Squidgy Chocolate Torte with Fresh Strawberries

This time it was a losing battle and with no other sweet dessert, cake or biscuit to barter with… my plan on taking  photographs the next day of the whole chocolate torte started disappearing, slice by slice. However, I managed to salvage a slice and set it aside with a little note saying… “this slice is for my food photography”! Each year I look forward to the annual  BBC Good Food recipe calendar which comes with an issue of their monthly Good Food magazine and last year was really disappointed when I found there was no 2013 calendar. Really happy the Good Food team have decided to print a 2014 recipe calendar, I know I am not alone in voicing this. 🙂 This very delicious Squidgy Chocolate Torte is from this year’s recipe calendar and as February is the month for celebrating Valentine’s Day, this makes a perfect dessert for all chocolate lovers.

With Valentine’s Day around the corner and not forgetting the little ones,  children might like to help make these delicious Rocky Road Chocolate Cakes and package them in pretty boxes for their friends. And if entertaining at home this Valentine, why not kick-start your dinner party by serving this Chocolate Martini and ending the meal with the gorgeous Squidgy Chocolate Torte. Or instead, serve some Chocolate Dipped Strawberries injected with an orange flavored liqueur. What ever way you decide to celebrate I do hope it includes a little chocolate… Happy Valentine’s Day.

Squidgy Chocolate Torte with Fresh Strawberries

Recipe adapted from the Good Food 2014 recipe calendar.

Note: The original recipe used dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids for the cake and topping. I used Lindt dark chocolate throughout and replaced the extra tablespoon of plain flour with cocoa powder. Used light soft brown sugar instead of light muscovado sugar. And for the topping, omitted the tablespoon of icing sugar and used whipping cream instead of double cream.

When making the cake it is important to gently fold the ingredients together, you don’t want to knock out all the volume created when whisking the eggs and sugar together. The recipe mentions the cake may sink and crack on cooling, which is ok. I had a few cracks but no sinking. The chocolate torte is very moist and I found it helpful to refrigerate it for a few hours (in the tin) to firm up, making removal from the tin easier. I replaced the pomegranate seeds with strawberries when decorating the finished cake.

Ingredients:

• 225g unsalted butter, cubed
• 250g dark chocolate (I used Lindt), roughly chopped
• 5 eggs
• 225g soft brown sugar
• 75g ground almonds
• 50g plain flour
• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt

for the topping

• 150ml of whipping cream
• 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• strawberries for decoration (optional)

You will need a 23cm springform tin, grease and line the base with non-stick baking parchment.

How to make: Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF/180ºC/160ºC Fan/Gas 4. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a medium heat-proof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth, then set aside.

Using an electric hand beater or stand mixer, whisk the eggs and brown sugar together  in a large bowl for about 5 to 8 minutes until the mixture is thick and mousse-like and has doubled in volume. Pour the melted chocolate mix around the edge of the bowl and gently fold together using a large metal spoon. Sift over the ground almonds, flour, cocoa powder and salt and gently fold into the mixture until evenly combined.

Carefully scrape the contents of the bowl into the prepare cake tin and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is risen and set on top. Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire cooling rack.

For the topping: In a small saucepan heat the cream to almost boiling. Place the chocolate into a heat-proof bowl and pour over the hot cream, leave for a couple of minutes, then stir until smooth. Leave the chocolate mixture to cool and thicken. Carefully remove the cake from the tin and place onto a serving plate, spread over the chocolate topping, letting some fall over the edges. Chill for a couple of hours then decorate with strawberries (if using) before serving.