1/2 cup (50g) cocoa powder

3/4 cup (180ml) boiling water

2 cups (300g) self-raising flour

1 1/2 cups (330g) caster sugar

7 eggs, separated

1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

WALNUT PRALINE

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

1/2 cup (50g) walnuts

60g dark chocolate

BRANDIED BUTTER CREAM

190g butter softened

3 cups(480g) icing sugar

1/4 cup (25g) cocoa powder

1/4 cup (60ml) brandy

1. Preheat oven to 180/160 fan assisted.  Grease deep 22cm round cake tin, cover base and side with baking parchment.

2. Blend cocoa with the water in small bowl, cool.  Sift flour into large bowl add sugar, and cocoa mixture, egg yolks, oil and extract.  Beat with electric mixer until smooth and mixture has changed in colour.

3. Beat egg whites in large bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form, fold in cocoa mixture in four batches.

4. Pour mixture into tin, bake about 1 hour or until firm.  Stand cake 5 minutes before turning, top-side-up onto wire rack to cool.

5. Make walnut praline, make brandied butter cream.

6. Split cold cake into three layers, join layers with some of the butter cream.  Spread cake evenly with remaining butter cream.  Decorate with walnut praline.

Walnut praline - Place sugar in heavy-based frying pan, cook over heat, without stirring, until sugar is melted and golden brown.  Add nuts, pour onto greased oven tray or silicone mat. cool.  Blend or process praline with chocolate until finely chopped.

Brandied butter cream - Cream butter in small bowl with electric mixer until as white as possible, beat in sifted icing sugar and cocoa, then brandy.