Chocolate Truffle Cake

Serves	12 slices
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	40 minutes
Total time	55 minutes
Allergy	Egg, Milk
Dietary	Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Meal type	Dessert, Snack
Misc	Child Friendly, Gourmet, Pre-preparable, Serve Cold
Occasion	Birthday Party, Casual Party, Christmas, Easter, Formal Party, Valentines day
Region	British
By author	Karen S Burns-Booth

A decadent dessert cake that is perfect for all celebrations such a birthdays, anniversaries, Mother's Day, Easter, Christmas or just because! Use Organic chocolate such as Green and Blacks, organic vanilla extract as well as organic free-range eggs.

Ingredients

425g Organic Dark chocolate
100g Unsalted butter
150g Golden caster sugar
25g Ground Almonds (plus an extra 40g if using in place of flour)
4 Large free-range eggs, separated
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
250ml Double cream
Cocoa, to dust
Crystallised flours, to decorate

Optional

40g Plain flour (or if wanting a gluten free cake, use extra ground almonds)

Note

Directions

Step 1	Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a 21 cm (8") cake tin. Melt 150g of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of very gently simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate has melted. Take the bowl off the heat when the chocolate has melted and allow to cool.
Step 2	Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy in a separate mixing bowl and then add the coffee liqueur and the vanilla extract into the butter mixture, along with the melted chocolate and egg yolks.
Step 3	Whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and then fold them into the mixture with a metal spoon, being careful not to knock the air out of the egg whites.
Step 4	Fold in the flour (if using) and ground almonds and pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the cake has risen and is firm. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 10 to 15 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack.
Step 5	For the icing, pour the cream into a saucepan and slowly heat it until the cream is hot. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the remaining chocolate pieces. Allow the chocolate to melt and then chill for about 30–45 minutes in the fridge, or until it is firm enough to spread.
Step 6	Cover the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate cream and swirl. Dust with cocoa powder and decorate with crystallised flowers, before serving in thin slices with cream or crème fraîche.