Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake

On the theme of tongue twisters again this week, I think this one wins; Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake. It is a homage to three of Green and Black's cocoa products; their 70% dark chocolate bar, their cocoa powder and their white chocolate. To reflect the truffle theme; the cake is centred with a lime truffle filling. The cake is very dense almost truffle like itself and the coating is a butter only ganache. This is a very rich, intensely chocolate cake with a central tang. So you have been warned, small slices equals massive cocoa hit!

I try to produce new and exciting twists on the cake theme and this one is for fans of very dark chocolate. Also, in the USA, there is National Chocolate Cake Day on the 27th January. I think this is a fitting tribute and from the recipe you will see that it takes a lot of chocolate. You could adapt this recipe by using your own favourite chocolate but try the chocolate chosen here for it's intense taste with the added benefit of ethical buying and an organic product.

Text Only Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

Cake :

8oz (225g) Butter
8oz (225g) Golden caster sugar
4  Large eggs
4oz (110g) Self raising flour
4oz (110g) Cocoa powder (Green and Blacks)
1 tbsp Golden Syrup or Corn SyrupMilk up to ½ cup

2oz (60g)  70% Dark chocolate bar (Green and Blacks)

Key Lime Truffle Centre:

100g bar of White chocolate (Green and Blacks)

2 dstspn Lime Curd ( Orange also works well )

I Lime (Juice only)

Dark Chocolate Ganache:

4oz (110g) Butter
8oz (225g) Dark Chocolate 2 lots of 100g bar of 70% Dark chocolate (Green and Blacks) plus the remainder of the bar used for the main cake

Method:

Preheat oven 140c/120c Fan/275F/Gas Mark 1.

Grease sandwich cake tins. I used 7 inch ones and with greaseproof paper at the bottom .

In a blender (I use a Magimix with a Sabatier blade) chop up ¾ of the bar of chocolate  into small chunks or chop up with a knife.

Cream the sugar and butter together. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the cocoa powder . Fold in the flour and add milk to the mix until it is of a soft dropping consistency. Stir in the chocolate chunks.

Divide into two cake sandwich tins. You can weigh each one to make sure you have the same weight of mixture in both, for two even bakes. This amount made enough for four tester cupcakes as well.

Place in the centre of the oven. Check after 20 minutes. Cook until gently risen and a skewer comes cleanly out. These cakes are cooked in quite a cool oven so that the cocoa does not burn and get bitter. Allow to cool and make  the truffle centre.

Melt the white chocolate very gently in the microwave. As soon as it starts to melt, take it out and give it a gentle stir. The remaining heat should melt the rest of the chocolate. Add two heaped dessert spoons of the lime curd and stir in. Add a tsp or two of the lime juice to adjust taste for more tang! The mixture should start to thicken and be ready for spreading on the cake.

Brush cake sides and centres with the remaining lime juice and spread truffle mix on one half. Place the other half on top gently and place in fridge for half an hour. This will help firm the centre filling and keep the cake cool ready for the ganache topping.



Now that lovely chocolate  has collected underneath in the dish, it can be saved for ice cream topping or add some cereal such as rice krispies with a spoonful of golden syrup. Pop into some cases with sprinkles for some upmarket krispie treats.

Place the cake on a wire rack over a glass dish to catch the ganache as it drips down the side. You don’t want to waste any of the lovely chocolate! Again break the chocolate into small chunks and melt gently in the microwave. Cut soft butter into chunks and slowly stir into the chocolate until the butter is completely blended. The chocolate should be nice and shiny now. Spoon several tablespoons full on top of the cake and allow it to flow to the sides. This is the first crumb coat only, giving you a more even layer for your next coat of ganache. Add some more until the sides are covered too. I use a pastry brush to ensure the sides are coated.

The mixture will have started to thicken  and you can pour the rest from the centre of the cake for it's final coating. Transfer the cake now to its final serving plate. Allow the ganache to firm slightly before adding any addition decorations.

Small candy limes were added to reflect the central lime theme.





Notes

I used four bars of chocolate for this recipe which can make this an expensive cake to produce. However, it is so rich, I would recommend that you only need to cut very small slices so the cake would serve 20 people. The type of chocolate used is still eating chocolate (as opposed to cooking chocolate) as I feel that the aroma given by the eating chocolate  is more noticeable and nicer. This is particularly notable in the Green and Black's White Chocolate which is enhanced with Bourbon Vanilla.

This cake is almost a complete contrast to the sweet Limey Chocolate Limes Cake I made last week. Both made with chocolate and lime but have different textures and a different emphasis on the key ingredients. Next week, I am ending the lime trio with a totally different fatless mix , again with lime and chocolate but with double (heavy cream). I will be thinking of a suitable tongue twister title until then.....