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Recipe

Chocolate nut cake

  • 20 mins preparation
  • 1 hr 5 mins cooking
  • Serves 12
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Ingredients

Ganache
  • 1/3 cup cream
  • 300 gram dark chocolate
Candied pecans
  • 1 cup caster sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/2 cup pecan halves
Chocolate nut cake
  • 400 gram quality dark chocolate, chopped
  • 100 gram butter, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 7 eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 300 gram packet hazelnut meal
  • 1 tablespoon amaretto, whisky or galliano
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

Chocolate nut cake
  • 1
    Preheat oven to moderate, 180°C. Grease and line a 24cm round cake pan with baking paper.
  • 2
    Place chocolate, butter and salt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir 3-4 minutes, until melted. Set aside to cool 5 minutes.
  • 3
    In a large, heatproof bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until well combined. Place over a bowl of simmering water and continue whisking 3-4 minutes, until thick and pale.
  • 4
    Fold melted chocolate mixture into egg mixture. Then fold in hazelnut meal, liquor and baking powder.
  • 5
    Pour mixture into pan. Bake 50-55 minutes, until cooked when tested with a skewer (when inserted in the centre it should come out with a few moist crumbs).
  • 6
    Cool completely in pan before transferring to a wire rack. Meanwhile, make ganache and candled pecans.
  • 7
    Spread ganache over top and sides of cooled cake. Then decorate with candied pecans, as shown.
Ganache
  • 8
    Heat cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water until almost boiling. Add chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth.
  • 9
    Chill 20 minutes, or until of spreading consistency.
Candied pecans
  • 10
    Line an oven tray with baking paper.
  • 11
    Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium and bring to the boil. Simmer, without stirring, 6-8 minute, until just beginning to turn golden.
  • 12
    Using tongs, dip each pecan in toffee. Transfer to tray, letting toffee drip and spread into irregular patterns. Allow to set at room temperature.

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