Chocolate

Chocolate spelt cake with chocolate and prune mousse

Name: Chocolate spelt cake with chocolate and prune mousse
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 220g caster sugar; 100g brown sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 250g unsalted butter, softened; 4 eggs; 250g sour cream, at room temperature; 150g wholemeal spelt flour; 150g self-raising flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 cup (50g) good-quality cocoa powder; 100g dark chocolate; 1/2 titanium-strength gelatine leaf; 1 egg yolk; 200ml thickened cream; 1 tbs pure icing sugar; 1/2 cup prunes, roughly chopped; 1 cup (220g) caster sugar; 1/2 cup thickened cream

5 ratings

20m

1h 15m

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by Phoebe Wood

Nov 04, 2015

Spelt is very trendy at the moment and with good reason too. Ground into flour, its nutty flavour adds depth and dimension to this spongey and moorish chocolate cake. Plus, because spelt is rich with fibre and nutrients, you can have a second slice! Or a third...

220g caster sugar
100g brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs
250g sour cream, at room temperature
150g wholemeal spelt flour
150g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (50g) good-quality cocoa powder

Chocolate and prune mousse

100g dark chocolate
1/2 titanium-strength gelatine leaf
1 egg yolk
200ml thickened cream
1 tbs pure icing sugar
1/2 cup prunes, roughly chopped

Caramel glaze

1 cup (220g) caster sugar
1/2 cup thickened cream

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 160C. Grease and line the base and sides of a 22cm ring cake pan. Place caster sugar, brown sugar and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 5 minutes until thick and pale. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream to combine. Sift flours, baking powder and cocoa together in a bowl and then fold into the butter mixture. Dollop into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour until a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan, then invert onto a board. Halve horizontally through the centre.
2.

Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Place gelatine in a bowl of cold water and set aside for 5 minutes to soften. Remove chocolate from saucepan and set aside to cool slightly, then beat in the egg yolk (if mixture looks slightly seized, it will come back together when you add the hot cream.) Place 1/3 cup of cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer then remove from heat. Squeeze excess water from the gelatine and add to the cream, stirring to dissolve. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool. Whisk remaining 120ml cream with the icing sugar until stiff peaks. Fold cream into chocolate in two batches until combined. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours or until mousse is firm, then transfer to a piping bag.
3.

Place bottom layer of cake on a serving dish. Pipe mousse over the top and scatter with prunes. Gently place top of the cake on the mousse. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
4.

45 minutes before serving, place sugar for caramel in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 6-7 minutes until a dark caramel. Remove from heat and tilt the pan away from you. Add the cream and stir to combine. Transfer caramel to a bowl and set aside for 30 minutes to cool. When ready to serve, pour caramel over the top of the cake. Serve immediately.