I have been testing recipes for a cookbook I am working on and I decided to adapt an old favourite into a vaguely Christmassy special. I KNOW we’ve done Christmas just so recently, but it is such an easy lovely recipe, I thought you might like to know it, as it can be made for many occasions. Best of all you don’t need to do anything with it immediately after baking – and it doesn’t crack when you roll it!

No need to do the full disaster of chocolate icing and decorating, a simple slather or cream and some more raspberries is fine, or else just a fine dusting of icing sugar. The compliments will come anyway because the cake is so moist and delicious.

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1/3 cup boiling water

175g dark cooking chocolate

6 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup castor sugar

Filling

300ml thickened cream, whipped

1 cup raspberries

Topping (optional)

100g cooking chocolate, melted

60g cream

cherries, mint leaves, white choc chips to decorate

Line a lamington tray with baking paper. Mix coffee with water then heat with the chocolate until just warm. Mix well to combine. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks until frothy, then fold into the chocolate-coffee mixture, combining well. Using clean beaters and another bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then add sugar slowly, beating well until stiff but not dry. Stir a little egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder gently. Spread evenly into the tray and bake at 180C for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin overnight or for several hours until needed, covered with a damp tea-towel. Take the chocolate sponge, still on its paper, from the tray and place onto a work bench. Fold raspberries into the whipped cream and spread evenly over. Carefully roll up from the long side, using the paper to guide you, and peeling it back as you go. Place on a serving dish, seam side down. Spread chocolate topping (made by thoroughly mixing the cream into melted chocolate) over the entire cake and decorate as desired.

Serves 6-8, depending on their chocoholic-rating!