Chocolate, orange & almond simnel cake

Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas

Grease and line the base and sides of two deep 23cm cake tins. Boil the kettle.

Put the butter and chocolate in a small pan and gently heat, stirring, until completely melted.

Mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda with a pinch of salt in your largest mixing bowl.

Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, orange zest and juice together in a jug. Scrape the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients, add 150ml boiling water and whizz briefly with an electric whisk until the cake batter is lump-free. Divide between the tins and bake for 45 mins swapping the tins round after 30 mins if on different shelves. To test theyre done, push in a skewer and check that it comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins.

Meanwhile, make the marzipan.

Mix the sugars, ground almonds and cocoa in a bowl. Make a well in the middle, tip in the egg and egg yolk and mix together with a cutlery knife before kneading with your hands to a smooth ball. Wrap in cling film and set aside. Will keep in the fridge for 1 week if making ahead.

Make the frosting: beat the mascarpone and butter together until smooth. Sift in the icing sugar, add the zest, then beat again until combined.

To assemble, split each cake in half horizontally. Dot a little frosting on your serving plate and sit one of the cake halves on top. Youll use about half the frosting to sandwich the cakes together spread the plated-up cake with some frosting, then repeat to sandwich the remaining cakes on top.

Brush the top of the cake with a tiny bit more frosting.

Roll out the marzipan, on a dusting of cocoa if you need, to a rough 27cm circle. Using your cake tin like a cookie cutter, stamp out a marzipan circle, then carefully lift this onto the top of your cake.

Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 small balls and stick them on top, using a little more frosting or water like glue.

Spread the remaining frosting round the outside of the cake, then dust the top with a little more cocoa and icing sugar.