Chocolate Cake with ganache and walnut brittle
Recipe by Nadine
Easy to prepare, this melt and mix chocolate cake is good on its own, but with the addition of chocolate ganache and walnut brittle it becomes a grand offering.
Walnut Brittle:
- 2tbsp golden syrup
- 1tbsp caster sugar
- 1tbsp water
- 120g walnuts, roughly broken
- Pinch of flaked sea salt
Preheat the oven to 190c and line a small baking tray with baking paper. In a small saucepan, combine the golden syrup, sugar and water, stir gently over low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat, fold the walnuts and flaked salt through then transfer to the lined baking tray. Bake for 8 minutes until golden and bubbly, then allow to cool completely on the tray. Once set, roughly chop or crush the brittle into irregular pieces and store in an airtight container until required.
Chocolate cake:
- 50g unsalted butter, cut into rough 2cm cubes
- 200g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 1 tbsp finely ground espresso or 1½ tsp instant coffee
- 350ml boiling water
- 250g caster sugar
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- 240g white flour, spelt or wheat
- 1tsp baking powder
- 30g cocoa powder
- Generous pinch flaked sea salt
Preheat oven to 175c. Grease and line a 23cm round loose-based cake tin with baking paper. In a large heatproof bowl combine the butter, chocolate, coffee and boiling water. Gently stir to encourage the melting and melding of the ingredients. Add the sugar and whisk gently until the sugar dissolves. Add the eggs and whisk again to combine. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the melted chocolate, combine well then transfer to the prepared tin. Bake for 60 minutes (test with a skewer) and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Ganache:
- 200g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
- 250ml double cream
In a small saucepan heat the cream until the smallest bubbles appear around the perimeter (don’t allow to boil). Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate pieces. Stir well until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is glossy. Cover with cling film and set aside to cool completely. Once set, whisk to aerate.
Once the cake is completely cool, top generously with the whipped ganache and walnut brittle. Enjoy this tasty, decadent delight!
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