To add a traditional touch, decorate it with chocolate marzipan balls and mini sugar-coated eggs. The cake can also be decorated with pistachio marzipan if desired.
Serve: 10-12
Preparation Time: 60 minutes
Cooking Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients:
Cake:
100g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
250g of butter at room temperature, plus a little for greasing the pot
250g of light brown sugar
4 large eggs
200g of flour plus a little for dusting
2 level teaspoons of baking powder
55g of cocoa powder
½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of instant coffee dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water - cooled
Chocolate Glaze:
150g of dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
150ml of heavy cream
150g of powdered sugar
Chocolate Marzipan:
250g of powdered sugar plus a little for the balls
75g of cocoa powder
400g of almond powder
1 teaspoon of natural almond extract
2 medium-sized egg whites, beaten until lightly frothy
For Decoration:
About 12 mini sugar-coated eggs
1 ribbon, 1 meter long
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
For convection ovens, reduce the temperature by 10 to 20°C (50 to 68°F).
2. To prepare the cake, place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot but not boiling water. Break the chocolate into small pieces in the bowl and let it melt.
3. Beat together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs one at a time, then add 2 tablespoons of flour to prevent the mixture from curdling.
4. Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa, and cinnamon over the mixture and mix. Add the vanilla extract and liquid coffee, then the melted chocolate, and mix well until smooth.
5. Grease the inside of the pot with a little butter and lightly flour it. Pour the mixture into the pot using a spoon, smooth the top, and bake in the center of the oven without a lid for 50 to 60 minutes, until the surface of the cake is cracked and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pot.
6. To prepare the glaze, melt the chocolate and cream together in a saucepan over low heat. Once the chocolate has melted, whisk everything together, sift in the powdered sugar, then whisk again until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool and refrigerate it until it thickens and can be spread.
7. Meanwhile, to make the chocolate marzipan, sift the powdered sugar and cocoa into a bowl and add the almond powder while stirring. Add the almond extract with just enough beaten egg white to bind the ingredients together, being careful as the mixture can quickly become too wet and sticky. Place on a surface dusted with powdered sugar and knead to form a smooth dough.
8. Cut the marzipan into 3 equal pieces, divide one piece into 11 equal parts and roll them into small balls. Roll out the other two pieces of marzipan between a sheet of parchment paper and a sheet of plastic wrap, one should be the size of an 18 cm (7 inch) disk, the other of a 19 cm (7.5 inch) disk. Set aside. Cut the cooled cake in half. Spread 1/3 of the glaze on the cut base, add the smaller chocolate marzipan disk, then spread another 1/3 of the glaze and place the top of the cake back on.
Option 1: To store, present, and give away
Place parchment paper in a clean pot and flip the assembled cake over.
This way, you can easily remove the assembled cake to cut it.
Option 2: Place the assembled cake on a cake stand.
Keep 1 teaspoon of glaze to hold the decoration. Spread the rest of the glaze on top of the cake and place the second disk of chocolate marzipan. Pinch the edges with your fingers to give it a final elegant touch. Tie the ribbon all around the cake.
Place the small marzipan balls, spacing them around the top of the cake, and secure them with a tip of the reserved glaze. Make a pyramid of chocolate eggs in the center of the cake.
