Chilli Chocolate Cake with Apricot Buttercream & Glossy Chocolate Topping
Elegant, fragrant and delicious, this cake is perfect for an adult's birthday party or other celebration. The hint of chilli might be too much for the kids.
Prep Time40 minutesmins
Cook Time35 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr15 minutesmins
Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert
Cuisine: British
Keyword: almonds, birthday cake, cake, chillies, chocolate, fruit curd
Pour the hot water over the drinking chocolate and cocoa and stir until smooth.
Cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
Beat in the cocoa mixture and salt.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing in a tbsp of flour after each one to prevent curdling.
Sieve in the remaining flour, baking powder and bicarb of soda and stir until just mixed.
Add the yoghurt and milk and mix gently in.
Fold in the ground almonds.
Spoon into two 22 cm round silicone cake moulds or lined tins and bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 35 mins or until well risen and firm to the touch.
Leave to cool for ten minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Apricot Curd Buttercream
Cream the butter and icing sugar together until soft, then beat in the apricot curd.
Spread over one cooled sponge, then sandwich with the other.
Glossy Chocolate Topping
Place the sugar and water in a small pan and warm gently until the sugar has dissolved. Boil for 3 minutes, then take off the heat and cool to warm rather than hot.
Break 80g of the chocolate into pieces and add to the pan along with the butter. Leave for a couple of minutes to melt, then stir until smooth.
Allow to cool a little, then pour over the cake.
Grate the remaining 20g of chocolate and scatter over the top - optional.
Notes
If you really want to, you could omit the chilli and use ordinary drinking chocolate. Alternatively use plain drinking chocolate and add ¼ to ½ tsp cayenne pepper.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per pancake. They're approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used. Sticky blood orange not included.