Chocolate chilli cake

Classic chocolate cake spiced with dried chilli flakes and topped with a spicy chocolate ganache. The combination of chocolate and chilli makes the cake richer and deeper in flavour, adding extra warmth to this beautiful bake. If you enjoy chocolate with a hint of chilli from time to time, this recipe is for you :).

Ingredients for the chocolate chilli cake:

• 200 g butter
• 160 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 4 eggs
• 260 g light brown sugar (e.g. muscovado)
• 150 g plain flour
• 50 g ground almonds
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 4 Tbsp milk
• 1½–2 tsp dried chilli flakes, ground

All ingredients should be at room temperature.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and leave to stand for 1 minute. Then stir until smooth. Sift the plain flour, ground almonds, cocoa powder, baking powder and chilli into a separate bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until very light and fluffy — the mixture should triple in volume and become paler in colour. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the chocolate mixture, mixing continuously. Turn off the mixer, add the sifted dry ingredients and milk, and fold gently with a spatula until just combined.

Divide the batter between two 20 – 21 cm cake tins lined with baking paper. Bake at 160°C for 30 – 35 minutes, or longer if needed, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:

• 200 ml whipping cream
• 200 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
• 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, ground

Heat the whipping cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is almost boiling. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and leave to stand for 2 minutes. Then stir until smooth and glossy.

Once thickened, spread the chocolate ganache over the cake as both a filling and a topping. Decorate with extra chilli flakes.

Enjoy!