Equipment:
Food processor
Whisk (electric helps!)
Springform cake tin
zester (optional)
Cake:
100g milk chocolate
200g shelled pecans or walnuts
100g soft light brown sugar, or caster sugar, plus two tablespoons.
120g butter
2 level tablespoons powdered ginger
3 large eggs
Topping:
250ml double cream
1 jar stem ginger balls
Miscellaneous decorative items, eg chocolate or nuts
1 lemon (optional)
Preheat the oven to 190 C / 375 F / Gas 5 and butter the cake tin. Melt the chocolate and allow to cool a little. While you're waiting, whizz the nuts with the two tablespoons of sugar in the food processor very thoroughly, till they're as powdery as they're going to get. Empty them into a bowl.
Place butter and sugar in the empty food processor and process until light and fluffy. Pour in the melted chocolate and process till blended. Add the ginger and then add the eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the nuts, mixing until just incorporated.
Turn into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 minutes. Remove (it should be just coming away from the sides of the tin) and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Turn it out onto a rack. If the underside looks too soggy, put the whole rack with the upside down cake back into a low oven for 10 minutes, then switch the oven off and leave it overnight.
The next day, not longer than 3 hours before you want to serve the cake, drain the stem ginger, reserving the syrup (turning the jar upside down over a bowl usually works, since the ginger usually bottlenecks and doesn't fall out. Whip the cream. When almost stiff, pour in three-quarters of the ginger syrup and whisk to a soft sweet fluffy yumminess.
Slather the cream over your cooled cake. Arrange the ginger round the edge, the dark things like chocolate curls or nuts (or caramel nests work very well) in the middle, and lemon zest scattered over the top for a bit of colour.
This is much less depressing than your average gluten-free cake. About one zillion calories per slice.
Food processor
Whisk (electric helps!)
Springform cake tin
zester (optional)
Cake:
100g milk chocolate
200g shelled pecans or walnuts
100g soft light brown sugar, or caster sugar, plus two tablespoons.
120g butter
2 level tablespoons powdered ginger
3 large eggs
Topping:
250ml double cream
1 jar stem ginger balls
Miscellaneous decorative items, eg chocolate or nuts
1 lemon (optional)
Preheat the oven to 190 C / 375 F / Gas 5 and butter the cake tin. Melt the chocolate and allow to cool a little. While you're waiting, whizz the nuts with the two tablespoons of sugar in the food processor very thoroughly, till they're as powdery as they're going to get. Empty them into a bowl.
Place butter and sugar in the empty food processor and process until light and fluffy. Pour in the melted chocolate and process till blended. Add the ginger and then add the eggs one at a time, mixing and scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the nuts, mixing until just incorporated.
Turn into the prepared cake tin and bake for 35 minutes. Remove (it should be just coming away from the sides of the tin) and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Turn it out onto a rack. If the underside looks too soggy, put the whole rack with the upside down cake back into a low oven for 10 minutes, then switch the oven off and leave it overnight.
The next day, not longer than 3 hours before you want to serve the cake, drain the stem ginger, reserving the syrup (turning the jar upside down over a bowl usually works, since the ginger usually bottlenecks and doesn't fall out. Whip the cream. When almost stiff, pour in three-quarters of the ginger syrup and whisk to a soft sweet fluffy yumminess.
Slather the cream over your cooled cake. Arrange the ginger round the edge, the dark things like chocolate curls or nuts (or caramel nests work very well) in the middle, and lemon zest scattered over the top for a bit of colour.
This is much less depressing than your average gluten-free cake. About one zillion calories per slice.