makes a 20 cm (8 inch) cake

about 1 tablespoon dry breadcrumbs
about 1 litre (4 cups) water
2 tablespoons sugar + 100g (3½ oz) extra
150g (5½ oz) trimmed, round radicchio (½ a small one)
100g (3½ oz) butter, softened
3 eggs
1 tsp finely grated lemon rind (yellow part only)
1 tablespoon brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
a good grating of nutmeg
125g (4½ oz) plain all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

icing:
150g (5½ oz) white chocolate, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180'C (350'F)
Butter a round 20cm (8 inch) springform tin. Scatter the breadcrumbs in & shake the tin around so the crumbs stick to the butter. Shake out any excess.
Bring the water to boil with the 2 tablespoons sugar. Loosen the radicchio leaves & add to the boiling water. Cook for a few minutes to soften. Drain & pat dry with paper towels, then chop up.
Using electric beaters, whip the butter with the extra sugar until creamy. Whip the eggs in one by one, then add the lemon rind, brandy, vanilla & nutmeg, whisking in to blend.
Add the flour, baking powder & a pinch of salt, whisking until smooth. Fold in the cooled radicchio.
Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin & bake for about 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven & cool completely before removing from the tin.

For the icing, melt the chocolate in a wide bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water. When it has cooled a little & begun to thicken, spread thickly over the top of the cake.
photo by Manos Chatzikonstantis, styling by Michail Touros