Soak the finely chopped prunes in the brandy or tea overnight. The longer you soak the stronger the flavours. Alternatively, if you don't have time to soak, just heat the brandy or tea lightly and cook the prunes in it for a few minutes or until the prunes have absorbed most of the liquid. Cool completely.

When you are ready to bake, grease a 9" springform pan and line the base with baking parchment. Alternatively you may use a regular tin of the same size but make sure it is greased and lined with parchment completely (base and sides as well) - this is because the cake is delicate and can crumble easily when you try to remove it. Preheat oven to 180 C

Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and place it over a small saucepan of simmering water taking care to see that the water does not touch the base of the bowl. Stir to melt completely and then let the mixture cool.

In a large bowl beat the egg yolks and the sugar till well blended. Add the cooled chocolate mixture, the almond powder, the prunes and its soaking liquid to it and mix well.

Beat the egg whites with the pinch of salt till soft peaks appear. Add this to the chocolate mixture, 2-3 tablespoons at a time and fold (not beat) gently into the mixture till everything is mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothen the surface using a spatula and bake for 40-45 minutes or till the surface appears springy. The skewer or toothpick inserted may not come out completely clean as the cake is meant to be extremely soft and moist inside

Remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool in its tin for a while, then turn it onto a wire rack to cool

To serve, invert it upside down onto a cake stand/serving plate for a smoother finish to the top. Dust with cocoa powder and serve with cream