Chocolate Truffle Cake
Ingredients:
• Chocolate Cake
I used 6-inch, greased and lined with parchment paper
210g [1¾ cup] cake flour
60g [½ cup] cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
170g [¾ cup] unsalted butter, softened
200g [1 cup] fine sugar
35g [2½ tbsp] oil
30g [2 tbsp] brandy
3 large eggs
120g [½ cup] milk
• Chocolate Ganache Frosting
430g [2½ cup] compound chocolate
215g [¾ cup + 2 tbsp] whipping cream, hot
30g [2 tbsp] butter
20g [1 tbsp] honey
15g [1 tbsp] brandy
• Syrup
5g [2 tsp] instant coffee
13g [1 tbsp] fine sugar
30g [2 tbsp] hot water
15g [1 tbsp] brandy
• Chocolate Truffles
120g [¾ cup] compound dark chocolate
60g [¼ cup] whipping cream, hot
15g [1 tbsp] brandy
40g [¼ cup] dark chocolate
1 tsp oil
40g [¼ cup] white chocolate
1 tsp oil
• Chocolate Drizzle
40g dark chocolate
20g whipping cream, hot
METHOD:
• Chocolate Cake
1. Preheat oven at 170°C/340°F.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients: cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt
3. In a large mixing bowl, add butter. Let it rest for few minutes until softened. Add in the sugar. Cream the butter and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes or until creamy and fluffy.
4. Add in the oil and brandy. Mix to combine.
5. Add in the eggs, one at a time.
6. Add in the sifted dry ingredients in few batches, alternate with the milk. Use a spatula to mix until combined, do not over mix.
7. Transfer batter into a 6 inch pan. Bake in preheated oven at 170°C/340°F for about 50-55 minutes or until inserted skewer comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake on a cooling rack before slicing.
9. Slice the cake into 3 sheets.
• Chocolate Ganache Frosting
1. In a mixing bowl, add in the chocolate, hot whipping cream, butter and honey. Place the bowl over a double boiler. Mix until the chocolate mixture until melted and creamy. Make sure there is no lumps.
2. Remove the bowl from the pot. (be careful do not drip water into the chocolate).
3. Add in the brandy. Mix until combined.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until the ganache is stiff.
5. After an hour, mix the ganache until creamy and soft. As you’re mixing the ganache, the colour will turn to lighter colour.
• Syrup
1. Add all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix until the coffee is dissolved. Use when it’s completely cool.
• Chocolate Truffles
1. In a bowl, add chocolate and hot whipping cream. Place the bowl over a double boiler. Mix until the chocolate is completely melted and no lumps.
2. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
3. After 1 hour, the chocolate will be stiff and hardened. Use a spoon to scoop and weigh about 20g each. (you can do the size/weight that you desire). Roll the chocolate into a ball, place it on a plate. Work the same for the rest. Freeze the chocolate for 15 minutes while working on the coating.
4. In 2 small bowls, place the dark and white chocolate separately in each bowl. Add the oil into each bowl respectively. Microwave for 1 minutes or until the chocolate is completely melted, do not over heat the chocolate. The chocolate has to be flowy to ease the coating work.
5. Bring out the chocolate balls. Use a skewer to prick to hold them. Coat them respectively into the melted chocolate.
6. I used a cooling rack as the skewer holder. Let the rest to dry the coatings.
7. Drizzle some chocolates onto the truffles respectively. (the dark chocolate onto the white balls and the white chocolate onto the dark balls)
8. Decorate the cake with these beautiful chocolate truffles.
• Chocolate Drizzle
1. Add the chocolate and whipping cream in a bowl. Microwave for 1 minute or until the chocolate is melted and smooth in a drizzle consistency.