Method

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 180˚C. Grease and line the base and sides of two round 15cm x 7cm-deep cake pans with baking paper.
• 2.
  Melt butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (don’t let bowl touch water), stirring until smooth. Cool. Using an electric mixer, beat caster sugar, egg yolks and vanilla until thick and pale. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Fold in cocoa and hazelnut meal.

• 3.
  In a separate bowl, whisk eggwhites until stiff peaks form. Fold one-quarter eggwhite into chocolate mixture, then fold in remainder. Divide mixture evenly between pans, then bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• 4.
  For the icing, beat peanut butter and icing sugar using an electric mixer until combined. Add cream and beat until smooth. Chill for 10 minutes, then spoon into a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle.
• 5.
  Pipe a little icing onto one macaron half, if using, and sandwich with remaining half.
• 6.
  Place one cake on a plate and pipe over one-third icing. Top with remaining cake, and pipe over remaining icing. Top with macaron, if using, to serve.