Rich chocolate truffle cake

I’m not quite sure which word best describes the flavour of this cake, but perhaps this one comes closest – divine. It’s perfect for special moments, celebrations, or even cosy winter evenings for two. Imagine a giant truffle that tastes exactly like an intensely rich chocolate truffle – with the same melt-in-the-mouth texture. The cake should be made a day ahead and served well chilled. And one more thing – it’s very rich. How many truffles can you eat at once? Two, maybe a few? This cake will certainly last you and your friends for several days. Luckily, I had people to share it with!

Ingredients for rich chocolate truffle cake:

• 6 large eggs
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 400 g dark chocolate (or 300 g dark chocolate and 100 g milk chocolate)
• 250 ml double cream
• 80 ml orange liqueur (Cointreau; another citrus liqueur or even rum can be used instead)

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie and allow it to cool slightly, but keep it runny.

Place the whole eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer. Beat until thick, pale and very fluffy – the mixture should nearly triple in volume. Slowly add the melted chocolate while mixing, beating until fully combined. Mix the double cream with the liqueur and gently fold it into the chocolate mixture using a spatula.

Line the base of a 22 cm springform tin with baking paper and wrap the outside with aluminium foil. Pour the batter into the tin. Place the tin inside a larger roasting dish and pour in boiling water so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake tin – the cake will bake in a water bath.

Bake the truffle cake at 170°C for 30 minutes. After this time, cover the cake loosely with baking paper and bake for another 30 minutes. Do not test with a skewer – it will not give a reliable result. Remove from the oven, take the tin out of the water bath and allow the cake to cool in the tin. Refrigerate overnight – only then will the cake reach its proper truffle-like consistency.

Note: Do not bake the cake in a tin smaller than 22 cm. During baking the cake rises significantly and then settles as it cools. It may also crack slightly, but the surface evens out during cooling.

Serve chilled, lightly dusted with cocoa powder, with fresh raspberries and raspberry jam.

Enjoy!

Recipe from The Australian Women’s Weekly book “Chocolate – 70 Wicked Recipes”.