REFRIGERATOR CAKE

Ingredients.......250gm of chopped dark chocolate, 1 tbs of instant coffee (powder or granules), 250 gm of softened butter/ marg, 200gm of raw castor sugar, 1 tbs of Dutch cocoa, 3 eggs separated, 50 gm of flaked almonds,50gm of glace cherries (sliced in half), 300gm of amaretti biscuits, 2 tbs of apera ( cream sherry). Melt the chocolate in a bowl in 20 sec increments in your microwave, stirring frequently. Stir in the coffee and leave to cool. Beat the butter/ marg and sugar with electric beaters until light and fluffy, then add the cocoa powder and beat well. Now add the 3 egg yolks separately, beating well after each addition. Fold in the melted chocolate. In a separate clean bowl, whiskthe egg whites intil stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture using a metal spoon. Fold through the almond flakes and halved cherry slices. Line a 22cm springform pan with platic cling wrap. Put a tight fitting layer of amaretti over the base of the pan, flat side down. Sprinkle a little of the apera over. Spread half of the chocolate cream mixture over the top, then cover with another layer of amaretti. Then sprinkle with the remaining apera and cover with the remaining chocolate cream and finish with a tight layer of amaretti on top, flat side down. Knock the pan on the bench a couple of times to pack the cake down. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Next day remove the cake from the pan. Now upturn the pan onto one hand , peel off the cling wrap and invert it onto a serving dish. Dress the refrigerator cake as you want....I will sprinkle icing sugar lightly over and dress with green spearmint lolly leaves and raspberry lollies for Xmas just before serving on Xmas day. This cake is made for varied occasions during the year in The manor. Enjoy.