Take-home chocolate cake (Sweet, pg 152)

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 01:06:25 GMT

Step 1

Serves 12

Step 2

Serving size

Step 3

Preheat the oven to 170°C/150°C/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 23cm round cake tin and line with baking parchment, then set aside.

Step 4

Place the butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large heatproof bowl and mix well until everything is melted, combined and smooth. Whisk in the sugar by hand until dissolved. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk again until the mix is thoroughly combined and smooth. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl and whisk this into the melted chocolate mix. The batter here is liquid, but don’t think you have missed something this is how it should be. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 60 minutes, or until the cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached. The top will form a crust and crack a little, but don’t worry, this is expected. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the tin, and set aside until completely cool.

Step 5

For the ganache, place the chocolate pieces in a food processor, blitz until fine and set aside.

Step 6

Put the cream and golden syrup into a small pan and place over a medium-high heat. As soon as bubbles begin to appear – just before it comes to the boil – remove from the heat. Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream. Process for about 10 seconds, then add the butter. Continue to process until the mixture is shiny and smooth.

Step 7

You can also make the ganache by hand just make sure the chocolate is chopped fairly finely before you scald the cream and golden syrup and pour it over the chocolate. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until almost melted, then add the butter. Stir again until the ganache is smooth.

Step 8

Whether you make it in a machine or by hand, use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with cling film, with the cling film actually touching the top of the ganache. Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want, then use it to ice the cake if you want a thin layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that you get an even, light and shiny coating. For a thicker ganache with a spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature before using a spatula or knife to ice the cake.

Step 9

If making the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, place all the in the bowl of an electric food mixer with the whisk attachment in place. Beat for 1–2 minutes until soft peaks form.

Step 10

Divide the cake between plates and spoon the mascarpone cream alongside, if using.

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