I'd been waiting for a good excuse to make this cake from the 'Gourmet Traveller' for some time and what better excuse than a good friends birthday. It was the combination of fig, chocolate and hazelnuts which first captured my interest. To me these three ingredients sounded like a match made in heaven....and well it turns out that they were. This recipe makes a fairly large round cake, however i made a smaller, higher cake (see note). The result - a cake which is very nutty in texture, extremely moist, sticky and oh so rich. It's becomes even more divine in chocolate goodness, when topped with rich, silky smooth, dark chocolate ganache. The 'Gourmet Traveller' suggests serving this cake simply with the chocolate ganache and candied oranges, however since I was making it for a birthday and for a birthday girl who loves her cakes (and decorating them), I thought that a little decoration wouldn't go astray. I will definitely be making this cake again but next time I won't be waiting for an excuse to do so. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EGYPT!!Chocolate fig and hazelnut fudge cake with hazelnut praline and toffee shards
Adapted from - Australian Gourmet Traveller
Serves 14
Cake
250ml (1 cup) muscat or brandy
300gm (11/2 cups) dried figs, coarsely chopped
420gm (3 cups) hazelnuts, roasted, peeled
250gm unsalted butter
300gm caster sugar
6 eggs
250gm dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70% cocoa cooking chocolate)
35gm (1/2 cup) fresh bread crumbs
To Serve double cream
Ganache
75gm (1/3 cup) white sugar
125ml (1/2 cup) pouring cream
150gm (1 cup) dark compound chocolate
1. Combine muscat and figs in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10minutes or until figs have absorbed muscat. Cool
2. Preheat oven to 160C. Process hazelnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add fig mixture, hazelnuts, chocolate and breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased and baking paper lined 26cm spring form cake pan. Bake for 55minutes or until skewer withdraws lean. Cool in pan, remove and place cake on a wire rack over a tray.
2. Preheat oven to 160C. Process hazelnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add fig mixture, hazelnuts, chocolate and breadcrumbs and stir to combine. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased and baking paper lined 26cm spring form cake pan. Bake for 55minutes or until skewer withdraws lean. Cool in pan, remove and place cake on a wire rack over a tray.
3. For ganache, place sugar in a heavy based saucepan over low heat and cook, without stirring, until sugar has melted, add cream and stir. Add chocolate and stir over low heat until melted and the mixture is smooth, then pour oven cake, smoothing with a palette knife. Cool. Serve at room temperature with double cream.
Note - I used a 24cm spring form tin and baked cake for 1hr 30mins.
Decorations -
Hazelnut Praline
150gm hazelnuts, roasted and skins removed
175gm caster sugar
60ml water
Spread hazelnuts on a tray lined with baking paper. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan, stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, cook until dark caramel (aprox. 5minutes), pour over nuts. Stand until cool and set (10minutes), process in a food processor until finely ground. Sprinkle over ganache around the edge of the cake.
Toffee Shards
175gm caster sugar
60ml water
Combine sugar and water in small saucepan, stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Pour onto a tray lined with baking paper, place another piece of baking paper over sugar syrup, then using a rolling pin, roll the toffee syrup out till thin. Stand until cool and set (10 minutes). Remove baking paper and break toffee into shards. Stand shards on top of cake to decorate.
