Genoise sponge: 

• Melt the butter over low heat and leave to cool. Combine the flour with the cocoa powder.
• Whip the eggs with a pinch of salt and sugar until they triple in volume. Add the melted butter and mix for another 10 seconds. Turn off the mixer. Incorporate the dry ingredients with a spatula using gentle upward movements.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C ( 360°F). Line a 20/30 cm (8x12 inches) baking tray with parchment paper. Pour the mixture into the tray and level it. Bake for 25 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Transfer to a cooling rack. After half an hour, cover with a clean towel to keep in the moisture.

Chocolate cream:

• Caramelize the sugar in a thick-bottomed saucepan. When it turns a golden color, add the walnuts and cover well with the caramelized sugar. Flip onto a chopping board and let cool. Break off the larger piece into manageable chunks, put them in the blender, and roughly grind them.
• Bring half the milk (100 ml or 1/2 cup) to almost boiling point. Add the broken chocolate pieces and stir to combine. Take a spoonful of cream and add it to the rest of the milk. Stir well until a smooth syrupy consistency. Coat the cake and put it back in the baking tray.
• Refrigerate the chocolate cream. Once cooled, add the caramelized walnuts. Spread the cream onto the cake and refrigerate.

Amaretto cream:

• Put half the whipping cream (200 ml or 3/4 cup) over medium heat and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add the broken dark chocolate, amaretto essence, and vanilla. Stir well until smooth. Cover with cling film and leave to cool.
• Whip the remaining whipping cream with the vanilla sugar until it turns into a stiff foam. Fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate cream with upward movements. Spread the chocolate cream over the cake. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours to set the cream.
• Decorate the cake with mirror glaze, chocolate pralines, and raspberries. You can find the mirror glaze explained in the Blackberry Mousse and Chocolate Cake recipe.

Enjoy!