Baking for friends is truly one of my favorite things about baking recipes from this book, and this one was no exception. My friend Damien had a birthday earlier this month and I promised to bake him a proper birthday cake when he got home from tour. He picked out the chokladtarta, a nutty chocolate layer cake with layers of cream filling and a chocolate glaze over top. This is easily the most involved (and decadent) recipe I’ve baked from the book so far.

The recipe gives you a list of choices of nuts for your cake layers; I had walnuts and almonds on hand but in the end decided to go for the walnuts. The cake layers are prepared first, then the cream “filling” (which goes between your cake layers) and lastly the dark chocolate glaze is made and drizzled over the top of the cake. My wonderful friend Brad helped out with the glaze and a few supplies (I’ve just moved house and my new kitchen isn’t quite set up yet).

The resulting cake was extremely rich but super delicious, and enjoyed by Damien + friends at a local open mic night last night. After an amazing Thanksgiving weekend, it was a night I was very grateful to be with friends. Happy belated, D.