Dark Chocolate Cake Wish

Since my last post I have been in a love/ hate relationship with dark chocolate. I have been wishing for luscious chunks of dark chocolate and hating the fact that my home is just too well stocked with chocolate.

I had finally given in and thought well if I add eggs and milk to the chocolate (Ignoring the butter and sugar) then it's not too bad for me right ?? Right??!

Whatever it may be .... May I introduce to you all this sexy cake ...

Hello beautiful.... and again

Close your eyes and imagine a decadence slice of chocolate heaven. A moist chocolate cake with a dreamy layer of dark chocolate ganache and adorned with sexy delicate dark chocolate curls. Now open your eyes and go make that thought a reality!


What You Need:

Cake:
- 150 grams of melted unsalted butter
- 1 cup of good quality cocoa powder
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup of caster sugar
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup of self raising flower
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup of buttermilk (I make my own by adding 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice to the milk)
- 80 grams of dark chocolate for the curls

Ganache:
- 250 grams of dark chocolate (Min 50%)
- 150 ml double cream

What To Do:
1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees
2. Firstly make the ganache so it has time to set , place the chocolate and cream into a microwave proof bowl and heat for around 40-50 seconds
3. Mix the chocolate and cream mixture until smooth and place aside to set. (If in a hurry I place mine in the fridge for 1 hr)
4. Take the butter and cocoa powder and mix until smooth
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time
6. Mix in the sugar until well combined
7. Mix in the flour, SF flour, baking powder and salt until well combined
8. Mix in the buttermilk until the mixture is smooth
9. Pour into a lined and greased 8 inch round tin and bake for 50-55 minutes.
10. Test the cake by inserting skewer, when it comes out relatively clean it is ready (remember this is a heavy and fudgy cake the skewer will never come out 100% clean)
11. Leave the cake out to cool completely.
12. To prepare the chocolate curls heat the 80 grams of chocolate in the microwave for 40-50 seconds.
13. When it is melted and smooth pour onto a flat surface (e.g. a clean chopping board)
14. Smooth it down with a palate knife until it is about 5 mm thick and refrigerate to harden.
15. When the cake is cooled and the ganache has set to a spreadable consistency (like peanut butter) you can start assembling.
16. Cut the top off the cake to level then turn it upside down
17. Ice with the ganache and remember it doesn't need to be perfect, the more swirls and patterns the ganache makes the more decadent it looks.
18. Top off with chocolate curls, this is made my running a knife in a scraping motion over the chocolate you had set in the fridge on the flat surface.
19. Enjoy and share! This is not a solo kind of cake.

Enjoy





xxMel