When you want to go all out...

Ingredients

For the Base:

  • 75g (3oz) butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
  • 115g (4oz) plain flour
  • 25g (1oz) caster sugar
  • 30g (1¼oz) pecans, chopped quite finely

For the Chocolate Layer:

  • 45g (1½oz) cornflour
  • 30g (1¼oz) cocoa
  • Pinch of salt
  • 175g (6oz) caster sugar
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 450ml (16fl oz) milk
  • 25g (1oz) butter
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Creamy Layer:

  • 250ml (9fl oz) double or regular cream
  • 200g (7oz) cream cheese
  • 150g (5oz) icing sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4.
  2. To make the base, place the flour and sugar in a bowl, then rub in the butter until it has a consistency like coarse breadcrumbs. Mix in the pecans, then form a soft dough. Spread evenly into the cake tin.
  3. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes until golden. Leave the base in the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
  4. Meanwhile, sift the cornflour, cocoa and salt into a bowl, then add the sugar and mix well. Beat in the egg yolks and milk and mix together. Transfer to a saucepan, place on a medium heat and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture becomes thick. It is at the right thickness when it holds a figure of eight traced into the surface. Whisk in the butter and vanilla, then set aside to cool.
  5. Whisk the cream until quite stiff. Beat the cream cheese and icing sugar to become soft and then fold in the cream.
  6. To assemble, with a dessertspoon blob all the cream cheese mix onto the biscuit base. Smooth it out a bit, then blob on the chocolate mix. Swirl with the handle of a teaspoon for a marbled effect, then place in the fridge to set. This should take a few hours or could be done overnight.