Devil's Food Cake

Dark, rich and devilishly moresome!

Serves 8-10

Dish by Chris Cahill

Ingredients

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:

270mlDouble Cream

70gButter (Cubed)

3 1/2 TbspClear Honey

270gDark Chocolate

For the Red Chocolate Ganache

190gWhite Chocolate

80mlDouble Cream

1 tspRed Oil Based Food Colouring

For the Sponge:

200gButter

75gCocoa Powder

200gCaster Sugar

175gLight Muscovado Sugar

1 TbspVanilla Extract

3Large Eggs

100mlSour Cream

335gPlain Flour

1 TspBaking Powder

1 TspBaking Soda

1/2 TspSalt

Optional:

250gRed Sugar Paste/Fondant

Here's a classic Devil's Food Cake with some pointy extras. A sinfully moist, rich chocolate layer cake filled with devilishly dark chocolate ganache decorated with a heavenly white chocolate drip.

Method

To make the Ganache:

Make the Dark Chocolate ganache by putting the double cream into a large pan over a medium heat. Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat.

Add the butter, honey and chocolate to a bowl, pour over the heated cream and leave for 2 mins to melt, then stir until smooth. Set aside to cool and thicken, then store in the fridge until needed.

For the White Chocolate ganache, heat the cream and pour over the white chocolate pieces. Stir with a whisk until melted.

Add drops of red oil based food colouring until you reach the desired colour.

Note: If your ganache splits or becomes grainy, add in more fresh cream a teaspoon at a time until the mixture comes back together.

To make the sponge:

Put the cocoa powder for the sponge into a bowl and whisk in 275ml boiling water until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl, beat together the butter, both sugars and vanilla extract until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Stir the soured cream into the cooled cocoa powder mixture. Mix together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in another bowl. Fold a third of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, followed by a third of the cocoa mixture, continuing until everything is combined.

Divide the batter between the 4 cake tins then bake for 25-30 mins or until risen and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins in the tins, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

To assemble:

Put one cake on a serving plate and spread over some of the ganache. Top with the second cake and then repeat till your cake is fully stacked. Then spread the remaining ganache over the top and down the sides of the cake, then chill.

Then pour your red ganache over the top and smooth with a palette knife allowing it to pour over the sides - If the ganache is to firm, reheat it very slowly to restore pourability.

Take your red fondant and cut two equal portions. Shape each into 2 pointy devil horns. Push into the top of the cake to secure in place.

Take another ball of paste and form into a triangle and attach to your cake. Roll the rest into a long rope shape and wrap around from the back of the cake to the front for the tail, pressing into the sides of the cake to secure.