This recipe from THE SECRET OF COOKING is named for my daughter, who was the great baker in the house when she was at home. When studying for exams, she would do a lot of 'procrasti-baking'. I miss those times so much.

I realise it's a hostage to fortune calling any cake 'never-fail'. But so far, this one has never failed us. It's nicest when soft and squidgy but even when you over-bake it slightly, the large amount of ground almonds, chocolate and eggs keeps it moist.

Serves 6

200g dark chocolate
200g unsalted butter
5–6 eggs (5 if large, 6 if medium)
200g soft brown sugar
120g ground almonds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cocoa powder for dusting and whipped cream to serve

Line a 23cm cake tin with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan. Break the chocolate into small pieces and chop the butter. Put them together in a medium metal bowl balanced over a saucepan a quarter full of water. Place this over a medium heat to melt the butter and chocolate. Watch it carefully and stir from time to time with a spatula. As soon as it is melted, take the bowl off the pan and let this chocolate-butter mixture cool before you add it to the eggs.

While the chocolate is melting, break the eggs into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and beat with an electric whisk until very airy and increased in volume – about 4 minutes. You can still make this if you only have a balloon whisk but it will take you longer – about 8–10 minutes of solid whisking. Pour in the chocolate- butter mixture and whisk again. Finally, sprinkle over the almonds plus a pinch of salt and the vanilla and whisk one more time to combine. Pour into the cake tin, using the spatula to help you get every drop of the rich chocolatey mixture. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is just firm and not jiggling with wetness (but you want it still moist inside, so the skewer test won’t work). Give it 5 more minutes if you can feel liquid under the crust. Leave to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes. It will store well in a cake tin and is, if anything, best on the second day, so do make this ahead if it helps.

When you serve it, dust the top of the cake with a little cocoa pushed through a sieve and eat with whipped cream sweetened with a little icing sugar. Make the cream-whipping a communal activity. Pass round the bowl filled with cream and sugar plus a balloon whisk and let everyone have a go at whisking.