Entertaining Dessert

Salted chocolate cake with sherry-spiced prunes

Name: Salted chocolate cake with sherry-spiced prunes recipe
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 600g dark (70%) chocolate, chopped; 300g unsalted butter, chopped; 200g almond meal; 875.00 ml plain flour, sifted; 440g caster sugar; 8 large eggs; Creme fraiche, to serve; 200g pitted prunes; 1 cup (250ml) Pedro Ximénez (sweet sherry); 110g caster sugar; 4 each star anise and cloves; 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

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by delicious. team

delicious. team

Aug 02, 2018

The sherry-spiced prunes add a decadent stickiness to this classic cake.

600g dark (70%) chocolate, chopped
300g unsalted butter, chopped
2 cups (200g) almond meal
3 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
2 cups (440g) caster sugar
8 large eggs
Creme fraiche, to serve

Sherry-spiced prunes

200g pitted prunes
1 cup (250ml) Pedro Ximénez (sweet sherry)
1/2 cup (110g) caster sugar
4 each star anise and cloves
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 150°C. Grease a 22cm springform cake pan, line base and side with baking paper and line outside with 3 layers of foil to make the pan watertight. Place chocolate and butter in a large bowl and place over a saucepan of gently simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and melt together.
2.

Sift almond meal and flour into a bowl with 1 tsp salt flakes. Place sugar in a saucepan with 2 cups (500ml) water and stir to dissolve sugar. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, then cook for 12 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat and cool. Place eggs in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk for 3 minutes or until pale and fluffy.
3.

Add sugar syrup to chocolate mixture and beat to combine. Stir into eggs. Fold dry ingredients into chocolate mixture and stir well. Pour into prepared pan. Place cake pan in a deep roasting pan and add 2cm boiling water to roasting pan. Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes or until edges are set but centre has a slight wobble. Cool to room temperature.
4.

For sherry prunes, place ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes or until thickened and reduced. Set aside for 30 minutes to cool, then pour over cake. Serve with creme fraiche.