Who could resist double chocolate that is gorgeously marbled? I am not sure even the strongest of will power could stop anyone from taking a slice of this. Perfect for any occasion, or a weekend treat to lift the spirits.
This does involve tempering the chocolate so you will need a sugar thermometer.
Ingredients
For the cakes:
- 175g unsalted butter
- 225g caster sugar
- 100g dark chocolate
- 25ml sunflower oil
- 4 eggs
- 200g self raising flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarb of soda
- 25ml milk
for the ganache filling
- 150g dark chocolate
- 200g white chocolate
- 150ml double cream
for the tempered chocolate case and topping
- 100g dark chocolate
- 100g white chocolate
Method
- To make the cakes, preheat the oven to 170C (fan) and grease and line 3 x 20cm loose bottomed sandwich tins. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Melt the chocolate for the cakes in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, allow to cool slightly, then add to the butter and sugar, along with the sunflower oil.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa and bicarb. Add one egg to the creamed butter mix, followed by one third of the sifted dry ingredients and mix well. Continue this until all the eggs and dry ingredients are used. Fold in the milk. Divide between the three tins and bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely.
- To make the ganache, chop the chocolates and place the dark in one heatproof bowl, and the white in another. Heat 75ml of cream in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and when it begins to bubble pour over the chopped dark chocolate, mix until you have a smooth, glossy ganache. Allow to cool slightly. Repeat this process with the remaining cream and white chocolate.
- To assemble your cakes, place one of the cakes onto a cake stand or board, gluing down with a little ganache, and dollop roughly one third of the dark chocolate ganache on top. Spread over the top and work down the sides. Repeat this process alternating ganache colours. When you have placed the final cake onto the ‘tower’ use the remaining ganaches and dollop randomly over the top and sides of the tower, then mix and marble, getting as smooth a finish as possible.
- Take some kitchen foil and make a strip that is the diameter of your cake in length, and the height plus one inch in depth. Ensure that the shiny side of the foil is facing up on your work surface.
- To make the tempered chocolates finely chop both chocolates, but don’t mix the colours. Heat half of the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water until it reaches 115 degrees Fahrenheit. As soon as it does, add the remaining dark chocolate and stir until the chocolate is below 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Place back over the simmering pan and allow to come to 89F then remove immediately. Repeat this process with the white chocolate, but only heat it in the first stage to 100F.
- Drop spoonfuls of the tempered chocolates randomly onto your foil and with a spatula spread it out evenly and as thinly as possible (you won’t need all of the chocolate). Wrap this chocolate covered foil, chocolate to cake, around the cake. Drizzle the remaining tempered chocolate over the top.
- Place into the fridge for an hour, or until ready to serve, when you must very very gently, remove the foil. It doesn’t matter if the marbled chocolate breaks a little.
