By Sophie
Oooh, this is oh so rich and velvety.

Ingredients:

  • 300g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 180 g icing sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180C

Line a 7 inch round cake tin with baking paper and grease with butter. 

  1. Melt butter and chocolate heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.
  2. Cream icing sugar and egg yolks for 1-2 minutes until pale and creamy
  3. Mix chocolate and butter mixture with your icing sugar and egg yolks, making sure you are folding the mixture through gently.
  4. Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This prevents lumps. 
  5. Whisk egg whites until soft peak forms and slowly fold into your chocolate mixture, 1/3rd at a time. 
  6. Pour batter into baking tin and bake for 30-45 minutes or until a knife comes out nearly clean. 
  7. Remove for the oven and allow for the cake to sit for 15 minutes before placing on a wire rack to cool.
  8. Make sure your cake is completely cool before adding ganache.

To make the chocolate ganache, you will need:

200ml cream
200g good quality dark chocolate, grated

1. In a small pan, heat your cream until it starts to boil. 
2. Quickly remove from the heat and and your chocolate to the pan. 
3. Whisk in the grated chocolate until fully melted (this will take up to 5 minutes for it to completely melt, be patient!) 
4. Allow the mixture to cool for ten minutes before pouring on top of your cake

Make sure to make your cake a couple of hours before serving and allow the ganache to set on top of the cake for at least one hour before cutting.

This is an entry into March's Sweet NZ blogging event - hosted by Bake Club this month!