Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm lamington pan with baking paper. Beat butter and sugar together in an electric mixer until thick and pale. Beat in 1 egg yolk. Sift in flour and cocoa, then gently fold to combine. Spread into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool.

• 2.
  Place 300ml cream in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to just below boiling point. Remove from heat, then add chocolate, stirring until melted. Cool slightly, then whisk in remaining 2 yolks.
• 3.
  Soak gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes to soften. Squeeze out excess water, then stir gelatine into chocolate mixture until dissolved. Cool, then stir in whisky, if using.
• 4.
  Whisk remaining 300ml cream to soft peaks, then fold into chocolate mixture. Whisk eggwhites to stiff peaks, then fold through the chocolate mixture. Pour over cake base and chill for 4 hours or until set.
• 5.
  Meanwhile, for the caramel popcorn, line a baking tray with lightly oiled piece of foil. Place oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add popcorn, then cover and cook, shaking the pan, for 3-4 minutes until all of the kernels have popped. Tip onto the tray. Place butter, sugar, golden syrup and a pinch of salt in the pan, reduce heat to medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until a dark caramel. Pour caramel over popcorn and scatter nuts on top. Stand for 15 minutes to set, then break into pieces. Whiz half the caramel popcorn in a food processor with the gold leaf, if using, until a fine dust.
• 6.
  Garnish delice with caramel popcorn, popcorn dust and extra gold leaf, if using.