Indulgent chocolate cake

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The fabulous Leeoyn Pavey of Envirotrend sent me through this fabulous cake to try. It has a hazelnut ganache which I didn't make (because of the kids) but I just replaced it with my go-to icing of sour cream and dark chocolate which still makes it one of the most sensational cakes I have tried. Melted butter for greasing 250g good-quality dark chocolate - chopped 250g butter cubed 80ml (1/3 cup) water 175g caster sugar 3 eggs, at room temperature 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour 35g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder

ganache 100g hazelnuts 300g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped 200ml thin cream 1tbs Frangelico or brandy

  1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Brush 2 deep round tins with the melted butter to grease. Line the bases and sides with non-stick baking paper.
  2. Place the chocolate, butter and water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until smooth and then set aside.
  3. Beat the sugar and eggs in a large bowl until the mixture thickens. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour and cocoa into the mixture and gently stir until combined.
  4. Divide the mixture between the tins and smooth the surface of each. Bake in pre-heated oven for 35-40mins. Set aside for 10mins before turning onto a cooling racks.
  5. To make the ganache, increase oven temperature to 180 and spread hazelnuts over a baking tray and cook for 10-12 mins. Rub the hazelnuts between a clean tea-towel to remove as much skin as possible. Roughly chop and set aside. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place the cream into a small saucepan over medium heat and bring just to a simmer. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Set aside for 1min, then stir until smooth. Stir in frangelico or brandy. Transfer 2/3 of the ganache to a separate bowl. Stir the hazelnuts into the remaining ganache. Set aside stirring occasionally for 1-2 hours or until both mixtures are a thick, spreadable consistency.
  6. To assemble, place the cake on a serving plate and spread the hazelnut ganache over the top. Sandwich the remaining cake and spread plain ganache over the top and side of the cake. Place in the fridge for at least 1 hour for the ganache to set.

Enjoy! --Kelly