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Preheat the oven to 160C/150C fan/gas mark 3. Butter a 20-22cm springform cake tin and line the base.
Put 115g butter and 140g chopped plain chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set this over a pan of gently simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water). Stir a little to help them melt, then lift the bowl off the saucepan and set it aside to cool.
Beat 150g soft light-brown sugar and 3 large eggs together with an electric mixer until pale and increased in volume.
Whisk in the melted chocolate and butter, then add 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Quickly fold in 130g plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda and a good pinch of salt, being careful not to over mix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. A skewer inserted into the middle of the cake should come out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in its tin for about 15 minutes, then slide a knife around the edge of the cake, unclasp the tin and remove the ring. Remove the base and peel off the paper.
Put the cake, the right way up, on to a wire cooling rack. Don’t worry if the cake sinks a little in the centre.
To make the topping, put 200g granulated sugar and 1½ tbsp golden syrup into a medium-sized saucepan with 125ml water.
Set it over a low-medium heat. Don’t stir the mixture but tip the saucepan slightly to ensure that the sugar is melting (some of the sugar tends to gather at one side of the pan).
Once melted, turn the heat up and cook until the mixture has caramelised. You’ll know when it gets to this point by how it smells as well as by the colour. If you don’t take it far enough, the topping will be really sweet, so do get it to the caramel stage.
Immediately pull the pan off the heat and pour over 125ml double cream, standing well back as the mixture will hiss and spit. Add 30g butter and stir until the caramel is smooth, then stir in 90g lightly toasted blanched hazelnuts (halved).
Spoon the hazelnuts on top of the cake, allowing the excess caramel to drip down the sides. The top should be completely covered in nuts and caramel. Leave to set for a while (though the caramel will stay slightly soft).
Carefully transfer the cake to a plate and decorate with some shavings of chocolate.
Serve it with either whipped cream or crème fraîche. It’s best to dip the blade of the knife you’re using to cut the cake into boiling water – that way you’ll be able to slice through the caramel more easily.