Gingerbread chocolate cake
“A really delicious treat for the festive season – why not add sparklers and edible glitter for fun when bringing to the table?”
SERVES 8-10 FOR THE POACHED PEARS
3 pears, peeled, cored and sliced 400ml red wine
200g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
FOR THE CAKE
220g softened butter
200g caster sugar
6 eggs
250g self-raising flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsps cocoa powder
¾ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsps milk (you may need more)
FOR THE CREAM
200ml whipped cream 100g white chocolate, melted 1 orange, zest only 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground ginger A pinch of nutmeg
FOR THE GANACHE
200g dark chocolate 200ml cream
Fresh cranberries, to decorate Blackberries and raspberries, to decorate (optional)
METHOD
1 First, poach the pears by mixing the red wine with the sugar until it dissolves in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, add the prepared pears and reduce to a simmer. Add the cinnamon stick and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. They are cooked when a fork slides easily through them. Remove from the wine and set aside, keeping the cooking syrup. 2 Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/ gas 4. Line 2 x 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. 3 Place the butter into a large mixing bowl and whisk with an electric beater, gradually adding the sugar until fluffy and pale. 4 Add the eggs, two at a time. Fold in the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and spices. Stir in the chocolate
drops. Add enough milk to create a thick batter. 5 Pour into the two lined cake tins and bake in the pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. To check if the cake is cooked, insert a skewer in the centre and if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. 6 To prepare the cream, fold the melted white chocolate into the cream, add the orange zest, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg and spoon into a piping bag with a star nozzle. 7 To prepare the ganache, heat the cream and add the chocolate and stir very well. Remove from the heat and stir until thickened and cool. 8 To assemble, place one cake layer on a cake stand, spoon some of the syrup from the pears over the cake and pipe rosettes of spiced cream over one layer. Arrange the slices of pears on top and cover with the second cake layer. Cover the top layer with the chocolate ganache and arrange cranberries, blackberries and raspberries (if you are using them) on top and around the side in the cream.