Categories: chocolate, coffee, dessert, not tried, sweet

Ingredients

• 200g Venezuelan Hacienda Las Trincheras 72% chocolate, roughly chopped
• 250g dark muscovado sugar
• 225g slightly salted butter
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 large eggs
• 200g hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 180ml hot black coffee
• For the topping
• 150g white chocolate
• 150g mascarpone cheese
• 11 2 tbsp cold espresso coffee
• 4 whole hazelnuts, toasted and skinned, for decoration
• Whole coffee beans, for decoration

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2. Lightly grease the loaf tin with butter, then line with baking paper.

3. Melt the chocolate for the cake in a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water.

4. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

5. Beat the sugar, butter and vanilla essence together in a bowl until soft and fluffy.

6. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the melted chocolate, followed by the chopped hazelnuts.

7. Sift the flour with the bicarbonate of soda into another bowl.

8. Fold about a third of the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture, follow by about a third of the hot coffee, taking care not to over mix.

9. Repeat until all the flour mixture and coffee have been combined.

10. Tip the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the top and bake in the preheated oven for about 50–55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

11. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin.

12. When the cake is cold, turn out of the tin, peel off the baking paper and place on a serving plate.

13. Make the topping by melting the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl, set over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not in contact with the water.

14. Remove from the heat and stir in the mascarpone and coffee until evenly blended.

15. Spread the mixture over the top of the cake.

16. Using a fork, mark with wavy lines through the topping.

17. Finally decorate with the toasted hazelnuts and a scattering of coffee beans.

18. To store, keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Email to a friend | Print this recipe | Back