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Festive Chocolate Cake

Festive Chocolate Cake

A rich chocolate layer cake filled with eggnog custard cream, and finished with a shiny chocolate ganache glaze.
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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 12 people

Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 2 tbsp instant espresso powder Dissolved in 250ml boiling water
  • 150 g dark chocolate at least 70% or above
  • 250 g unsalted butter cubed
  • 50 g Dutch-processed cocoa powder or regular cocoa powder will do!
  • 200 g golden caster sugar
  • 200 g soft light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 150 ml Greek yoghurt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 280 g plain flour
  • 2.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the eggnog custard

  • 400 ml whole milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 4 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream Rum and bourbon would also work nicely
  • 1/4 whole nutmeg finely grated

For the chocolate ganache

  • 200 g dark chocolate at least 70% or above
  • 300 ml double cream

Instructions
 

For the cake

  • Preheat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / 350F. Grease and line the sides and bottom of each of your 20cm Tala spingform tins.
  • Place the coffee and water, chocolate and butter into a large bowl and set over a saucepan of simmering water on the stove. Heat gently until everything melts.
  • In a separate bowl, mix together the cocoa powder (sifted) along with the sugars. Using a balloon whisk, or spatula, whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until thoroughly combined.
  • Add your eggs, whisking again until thick and smooth. The mixture may seize a little but bear with. Add your Greek yoghurt and vanilla extract, and mix again. Then sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
  • Divide the batter equally among 
the 3 tins. You can do this by weighing out the batter or eyeballing it. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave for 
5-10 minutes, before releasing the spring and turning the cakes out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the eggnog custard

  • Heat the milk and vanilla extract in a saucepan gently over a low heat. In a medium heatproof bowl, use 
a whisk to beat the sugar, cornflour and egg yolks until thick and creamy, and there are no lumps remaining.
  • Once the milk is steaming (you don't want it to simmer or boil!), slowly pour the milk mixture into your eggs and whisk everything together until smooth.
  • Pour the mixture back into your saucepan and turn the heat down to it's lowest setting. Heat for approximately 5-10 minutes, whisking all the time until the custard starts to thicken. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.
  • Once the custard has cooled, use an electric whisk to beat the double cream to stiff peaks. Remove any skin from the custard then spoon it into a large bowl. Using the balloon whisk again, whisk until it's smooth then add the whipped cream, Baileys and grated nutmeg. Chill in the fridge for ~15 minutes.

To assemble the cake

  • When the cakes are cool, put a cake based on your turntable and place one sponge on top. Spread over half the eggnog custard and top with another sponge layer, spreading the remaining filling over this cake. Top with the final sponge.

For the chocolate ganache

  • Break up the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water. Heat until melted.
    N.B. Be sure to not let the bowl touch the water.
  • Warm the double cream in a saucepan until it's steaming, then turn 
off the heat. Gradually but vigorously whisk the cream into the chocolate. It will begin to seize and "firm up" a little but this will result in a glossy ganache. If it feels too stiff, add a dash of boiling water and beat again.
  • Begin to pour the chocolate ganache on top of the cake, using a palette knife to smooth it out across the top and the sides of the cake.
  • Once you're happy with your cake, remove the base from the turntable and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Sift some icing sugar over your cake to serve and decorate with miniature trees and woodland creatures.

Notes

This recipe uses the following from Tala Cooking's range:
  • 3 x 20cm Tala Performance Spingform Cake Tins
  • Tala Indigo and Ivory Corn Design 30cm Mixing Bowl
  • Tala Wood Handle Icing Spatula
  • Tala Set 5 Measuring Spoons
  • Tala Silicone Spoon Spatula with Wooden Handle
  • Tala Tilting Icing Turntable
You can find all equipment by Tala Cooking here.
Keyword baileys, cake, chocolate, christmas, custard, eggnog, festive, layer cake