This is a flash back to my tried and trusted kids cookbook recipe for chocolate cake and or brownies. This time I added a ganache to the top for that ultimate in luxury and thus takes it up a level to something very acceptable to serve after a great meal. Keep in mind this is chocolate indulgence 101, so go easy on the slices. Might make for an alternative to pudding?
WHAT YOU NEED
175g sugar
175 gentle melted butter (don’t use straight after blasting it in a microwave or in a pot, allow it to cool a little)
200g drinking chocolate
75g self-raising flour
4 eggs
100g Valrhona Jivar 40% chocolate.
For the ganache
275g dark chocolate – use some good quality chocolate with a mix of medium to high cacao percentages
50g butter
250ml double cream
A liqueur of your choosing like Grand Marnier or rum
WHAT TO DO
Preheat the oven to 180degC and mix all the ingredients in a bowl with the exception of the Valrhona chocolate. You should have a runny chocolate batter at this stage. Then add the broken up pieces of the chocolate and transfer the contents to a well-buttered baking dish. Bake the cake for 30/35 minutes.
To make the ganache
Heat the cream and the butter in a heavy based pot and brig to the boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate pieces and add the liqueur. Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted and try not to over stir as this will create bubbles and not give you the required smooth texture that a ganache needs.
Then, once it has cooled somewhat, pour and smooth over the cake and cover on all sides or just let it sit on top but be sure to push it well out to the rim of the cake. Allow to cool and serve with some whipped cream.
