This cake was made to celebrate a special birthday for one of the team members. The cake design was made up by me, but the cake recipe was based on a chocolate cake by Gordon Ramsey in Cooking for Friends. I split the cake into two pieces and sandwiched the pieces together with home made raspberry jam and cream. I topped the cake with a chocolate ganche, fresh raspberries and rose flavoured mini meringues.

Ingredients for cake

200 g softened unsalted butter

150 g castor sugar

5 eggs at room temperature, separated

2 tbsp cooled expresso or strong coffee

125 g SR flour

2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp cocoa powder

100 g dark chocolate (minimum 65%), melted in bowl over pot of simmering water

Ingredients for ganache topping

100 g dark chocolate (minimum 65%)

125 ml thin cream

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (less for a fan forced oven). Brush a deep round 23 cm spring-form or loose bottomed cake pan with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, use electric beaters to whisk the egg whites to firm peaks.
4. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and light.
5. Add the egg yolks one at a time and beat until well combined after each addition.
6. Fold the expresso through the mixture, followed by the melted chocolate.
7. In several batches fold the sifted flour mixture and the beaten egg whites alternately into the butter mixture.
8. Spread the mixture into the prepared cake pan.
9. Bake for around 40-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and leave in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11. To make the ganache, break the chocolate into small pieces and add to a bowl with the cream. Warm over a pot of simmering water, mixing regularly until the chocolate is melted and fully combined with the cream. Leave to cool and thicken. Make the ganache about 2 hours before you want to use it as you will need to add it to the cake just before serving. If the ganache is kept in the frige it will go hard.
12. Once the ganache is cool and thickened, spread over one of the cake halves. On the other half spread raspberry jam, covered with whipped cream. Using a pizza lifter or large cake lifter, lift the cake half with ganache onto the the whipped cream. Top cake with fresh raspberries and meringues.

Tips

I used large sized eggs

I used metric cup and spoon measurements; 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tbls = 20 ml