Recipe | Champagne Truffle Chocolate Cake

The British Hamper Company recently sent private chefs Imogen and Alice Tod a hamper full of chocolate from Britain's finest artisan producers. It turns out they couldn't manage the mountains of chocolate in one sitting so decided to incorporate some of their favourites into simply chocolate recipes.

So without further ado let's hand you over to the experts for a truly fantastic Chocolate Cake recipe;

Imogen’s favourite – Prestat Marc de Champagne Truffles – the perfect chocolates! They are top London chocolatiers, based in Piccadilly with two Royal Warrants - their truffles are just heavenly. Rich, silky and consistent in their beautiful presentation, their outstanding reputation is wholly deserved and we are totally obsessed with them!

So what better way to incorporate them into one of our favourite treats – cake!

Outrageously chocolaty inside and out, with a touch of class from the beautiful truffles, this cake was given to a client for their birthday who was seriously impressed with the stack of indulgent champagne chocolates.

Marc De Champagne Truffle Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 4 eggs
• 180g Self Raising Flour
• 60g Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 240g Caster Sugar
• 240g Butter
• Splash of Whole Milk
• Pinch of Salt

For the topping:

• 50g White Chocolate
• 170g Evaporated Milk
• 75g Cocoa Powder
• 290g Icing Sugar, sieved
• 100g Unsalted Butter
• Handful of Prestat Milk Chocolate Marc De Champagne Truffles

For the middle:

• Apricot Jam

Preheat the oven to 180c/350f/gas mark 4

1. For the cake, grease or line two cake tins with baking parchment .
2. Combine the sugar and butter in a food processor until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Next add the flour, baking powder, cocoa and salt and whisk on a high speed until all the ingredients are incorporated.
4. On a low speed, add the eggs one at a time. When the last egg has been mixed in, add a splash of milk.
5. Pour the mixture evenly into the cake lined cake tins and place in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cake is springy on the top.
6. To check the cake is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre of the cake and remove. If there is no cake mixture on the skewer, it’s time to take the cake out and leave to cool on a wire rack!
7. For the topping, melt the butter in a saucepan and then add the cocoa powder. Cook for one minute and remove from the heat.
8. Stir in the evaporated milk, then add the icing sugar. Continue to stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
9. When the cake is cool, spread the top of one of the halves with a generous helping of apricot jam and place the other half on top (if you want an extra chocolatey cake, pour some of the chocolate topping onto the apricot jam)
10. Pour over the chocolate sauce and smooth over. Put the cake in the fridge for about 5 minutes to chill the chocolate icing.
11. Meanwhile break the white chocolate into pieces and melt in a bain marie then drizzle the melted white chocolate over the top.
12. Decorate the cake with a mountain of the delicious champagne truffles!

Note about the Authors; Alice and Imogen Tod are private chefs who have a passion for quality ingredients and beautiful presentation. They are currently working on a highland estate in Perthshire, Scotland. For further food inspiration and recipe tips follow them on Instagram @todsisters or click here to see their Instagram page.