter alone for 4–5 mins on high speed. Sift in the sugar and add the vanilla and cream then beat on a low speed to bring it together. Beat on high for another 2–3 mins.

When the cake is cool, spread the buttercream on top (and around the sides, if you like) and dust with roughly chopped dark chocolate if desired.