Chocolate brandy-snap gateau

Hi and thanks for stopping by my blog. New today is the recipe from a cake I made a few weeks ago. I am a big chocolate lover, the dark kind mostly. There is just something about the bitter sweet taste of dark chocolate that I just can’t get enough of :). Here is a divine recipe that everyone would enjoy, even the chocolate cake snobs. This recipe is flourless which made me more interested in trying the recipe out. Its a little time consuming to make but well worth it. Its a super rich chocolate cake, almost as rich as a cheese cake.

Ingredients:

8oz semi sweet chocolate

1 cup unsalted butter

1 cup molasses

6 eggs separated

1 tsp vanilla extract

11/4 cup ground hazelnut

4 tbsp. fresh white breadcrumbs

finely grated rind of 1 large orange

icing sugar for dusting

For the chocolate ganache

1 cup heavy cream

8oz semisweet chocolate

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, grease and line two 8 inch cake tins. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir occasionally. Remove from the heat to cool slightly. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Add the melted chocolate and mix thoroughly. Put the egg whites into a clean grease-free bowl and whisk until they form soft peaks. Fold a tablespoon of the whites into the chocolate mixture to slacken it, then fold in the rest in batches with the ground hazelnuts, breadcrumbs and orange rind. Divide the cake batter btw the prepared tins and smooth the top level. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until well risen and firm. Let it cool on wire rack.

To make the chocolate ganache, heat the cream and chocolate together in a pan over low heat, stirring frequently until the chocolate has melted. Pour into a bowl. Leave to cool, then stir until the mixture begins to hold its shape. Sandwich the cake layers together with half the chocolate ganache, transfer to a plate and spread the remaining ganache on top.