Christmas Spiced Chocolate Cake

I made this scrummy Nigella recipe on Boxing Day, and my friend Royston has asked for the recipe.  Can I also apologise for the lack of photos, at the moment I am posting retrospective recipes. I will soon be including photos of all these yummy things.

Ingredients


For the Cake:
150g Dark Chocolate, chopped
150g Soft Butter
6 Eggs
250g Sugar
1tsp Vanilla Essence
100g Ground Almonds
1tsp Ground Cinnamon
Pinch of Ground Clove
Zest of 1 Clementine/Satsuma
4tsp Instant Espresso Powder

For the Topping:
Juice of Zested Clementine/Satsuma
15g Butter
1 x 15ml tbsp Caster Sugar
1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
50g Flaked Almonds

Method


Take anything you need out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature.  The only truly important thing, however, is that the eggs aren't cold, so if they are, just put them in a bowl and cover with warm water for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180c/gas mark 4. Butter the sides and line the bottom of a 23cm springform cake tin.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl, in a microwave according to the manufacturer's instructions, or suspended over a pan of simmering water, and set aside to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla together until thick, pale and moussy.  They should have at least doubled in volume, even tripled.  If you're using a free standing mixer this is effortless.

Gently fold in the ground almonds, cinnamon, cloves, clementine/satsuma zest and and espresso powder, taking care not to lose the air you have whisked in, then, finally, pour and scrape in the melted, slightly cooled, chocolate and butter, folding gently again.

Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, by which time the top of the cake should be firm, and the underneath still a bit gooey.

Remove from the oven, and sit it on a wire rack, draped with a clean tea towel, to cool completely.

To make the topping for the cake, put the clementine/satsuma juice into a small, preferably non-stick, frying pan with the butter, sugar and cinnamon and melt everything together, then let it sizzle for a minute or so and begin to caramelize before adding the almonds.

Stir everything together, and occasionally tip the pan to keep it all moving; what you want is for all the liquid to disappear and the nuts to look shiny and be coated thinly in a fragrant, orange-scented toffee.

Remove to a plate and cool

Unspring the cake and transfer the cake to a plate or stand; I am brave enough to take it off the base sometimes, but don't if you're scared.  Remember this cake, however intense and elegant within, has a rather ramshackle rustic appearance on the outside.

Scatter with the almonds, mainly letting them pile up in the centre of the cake, but drop a few here and there all over the top, and serve.

Culinary Anxiety

Oh dear on the 5th I will be feeding 17!  This the largest number I have ever cooked for, to say I am scared is the biggest understatement ever, and I still haven't decided on a menu.....eek.

Welcome One and All

A new year, so time for a new blog.  Hello to you all, I am hoping to use this new blog to share some of my favourite recipes and bakes.  Although this blog we predominately showcase my bakes, I am going to start it off with a savoury recipe.  This makes a great side dish at a barbecue or is a lovely warming winter lunch. This recipe is especially for my Mum, as she keeps asking me for it. So here you go Mum......!

Sarah's Scrummy Pasta Salad


Ingredients


200g Feta Cheese, cubed
250g (half a bag) Seeds of Change Trottole Pasta
Frozen Petit Pois (as many as you like)
Spinach or Watercress & Rocket (as much as you like)
230g (approx) Green olives
Fresh Mint, the amount I feel here is definitely a personal preference
1 Lemon, zested & juiced
Olive Oil

1. Bring a pan of water as salty as the Mediterranean (as Nigella would say) to the boil, add a few sprigs of mint and your pasta, cook following the pack instructions.  I must insist on you using the specified Seeds of Change pasta, otherwise the salad just isn't as good.

2. When your pasta is almost ready add the petit pois to the pan.

3. When cooked drain thoroughly, remove the mint, and return to the pan.

4.  Add the feta cheese, green olives, spinach or watercress and rocket, finely chopped mint, lemon zest & juice, olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

5. Stir thoroughly and serve immediately...........yum!

Enjoy....feel free to leave me your comments :)