The cake comes with all the fixings – liquor, chocolate and rum. The chocolate cube you have to make is optional. It is like a quick version of gingerbread. Makes 8
4 whole cloves
1 whole cinnamon stick
125g good quality dark brown sugar
Zest of one lemon
1 tbsp molasses
200g dark rum
375g double cream
200g dark chocolate, chopped and broken into pieces
1 Put the cloves, cinnamon stick and sugar in a small food processor and whizz to coarse sugar. Add the lemon zest and molasses, and blend again.
2 Scoop out and discard the seeds of the candied cloves and cinnamon stick and puree the mixture. This will make it easier to form the cake. (Note that the mixture should be a little thick.)
3 Break the rum into small bits and stir into the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a 25cm-square cake tin and smooth the top and sides.
4 Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan and set aside until it stops foaming. Melt the chopped chunks of chocolate and stir into the mixture. If the chocolate is too thick to pour into the cake, spoon it on top with a palette knife. It may seem unusual to omit the chocolate cube, but the cake will be better without it.
5 Place the cake on a tray and turn it upside down. The cake will soften and harden slightly. Turn the cake over and put it back on the tray, turning it upside down to make sure it is dry on top. Place the cake in the fridge and allow it to cool completely.
6 Leave to rest in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to serve, remove the cake from the tin and warm it in the oven until it is warm to the touch but not boiling hot. Be careful not to over-heating it as it will burn.
7 Once the cake is warm, dip a knife in hot water (use plenty to stop the cake from sticking) and then cut into eight 3cm-thick slices. The cake will set before it cools and the moist crumbs on top will turn into an even textured filling. Serve hot or cold or at room temperature.
Stacey Twivy is a cake maker and blogger from Devon