Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
200g dark chocolate (about 60% cocoa solids), chopped
200g butter, cubed
1 tbsp instant coffee granules
85g self-raising flour
85g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g light muscovado sugar
200g golden caster sugar
25g cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
75ml buttermilk
100g “curls”, to decorate
The Buttercream
Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted – don’t overheat. Set to one side.
Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk. Set to one side.
Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
Pour this into the tin and bake for about 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm although it will probably crack.
Leave to cool in the tin (don’t worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cooled cake horizontally into three.
Make the Buttercream
Ingredients
225gm Plain Chocolate (70%) – broken into pieces
4 Large Egg Whites
200gm sifted Icing Sugar
270gm Unsalted Butter (softened)
Preparation Method
Melt the chocolate in a large bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for about 20mins.
Put the egg whites into a large bowl with the icing sugar, and stir to combine. Set the bowl over the same pan of water and increase the heat slightly so that it is simmering gently. Beat with an electric whisk for about 5mins until thick and stiff like a meringue, and a teaspoon stands upright in the mixture.
Remove from the heat and whisk for a further 10mins until completely cooled, thick and stiff.
Whisk the butter into the cooled, melted chocolate. Gradually add the chocolate mixture to the meringue, whisking until light and fluffy. If it looks like it’s going to split, either the chocolate or the meringue were still warm, cool in the fridge for 15 mins. Beat again until smooth.
Sandwich the layers together with a little of the buttermilk and spread the remaining over the top and side of the cake with a palette knife.
Cover the top and sides with chocolate curls and chill for 30mins.
Ormside Kitchen 