Instructions

Start by reducing your porter (I actually did mine the night before so it was properly cold, but you could do it and put it in the fridge for an hour or so). Put it in a pan – a much larger one than it needs, it will bubble – and put it on to a high heat to bring to the boil. Turn the heat down to medium and let it simmer gently until it is about a quarter of its original volume. Allow to cool fully.

Preheat the oven to 150ºC and line a 20cm (8 inch) loose-bottomed or springform cake tin.

Take a large bowl and measure in your butter (it’s best at room temperature) and the sugar. Take a wooden spoon and beat together until it is smooth and golden in colour. After this is done add in the flour, ground almonds and cocoa powder. Combine gently and then make a well in the centre. Beat your eggs in a separate bowl/jug, then mix in your porter. Pour into your well and gently combine everything. Mix thoroughly for a few minutes so lots of air gets into the mixture – it should feel light and creamy. If it is more liquid than cake batter your beer wasn’t reduced enough – add in an extra spoonful of flour.

Using a spatula, move the batter into your pre-lined cake tin and put it in the centre of the oven. It will take about 40-50 minutes to cook. It should be springy on top and a skewer will come out cleanly from the middle.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Whilst the cake’s cooling make the caramel and icing. For the caramel, put the caster sugar in a pan and, over a medium heat, stir continuously until half of it has melted and is starting to turn golden then take off the heat (if it looks like it might burn, remove from the heat a little earlier). Stand a little back and pour in the water and salt – it will spit and hiss. Continue stirring, as it will likely crystalise. Return to a slightly lower heat and stir until it fully melts. Set to one side an allow to cool and thicken.

Put your icing sugar, vanilla and butter into a bowl and mix together, adding in a few tablespoons of water if it doesn’t fully come together. It should form soft peaks, much like whisking cream. Add a couple of teaspoons of your caramel in to make it even tastier. Put your Oreos in a bowl and use the end of a rolling pin/base of a wine bottle to break them into small pieces.

When the cake has cooled, slather the top of it in the butter icing, using a palette knife (or similar) – it doesn’t have to be perfect or cover the edges. Take a handful of your broken Oreos and pile in the centre, press them in a little, then scatter more over the top until you are satisfied there are enough. Take a spoon and drizzle your caramel over the cake from a height to round it off.

Take a big knife and cut yourself a huge slice, because you deserve it.