Preparation method

Chocolate zucchini cake:

• Preheat the oven to 180 C and spray a bundt pan
• Stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon
• Add the eggs and oil, mix to combine
• Fold in the zucchini and walnuts
• Pour into prepared tin and bake for 50-60 minutes
• Allow to cool for 15 minutes in tin, then cool completely on a wire rack

Candied zucchini:

• Use a mandoline slicer to ribbon the zucchini
• Bring the sugar and water to the boil
• Add the zucchini and cook for 15 minutes with a cartouche
• Allow to cool slightly in syrup, then rinse lightly in water
• Lay out on a lined baking tray, then dry out in a 50 C oven

Chocolate glace icing:

• Mix together the sugar and cocoa
• Add the water 15ml at a time, until the right consistency forms
• Ice the top of the cooled cake and decorate with the candied zucchini

Chocolate soil:

• Preheat the oven to 170 C
• Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined
• Spread out on a baking paper lined baking tray
• Bake for 20 minutes

Meringue shards:

• Preheat oven to 95 C
• Beat together the egg whites and sugar to form a stiff meringue
• Spread the meringue thinly on baking paper lined baking trays
• Sprinkle walnuts and freeze dried raspberries over the meringue
• Bake for 30-40 minutes, until dry
• Remove from the oven and cut into large shards, reserve any pieces that break

Assembly:

• Ice the cooled cake with the glace icing
• Crush the reserved meringue and add to the soil with 2g of the raspberries
• Move the cake to a serving plate
• Surround the cake with the soil mixture, sprinkle some of the remaining on top
• Place any remaining soil in the centre of the cake
• Place the candied zucchini around the top of the cake
• Arrange the meringue shards, standing up, in the centre of the cake