Dark Chocolate and Stem Ginger Torte with Cardamom Yoghurt Cream and Toasted Hazelnuts

Serves 8

This recipe was inspired by a leftover jar of stem ginger in my fridge that I was wanting to use. I like to put chopped stem ginger in my Christmas cake each year and it’s a great combo with the dark chocolate.

TORTE

200 g butter (you can also use

coconut oil)

200 g 70% dark chocolate

4 tbsp ginger syrup (from the

stem ginger jar)

4 eggs

50 g golden caster sugar

½ cup ground almonds or ground hazelnuts (50 g)

4 pieces of stem ginger

Place the butter, chocolate and ginger syrup in a small pot on a low heat and melt. Cool.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl and whisk for 3–5 minutes or until light, fluffy and ribbony.

Fold in the cooled chocolate butter mix along with the ground nuts and chopped stem ginger making sure you scoop the spatula right down to the bottom.

Pour into a buttered pie dish or lined 25 cm cake tin.

Bake at 170°C fan for 30–35 minutes or until set. Cool slightly before slicing and eating with the cardamom yoghurt cream and some toasted hazelnuts. Orange segments or tamarillos when in season would make a delicious side to this.

CARDAMOM YOGHURT CREAM

4 cardamom pods or ½–¾ tsp ground cardamom

1 cup thick Greek yoghurt

½ cup cream

Crush cardamom pods and grind the brown seeds finely. Mix into the yoghurt. Whip the cream until soft peaks form and then fold through the yoghurt. The yoghurt stabilises the cream so this can be done in advance if needed.