A truly decadent & dense rich chocolate cake with a subtle coffee flavour, smothered in a glossy chocolate glaze.

Makes 12

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, cubed
250g good quality dark eating chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tbspn fresh coffee beans
90g (½ cup) dark brown sugar
220g (1½ cups) plain flour
30g (1/3 cup) dark (baking) cocoa*
1 tspn baking powder
250ml thickened cream
3 eggs

Dark Chocolate Glaze
250g good quality dark cooking chocolate
160g castor sugar
125ml thickened cream

strawberries or chocolate curls, for decorating

Method

Preheat oven to 180C (160o C for fan forced oven). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper.

Combine butter, chocolate, coffee beans and sugar in the top of a double boiler and stir over simmering water until mixture is smooth and melted. Remove from heat and strain mixture using a coarse sieve into the large mixing bowl. Discard beans and allow mixture to cool.

Attach the flat beater and pouring shield (if available).

Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder together.

Add cream to chocolate mixture and mix on speed 2 until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl regularly with a spatula.

Add eggs, one at a time, with the motor running and mix until combined. Turn off mixer, add dry ingredients and mix on speed 1 until well combined. Do not over mix.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and smooth surface with a spatula. Bake on middle shelf of oven for 1 hour, or until skewer comes out clean when tested. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before glazing cake.

Prepare the Dark Chocolate Glaze: Combine chocolate, sugar and cream in a medium-sized saucepan and stir over low heat until smooth. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly until sugar has dissolved.

To decorate cake with the glaze: Place a large tray under cooling rack and cake and pour glaze over whole cake. Let the glaze pour down the sides of the cake to cover completely. Allow glaze to set before decorating with strawberries or chocolate curls.

Tips

Tip 1:The coffee beans will infuse a delicious subtle flavour through the cake. Always discard beans after heating. If desired the coffee beans may be omitted.

Tip 2:The darker the cocoa, the richer the chocolate flavour will be. Dutch cocoa may also be used.