2013 Cooking Club Week 31: Chocolate Truffle Cake

Pigwidgeon

This is one of my favourite cakes/tarts to make for occasions, it's incredibly chocolatey and rich so I try not to make it too often. I got the recipe off a guy I worked with who had spent some time in the kitchen in The Tannery in Waterford, according to him this is the recipe which they actually use in the kitchen and is entirely different to the one which appears in their cook book. I've made one or two slight adjustments but it's essentially the same.

For the base:
- 125g soft butter
- 180g sugar
- 2 vanilla pods
- 1 egg
- 250g flour
- 1/4 tsp salt



Method:
1. Cream the butter and sugar together, scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add it.

2. Gradually add the eggs to the mixture.
3. Mix in the flour and salt in a few stages.

4. Knead the dough and rest for half an hour before rolling it out. When you have it rolled out make holes in it with a fork and let it rest again to help the butter firm up, this helps to stop the pastry from shrinking in the oven. Fill the base with baking beans, rice or whatever you have handy and bake it in a oven at 180C until it's golden brown, usually about 15-20 minutes, I just check it every few minutes after 15 until it looks right.


For the filling:
- 158g butter
- 150g good quality dark chocolate
- 225ml cream
- 138g caster sugar
- 60g egg yolks


Method:
1. Whisk the cream to a semi-stiff stage.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bain marie.
3. This step is called a paté a bombe and is a common technique used in making mousses. Place your egg yolks in a mixer and whisk until pale and thick, while this is happening make a syrup from the caster sugar and a little water, bringing it up to 121C. Slowly pour this into the egg yolks while the mixer is still on and allow to continue mixing until it is cool. (My stand mixer wasn't working so I couldn't get great pictures, this is a good step by step guide)

4. When the paté a bombe and the melted chocolate are similar temperatures fold the chocolate in, followed by the cream.

5. Pour the filling into the base and leave in the fridge to set.


This one was a present so I don't have any pictures of it sliced, I usually serve it just with some raspberries or a sorbet, nothing too heavy as it's rich on it's own. Sometimes I make mini ones and just have them with tea, which is also fantastic.

Toto Wolfcastle

Feck the mini ones, I'm going to make a big one and eat the entire thing myself. Looks great.

Mrs Fox

Love the mug.

purple hands

anyone who tried this have an idea of how long it needs to set?

Pigwidgeon

A few hours in the fridge should do it, I can't remember exactly sorry. I usually just make it the day before I need it.

maryk123

Looks fab I am definitely going to try this.