Hot Chocolate Cake
Gluten Free Option Available
Delicious Hot Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Ganache Base
400g Chocolate (we recommend Callebaut)
200g Double/Heavy Cream
150g Shortbread Biscuits (or any GF Biscuits)
Cake
150g Plain Flour (for GF I use “Doves)
55g Cocoa Powder
275g Caster/White Sugar
50g Boiling water
85g Plain Yogurt
50g Vegetable/Sunflower Oil
50g Unsalted Melted Butter
2 Large Eggs
20g Milk Powder
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1/8 Tsp Salt
Topping
250g Double/Heavy Cream
1 Tbsp Icing Sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
Squeeze of Lemon Juice
100g Milk Chocolate (melted)
50g Marshmallows
Tbsp of Hot Chocolate Powder
Method
Use an 8X8” Loose Bottom Tin
Begin by lining your tin and set to one side.
Measure out your chocolate into a bowl (stop eating it!!!) pour over the cream and microwave for 1 min ( 900W Microwave ). Give it a good stir and pop back in for around 15 seconds more if it’s not completely done.
If you would like to add biscuits crunch them up to around 1cm thick and mix through the ganache. (For Gluten Free, just use GF biscuits and continue as stated) Pour this into the lined tin and level it out, give it a bang to help it level off and remove any air pockets. Pop this into the fridge to set, around an hour should do it. I have 2 of these tins so I was able to go straight onto the cake, but if you need the tin back, wait the hour and then remove it from the tin keeping it on the paper and place it back into the fridge.
Line your tin again and then we will make the “hot choc” cake.
Pre Heat your oven to 150CFan/170C/325F/Gas3
Mix your flour, raising agents, salt, milk powder & sugar together. ( You can do this by hand or using the mixer)
In a separate bowl add the boiling water over the cocoa powder and mix it together as best as you can, it will go clumpy and dry. This is done as the heat will enhance the choc flavour. To this add in the oil, yogurt & vanilla essence, once these are all combined the temperature will have reduced and it is now safe to add the eggs. Give these a mix and then pour over the dry ingredients and thoroughly combine. (If you are making this GF using Doves flour, allow the batter to rest for around 15 mins then continue on as stated) Pour into the tin and bake for around 35 mins. The cake may slightly dip upon taking it out of the oven this is fine.
Once the cake has cooled (but still a little warm, enough to allow it to slightly melt the top of the chocolate so that the sponge binds to the “tacky” ganache) place the sponge on the top of the ganache. See the video below to see how to do this without it all breaking.
Move onto the cream topping. Take your cold cream from the fridge and pour it into a bowl along with the icing sugar, vanilla and squeeze of lemon juice. (This helps the cream to be more stable) Whip this up, but be careful 2 seconds too much you will have split cream and that’s such a pain. Only go as far as the “holding ribbon” stage. See video as a guide. Pour this over the cool sponge, create any design you would like. Sprinkle marshmallows over the top and drizzle with melted chocolate, for that extra wow dust hot chocolate over the top.
Now dive in and enjoy. This will keep in the fridge for unto 3 days
