It wouldn’t be Friday if I didn’t share with you a recipe from my ‘must-make’ chocolate file and for those who are lovers of chocolate with an added dash of a little ‘something’, then this is for you. This recipe uses the wonderfully delicious Italian liqueur Tuaca, made from brandy with citrus and vanilla accents, but if you don’t have any, the cake works equally well with either whisky or brandy. A small tipple of what you use in the cake to accompany is quite acceptable!!
Rich chocolate cake
390g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
175g butter, softened
100g raw golden caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
80g sifted plain flour
80 ml Tuaca
Pinch cream of tartar
Ganache
300 ml pure cream (45% fat)
200 gm dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), coarsely chopped
Grease and line an 18cm-diameter springform cake pan, then grease baking paper base, dust with flour and shake pan to remove excess.
Melt 300g chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and set aside.
Preheat oven to 160C. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes or until pale and creamy. With motor running, add egg yolks, one at a time, beating briefly between each addition to incorporate. Add flour, beat to combine, add Tuaca and half the melted chocolate. Beat until half incorporated, then fold through remaining chocolate.
In a separate bowl, whisk eggwhites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Fold one-third of eggwhites through chocolate mixture to loosen, then fold through remaining eggwhite, taking care not to overwork. Spoon mixture into prepared pan and bake in centre of oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted withdraws clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, then remove sides of pan and invert onto a cake stand.
For ganache, bring cream just to the boil in a saucepan. Remove from heat, add chocolate, stand for 5 minutes or until chocolate melts, then stir until glossy and smooth. Transfer to a plastic container, cover closely with plastic wrap to prevent a skin forming, stand for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 45 minutes or until firm yet still pliable. Remove ganache from refrigerator and stir until smooth. Using a small offset spatula, coat sides and top of cake evenly with ganache. (Dip spatula into a jug of boiling water, wiping excess water from spatula, to spread ganache evenly.)
Meanwhile, melt remaining chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, cool slightly, then, using an offset spatula, smooth chocolate in a circular motion towards the edges allowing chocolate to just spill over the edges. Serve immediately.
