Italian Cake Bombe

Cut cake in slices 1cm thick. Cut each slice on the diagonal, making two triangular sections. Combine brandy and liqueur. Carefully brush over cake on one side only. First line a round based pudding bowl with damp muslin then with the cake placing brushed sides away from bowl. Narrow ends to bottom of bowl, fill bowl completely and trim top level. Left over cake will cover top when filled. Place almonds on oven tray, bake at Gas mark 4 for 5 minutes or until brown. Cool. Chop 1 oz chocolate and put aside. Melt remaining chocolate. Whip together cream and sifted icing sugar till firm peaks form. Fold nuts into mixture then divide mixture in half. Fold chopped chocolate through one half and melted chocolate through the other. Spoon white cream mixture evenly over the entire cake surface, leaving a cavity in the centre of the bowl. Spoon chocolate mixture into cavity. Moisten remaining cake with left over liqueur and arrange on top to cover surface completey. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight. Turn out carefully onto serving plate, dust top with combined sifted icing sugar and cocoa, about one teaspoon of each. Serves 8.