Chocolate and Vanilla Sponge Bites

Preparation

• Pre-heat the oven to 170°C, 325°F, Gas Mark 3.

• Cream together the butter and sugar. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks together and add them to the mixture.

• Add the ground almonds and grated chocolate to the mixture and fold in. Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold into the mixture.

• Ensure all the ingredients are well combined into the mixture then pour into an 8 inch square baking tin that has been greased and lined with baking parchment.

• Bake in the centre of the oven for 40-50 minutes until springy in the centre. Remove and allow to cool in the tin before carefully loosening the edges and turning the tin upside down to remove the cake.

• Turn the cake the right way up and lightly prick the surface all over with a fork. Drizzle over the rum.

• To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Separate the vanilla seeds from the pod by splitting the Vanilla Pod in half lengthways with a knife and running the edge of the knife down the pod to remove the seeds. Add these to the melted chocolate together with the cream and stir well.

• Spread the cake with the chocolate icing and decorate with mini eggs. When the icing has set cut the cake into squares.