Chocolate Truffle Cake

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 8-12

Ingredients

Cake

125g Butter, unsalted

100g Raw caster sugar

1 tsp Vanilla bean paste

Pinch salt

4 eggs

150g 70% dark chocolate

4 tbsp (60ml) hot water

100g almond meal- lightly toasted

100g hazelnut meal- lightly toasted

50g bread crumbs

Ganache

200g 70% dark chocolate

20g butter

Little Cognac (if using)

200ml pure cream

20g Glucose

Syrup

100g raw caster sugar

80ml water

Vanilla bean paste

Little Cognac, Amaretto or Liqor 43 (if using)

To decorate:

Chocolate balls or pieces

Cocoa powder, for dusting

Method

Prepare the ganache a day in advance by combining the cream and glucose in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour over the chocolate and mix with a stick blender. Incorporate the butter and cognac.

Cover with cling film directly on the ganache surface and allow to sit a room temperature overnight.

For the cake preheat the oven to 180°C

Place the soft butter into bowl and mix well. Add the sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix to incorporate. Add the eggs one after the other, whisking well after each addition.

In the meantime, gently melt the chocolate. Add hot water to the chocolate to create a smooth mass.

Add the chocolate to the egg mixture. Fold in the toasted almond and hazelnut meals and the breadcrumbs.

Place batter into a prepared 18cm tall springform and bake at 180°C for 35-40 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean). Cool slightly and then flip onto a cooling rack.

For the syrup, boil all the ingredients together and set aside.

To assemble, cut the cake horizontally and moisten both sides with the syrup. Fill the cake with about 1/3 of the ganache and top with the next layer of cake. Mask the cake with remaining ganache and decorate. Traditionally Truffe is written on the cake with ganache before lightly dusting the top with cocoa and decorate with chocolate balls.