Chocolate brandy-snap gateau

Name: Chocolate brandy-snap gateau
Ingredients: 150 g/5 oz/1¼ cups ground hazelnuts; 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla extract; finely grated rind of 1 large orange; 60 ml/4 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs; 225 g/8 oz plain (semisweet) chocolate, broken into pieces; 225 g/8 oz/1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 6 eggs, separated; 200 g/7 oz/scant 1 cup muscovado (molasses) sugar; 5 ml/1 tsp brandy; 50 g/2 oz/½ cup plain (all-purpose) flour; 250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup double (heavy) cream; 50 g/2 oz/¼ cup unsalted butter; icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting; 75 g/3 oz/¼ cup golden (light corn) syrup; 50 g/2 oz/¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Cakes

By Ann Nicol

Published 2014

About

Savour every mouthful of this sensational dark chocolate gateau. The cake is rich with chocolate and hazelnuts, then filled and topped with ganache – a cream and chocolate icing. Crisp brandy-snap frills look wonderful and contrast beautifully with the soft cake. Eat fresh.

Ingredients

225 g/8 oz/1 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
225

Cake
Vegetarian

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/250°F/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in round shallow cake tins (pans) and two baking sheets with baking parchment.
To make the cake, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir occa