Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Butter a 20cm round springform tin and dust with 1 tbsp of breadcrumbs.
Place the breadcrumbs in a bowl. Heat the milk until it’s just boiling and pour over the breadcrumbs. Allow to soak for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter over a bain marie (a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water).
In a spotlessly clean, large dry bowl, whisk the eggs whites to the stiff peak stage. Set aside. Then whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, whisking until the mixture is lighter in colour. Add in the melted chocolate and butter mixture and add the soaked breadcrumbs, orange zest and the ground almonds and mix carefully on a low speed, ensuring all of the breadcrumbs are fully incorporated. Finally, by hand, fold in the egg whites taking care to retain as much air as possible in the mix.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes, until set. The texture of this cake is fairly moist. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
When cooled, place on a serving platter, dust with cocoa powder, decorate with toasted flaked almonds and edible flowers. Serve with flavoured cream or ice cream.
