Wednesday 4 April 2012

spiced chocolate cake





















Serves 8-12

CAKE
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup (250 ml) canola oil
1 cup (250 ml) hot black coffee (mix 2 t (10 ml) coffee granules with 1 cup (250ml) boiling water)
1 x 650 g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Cake Mix
1 T (15 ml) ground cinnamon
½ t (2,5 ml) ground cardamom
¼ t (1 ml) black pepper - don't leave this out
90 g dark chocolate, one half roughly chopped and the rest grated

Adjust oven rack to the middle position. Preheat oven to 180°C. Butter two 22cm cake pans and line the bases with baking paper. Mix according to package instructions. Add spices to the dry mix. Fold in half of the chocolate (chopped). Bake for 35-40 minutes. Leave the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave until cold.

CHOCOLATE ICING
1 x 250 g Ina Paarman's Chocolate Icing Kit
125 g butter at room temperature
¼ cup (60 ml) water
Reserved chocolate, grated
Cocoa powder for dusting
1 large packet (250 g) malted chocolate balls
± 12 bantam size candy coated chocolate eggs

Mix Icing according to package instructions.
Sandwich the cakes together with 1/3 of the icing.
Spread 1/3 of the icing around the sides of the cake.
Spread the grated chocolate out on some greaseproof paper and roll the sides of the cake in the grated chocolate (see pic). Smooth the remaining icing over the top of the cake and tightly pack the chocolate balls in a double row around the outside of the cake.
Dust middle with cocoa powder.
Add colourful candy coated eggs.