Chocolate, Blackberry and Vanilla Layer Cake with Whipped Chocolate Ganache

This decadent sky high layered cake is a work of culinary art. Queen brings flavour and convenience to your kitchen, to help you deliver extravagant signature creations.

Prep

50 minutes, plus cooling to set overnight

Cook

1 hour 5 minutes

Portions

16

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Salted Chocolate Cake

  • 165g dark chocolate
    275g caster sugar
    100g brown sugar
    120g unsalted butter
    240g water
    150g buttermilk
    2 eggs
    200g plain flour, sifted
    40g hazelnut meal
    40g Dutch-process cocoa
    2 tsp sea salt
    1 tsp baking soda

Blackberry- red wine jam

Vanilla-crème fraiche cream

  • 5 egg yolks
    75g caster sugar
    40ml blackberry liqueur
    2 titanium gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water
    750g crème fraiche
    2 tsp Queen vanilla bean paste

Whipped chocolate ganache

200g 55% dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
160ml thickened cream
50ml blackberry liquor

To serve

Cacao nibs, to decorate
Blackberries, to serve
Chocolate shards, to serve
Butterfly sorrel leaves, to decorate
Edible flowers, to decorate

  1. For salted chocolate cake, preheat oven to 170C. Line the base and sides of 4 x 18cm round cake pans with baking paper. Melt chocolate, sugars, butter and water in a large saucepan over low heat until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool slightly, then whisk in eggs, flour, hazelnut meal, cocoa, salt and baking soda until smooth. Divide batter among tins and bake for 30-35 minutes until cooked through. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  2. For blackberry-red wine jam, process blackberries, sugar and orange zest in a food processor until smooth. Transfer mixture to a medium saucepan. Add wine and star anise and bring to the simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes until jammy. Refrigerate to chill.
  3. For vanilla-crème fraiche cream, whisk yolks, sugar and liqueur in a large bowl until combined. Place over a large saucepan of simmering water and whisk continuously until tripled in size and hot to the touch. Remove from the heat. Squeeze gelatine leaves to remove excess water, then add to sabayon and whisk to combine. Set aside, whisking occasionally, until mixture comes to room temperature. Whisk crème fraiche and vanilla in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Fold through sabayon and refrigerate for 10 minutes until partially set.
  4. To assemble cake, line a deep 18cm cake pan with acetate trimming to 5cm above the rim. Place one cake in the base of the pan, brush with one-third of the jam and spoon in one-third of cream mixture. Repeat with remaining cakes, jam and filling, finishing with a layer of cake. Refrigerate overnight to set.
  5. For chocolate ganache, place chocolates in a large bowl. Bring cream and liqueur to a simmer in small saucepan, pour over chocolate and set aside for 2 minutes. Whisk until combined. Set aside at room temperature, whisking occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Whisk ganache until whipped.
  6. To decorate, place cake on a serving platter. Spread ganache over the top and sides of the cake, using a palette knife to smooth. Press cacao nibs onto bottom quarter of cake sides. Decorate top with chocolate chards, blackberries, butterfly sorrel and edible flowers.

Products Used in this Recipe

Organic Vanilla Bean Paste with Vanilla Seeds 320 g

1-96-000264

Hansells Orange Flavoured Essence 500 mL

1-96-000358

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