Ginger Chocolate Dream Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
200g dark chocolate
150g Westgold Unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp warm water
3 eggs, separated
¾C caster sugar
¼C flour
¾C ground almonds
Pinch of salt

Chocolate brandy syrup:
⅓C water
2 Tbsp cocoa
¼C sugar
1 Tsp vanilla
2–3 Tsp brandy, to taste

Ginger custard:
3 cups milk
½C brown sugar
½C custard powder
3 Tsp ground ginger
1C cream, whipped

Chocolate topping:
150g dark chocolate, melted
Dutch cocoa for dusting

Method

To make the cake:
Preheat oven to 180oC.

Line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper.

Melt the chocolate and Westgold Unsalted Butter together and stir until smooth.

Stir in the warm water.

Separate the eggs and whisk the sugar and yolks together until light and creamy.

Stir into the melted chocolate and butter.

Fold in the flour, ground almonds and salt.

Whisk the egg whites until soft and foamy.

Gently fold into the chocolate mix.

Bake for approx. 30 minutes till risen and set when touched.

Set aside to cool.

(It’s a fudgy cake so test it by gently touching the top instead of using a skewer.)

Chocolate brandy syrup:
Place the water, cocoa, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan.

Place on a medium heat and stir until dissolved.

Bring to the boil and simmer 2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Take off the heat and stir in the brandy.

Set aside.

To make the custard:
Place 2½C of the milk and the brown sugar into a saucepan.

Cover and bring to the boil on medium heat.

Stir the remaining ½C milk with the custard powder and ginger until smooth.

Whisk into the hot milk and stir until thick and bubbling.

Take off the heat and press plastic wrap on the top to prevent a skin forming.

Set aside to cool, then refrigerate.

To finish the cake:
Peel the paper off the cooled cake and place in the serving cake tin.

Use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake and pour over the syrup.

Whip the cold custard until smooth and creamy.

Fold in the whipped cream and spread over the cake, reserving 1 cup of custard to pipe on the top.

Refrigerate.

Trace around the lid of the cake tin on a piece of baking paper and spread the melted chocolate just inside the line.

Refrigerate until set.

When the chocolate disc is set, peel it off the paper and place on top of the custard.

Pipe the custard around the edge and dust with cocoa.

Serve.