I think chilli and chocolate is a winning combination, so in the spirit of Blog Off/ Cook Off week I thought I'd have a crack at a chilli chocolate cake.
I've adapted a recipe that a member had contributed to a forum on Jamie Oliver's website - you can see the original here.
Chili Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
Cake:
250g Butter
300g Caster sugar
100g Plain flour
100g Self-raising flour
4 Eggs
300g good quality Dark Chocolate - the one I used for this recipe had 72% cocoa solids
1 tablespoon Gourmet Garden Hot Chilli paste.
Ganache:
100g Dark Chocolate
100ml Double Cream
Method:
Cake:
Preheat oven to 160C
Grease a 20cm cake tin.
Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs, one at a time. Watch that the mixture doesn't start to split - if it starts to look suspicious (mine did) mix in a couple of tablespoons of flour.
Melt the chocolate, then allow to cool slightly.
Add the melted chocolate to the mixture and beat until well combined.
Add the flours in two batches, mix until smooth.
Add the chilli paste one tablespoon at a time. Mix between tablespoons, tasting to achieve your preferred 'glow'. One tablespoon tasted right to me, but chilli fiends might like to add more.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out cleanly.
Remove from oven and rest for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Cool before icing.
Ganache:
Melt chocolate, mix with cream to combine. Cool until thickened.
Verdict:
Just enough glow for D and I. The ganache really makes it, in my opinion.
Confession time: I dropped the cake onto the bench when I was turning it out. Initially, I thought about using some creative photography to hide it, but I decided to come clean.
What's your best kitchen disaster?
jeanie says
Oh lord - I am bookmarking you - that is wicked!!
I can't do ganache (my tummy doesn't believe in cream, no matter how much I want to believe) - do you think a syrup would work or better plainish?
A Cooker and A Looker says
Hi Jeanie,
Thanks - that's very kind.
I'd try it uniced - when the cake came out it had a lovely crust on the outside (all the better for breaking into a thousand pieces when you drop it!)
I see you're part of the Blog Off - perhaps we'll get to meet in Brisbane. Good luck!
TracieD says
That looks great! I'm going to definitely try this recipe. Good luck with the blog off. I'm also doing it. Maybe we will meet up at the end! http://www.yeahnayeah.com
A Cooker and A Looker says
Hi Tracie,
Thanks for commenting. I hope we get to meet - D has offered to buy me a thermomix and I'd love to pick your brains about it. Best of luck!