Gino D’Acampo's Italian Christmas pudding

Gino is in the kitchen to share a chocolate recipe with a difference.

It's an Italian dessert that's surprisingly easy to put together, but guaranteed to impress the whole dinner table on Christmas day.

Ingredients

500ml double cream100g icing sugar150g good quality chocolate (70% cocoa solids),roughly chopped150g hazelnuts, roughly chopped200ml Marsala wine750g large Panettone150ml cold watercocoa powder, to decorate

Method

• Pour the cream into a large bowl, sift in the icing sugar and whip until fluffy. Add the chocolate, hazelnuts and 2tbsp of Marsala, then refrigerate for 15 minutes.

• Line a 2 litre bowl with a large sheet of cling film, allowing it to overhang the sides. Cut the panettone into 1.5cm slices and use then to line the bowl. Reserve those you don’t need for a lid.

• Pour the remaining Marsala and the cold water into a separate bowl. Brush three-quarters of this liquid evenly over the sponge.

• Pour the cream mixture into the sponge-lined bowl and gently tap it on the work surface to release any air bubbles. Cover the top with the remaining panettone slices and brush with the remaining Marsala mixture.

• Cover the bowl with the overhanging clingfilm and freeze over night

• Transfer to the fridge at least 1 hour before serving

• Invert the cake onto a plate, dust with sifted cocoa powder and serve