Christmas Recipes
Chocolate Sandwich Cake Recipe
Prep Time | 15 minutes |
Cook Time | 55 minutes |
Servings |
MetricUS Imperial
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Ingredients
- 200 g dark chocolate 70% cocoa solids
- 275 g butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
- 275 g light-brown sugar
- 3 large free-range eggs
- 100 g ground almonds
- 175 g self-raising flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 150 ml Milk
- white chocolate to serve
- CHAI SYRUP & BUTTERCREAM
- 1 tablespoon cardamom pods
- 5 chai tea bags
- 100 g light-brown sugar
- 100 g butter at room temperature
- 200 g icing sugar
- 100 g cream cheese
Ingredients
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Instructions
- First make a chai syrup. Crack 4 of the cardamom pods and pop them in a pan with the chai tea bags and 1 pinch of cracked black pepper. Add water to cover, bring to the boil, then simmer for 4 minutes.
- Strain, discarding the tea and spices, then pour the liquid back into the pan with the light brown sugar.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until you have a thick syrup. Take it off the hob and cool.
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC/gas 4. Grease and line the base of two 20cm cake tins and set aside.
- To make the sponge, crack the remaining cardamom pods, and put the seeds in a pestle and mortar (discard the shells). Grind them into a fine powder and set aside.
- Break up the chocolate and melt half in the microwave for a few seconds and leave to one side.
- Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until pale. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stir in the almonds, then fold through the flour, cocoa, baking powder, crushed cardamom seeds and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt.
- Finally, stir in the milk and melted chocolate until combined.
- Divide the mix between the tins and bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until firm and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tins for 5 minutes, before taking them out to cool on a wire rack.
- Meanwhile, finish the filling. Place the butter in a bowl and beat in the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of the chai syrup (or enough to give it a lovely flavour) until smooth. Stir in the cream cheese to make a smooth buttercream.
- For the topping, melt the remaining chocolate plus a knob of butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, until silky.
- To assemble the sandwich, place one of the cakes on a plate and spread it with the chai buttercream. Top with the second cake and finish by drizzling over the dark chocolate glaze and shaving over some white chocolate, to serve.