CHOCOLATE ALE CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL

CHOCOLATE ALE CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL

Some people will look at this and think it’s just a lovely chocolate pudding, and that’s absolutely fine – but, for me, there’s more to it than that. Personally, I just adore the whole process of getting to the finished dish. I love the reality that we have worked hard on it from, say, Thursday to Saturday; that hard graft is what makes each cake perfect.

INGREDIENTS

SERVES: 12

For the muscovado ice cream:

250ml milk

250ml double cream

100g soft dark brown sugar

105g liquid free-range egg yolk

25g glycerine

 

For the frosted pecans:

100g pecan nuts

125g caster sugar

30ml water

 

For the salted caramel:

100g caster sugar

40ml water

3.5g sea salt

 

For the chocolate ale sponge:

350g plain flour

1⁄2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

400ml dark ale

100g cocoa powder

220g unsalted butter, softened

550g soft dark brown sugar

4 large free-range eggs

 

For the chocolate ale torte:

1 litre dark ale

1 litre Guinness

550g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), in pieces

75g liquid free-range egg yolk

50g caster sugar

675ml double cream

100g liquid glucose

Chocolate ale sponge cubes

 

To finish:

400g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), in pieces, melted

400ml cocoa butter, melted

 

For the sable paste:

400g unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

4g sea salt

500g plain flour

120g ground almonds

 

For the sable tuiles:

200g caster sugar

200g chopped sablé paste

METHOD

1: For the muscovado ice cream, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, add the brown sugar, heat to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk in a bowl. Pour on the hot creamy milk, whisking as you do so.

2: Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the crème anglaise reaches 82°C (check the temperature with a digital probe).

3: Pass the cooked crème anglaise through a fine chinois into a container. Cover the surface closely with baking parchment to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool.

4: Once cooled, stir in the glycerine. Pour the crème anglaise into a Pacojet beaker and freeze overnight.

5: Before serving, churn the ice cream for 2 hours and place back in the freezer, ready to serve.

6: For the frosted pecans, preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.

7: Scatter the pecan nuts on a tray lined with baking parchment and toast in the oven for 10–12 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool.

8: Put the sugar and water into a heavy-based pan over a medium heat to melt the sugar and continue to heat until the sugar syrup just begins to colour. Add the toasted pecans and stir until the sugar crystallises and covers the nuts.

9: Tip the frosted pecans onto a baking tray and set aside to cool.

10: For the salted caramel, melt the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat and cook to a light caramel, 155°C (check the temperature with a digital probe).

11: Immediately and carefully stir in the water and salt.

12: Allow the salted caramel to cool, then pour into a squeezable plastic bottle ready for serving.

13: For the chocolate ale sponge, preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Line a 33 x 26cm deep baking tin with baking parchment.

14: Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together; set aside. In a small bowl, slowly mix the dark ale into the cocoa powder to form a paste.

15: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the cocoa paste and flour mixture alternately, a little at a time.

16: Spread the mixture in the prepared baking tin and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the sponge from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.

17: Once cooled, cut the chocolate sponge into 2cm cubes and put to one side.

18: For the chocolate ale torte, in a large saucepan, bring the ale and Guinness to the boil and simmer to reduce to 200ml. Set aside to cool.

19: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a bain-marie. Over a second bain-marie, whisk the egg yolk and sugar together to make a pale, thick sabayon.

20: In a large saucepan, gently warm 350ml of the cream with the liquid glucose and ale reduction, stirring to combine. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the melted chocolate.

21: Whip the remaining 325ml cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Carefully fold the sabayon into the chocolate and ale mixture, then fold in the whipped cream until smoothly combined.

22: Line a tray with acetate and place 12 metal 4cm square moulds on the tray. Flood the base of each mould with the torte mixture, then press in the diced ale cake. Fill with the torte mixture and level off with a palette knife. Place in the fridge to set for 6 hours. (You will have more torte mix than you need but you can freeze the rest for another occasion.)

23: To finish the cakes, carefully turn the square chocolate cakes over, so the smooth-edged base is now uppermost. Using an apple corer, cut a hole in the centre of each cake, down to the sponge layer (this will hold the salted caramel later). Return to the fridge for 30 minutes.

24: Take the cakes from the fridge and carefully warm the sides of the metal moulds using a cook’s blowtorch, to release the cakes from them. Remove the moulds to leave perfectly square ale cakes. Place them in the freezer to fully firm up.

25: Mix the melted dark chocolate and cocoa butter together in a bowl, then pour into a chocolate spray gun.

26: Set up a chocolate spray box and lay the frozen cakes on a surface lined with cling film inside. Spray the cakes evenly all over, then carefully lift them, using a palette knife, onto a tray. Place in the fridge until needed.

27: Remove the cakes from the fridge an hour before serving to allow them to come up to room temperature.

28: For the sable paste, preheat the oven to 195°C/Fan 175°C/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat. 2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale. Add the salt, flour and ground almonds and mix to combine.

29: Roll out the sablé paste on the silicone mat to a 1cm thickness and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Once cool, chop the sablé mixture into a fine crumb.

30: For the sable tuiles, melt the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, then bring to the boil and continue to cook the sugar syrup until it forms a golden caramel. Add the chopped sablé paste and cook, stirring, for a minute.

31: Pour the sablé caramel onto a silicone mat and leave to cool slightly. When it is cool enough, roll out to a thin sheet. While still warm, press a 4cm cutter into the sheet make sablé discs. Leave until cooled and set then lift the sablé tuiles off the mat.

32: To serve, place a dot of caramel in the centre of each plate and position a sablé disc on top (the caramel will stop the disc sliding about). Place the cake directly on to the disc and then fill the hole in the top with salted caramel. Top with a rocher of muscovado ice cream and finish with a frosted pecan.

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INGREDIENTS

SERVES: 12

For the muscovado ice cream:

250ml milk

250ml double cream

100g soft dark brown sugar

105g liquid free-range egg yolk

25g glycerine

 

For the frosted pecans:

100g pecan nuts

125g caster sugar

30ml water

 

For the salted caramel:

100g caster sugar

40ml water

3.5g sea salt

 

For the chocolate ale sponge:

350g plain flour

1⁄2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

400ml dark ale

100g cocoa powder

220g unsalted butter, softened

550g soft dark brown sugar

4 large free-range eggs

 

For the chocolate ale torte:

1 litre dark ale

1 litre Guinness

550g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), in pieces

75g liquid free-range egg yolk

50g caster sugar

675ml double cream

100g liquid glucose

Chocolate ale sponge cubes

 

To finish:

400g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), in pieces, melted

400ml cocoa butter, melted

 

For the sable paste:

400g unsalted butter

100g caster sugar

4g sea salt

500g plain flour

120g ground almonds

 

For the sable tuiles:

200g caster sugar

200g chopped sablé paste

METHOD

1: For the muscovado ice cream, pour the milk and cream into a saucepan, add the brown sugar, heat to dissolve the sugar and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolk in a bowl. Pour on the hot creamy milk, whisking as you do so.

2: Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the crème anglaise reaches 82°C (check the temperature with a digital probe).

3: Pass the cooked crème anglaise through a fine chinois into a container. Cover the surface closely with baking parchment to prevent a skin forming and leave to cool.

4: Once cooled, stir in the glycerine. Pour the crème anglaise into a Pacojet beaker and freeze overnight.

5: Before serving, churn the ice cream for 2 hours and place back in the freezer, ready to serve.

6: For the frosted pecans, preheat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4.

7: Scatter the pecan nuts on a tray lined with baking parchment and toast in the oven for 10–12 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool.

8: Put the sugar and water into a heavy-based pan over a medium heat to melt the sugar and continue to heat until the sugar syrup just begins to colour. Add the toasted pecans and stir until the sugar crystallises and covers the nuts.

9: Tip the frosted pecans onto a baking tray and set aside to cool.

10: For the salted caramel, melt the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-low heat and cook to a light caramel, 155°C (check the temperature with a digital probe).

11: Immediately and carefully stir in the water and salt.

12: Allow the salted caramel to cool, then pour into a squeezable plastic bottle ready for serving.

13: For the chocolate ale sponge, preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Line a 33 x 26cm deep baking tin with baking parchment.

14: Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda together; set aside. In a small bowl, slowly mix the dark ale into the cocoa powder to form a paste.

15: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smoothly blended, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Fold in the cocoa paste and flour mixture alternately, a little at a time.

16: Spread the mixture in the prepared baking tin and bake for 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the sponge from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.

17: Once cooled, cut the chocolate sponge into 2cm cubes and put to one side.

18: For the chocolate ale torte, in a large saucepan, bring the ale and Guinness to the boil and simmer to reduce to 200ml. Set aside to cool.

19: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a bain-marie. Over a second bain-marie, whisk the egg yolk and sugar together to make a pale, thick sabayon.

20: In a large saucepan, gently warm 350ml of the cream with the liquid glucose and ale reduction, stirring to combine. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the melted chocolate.

21: Whip the remaining 325ml cream in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Carefully fold the sabayon into the chocolate and ale mixture, then fold in the whipped cream until smoothly combined.

22: Line a tray with acetate and place 12 metal 4cm square moulds on the tray. Flood the base of each mould with the torte mixture, then press in the diced ale cake. Fill with the torte mixture and level off with a palette knife. Place in the fridge to set for 6 hours. (You will have more torte mix than you need but you can freeze the rest for another occasion.)

23: To finish the cakes, carefully turn the square chocolate cakes over, so the smooth-edged base is now uppermost. Using an apple corer, cut a hole in the centre of each cake, down to the sponge layer (this will hold the salted caramel later). Return to the fridge for 30 minutes.

24: Take the cakes from the fridge and carefully warm the sides of the metal moulds using a cook’s blowtorch, to release the cakes from them. Remove the moulds to leave perfectly square ale cakes. Place them in the freezer to fully firm up.

25: Mix the melted dark chocolate and cocoa butter together in a bowl, then pour into a chocolate spray gun.

26: Set up a chocolate spray box and lay the frozen cakes on a surface lined with cling film inside. Spray the cakes evenly all over, then carefully lift them, using a palette knife, onto a tray. Place in the fridge until needed.

27: Remove the cakes from the fridge an hour before serving to allow them to come up to room temperature.

28: For the sable paste, preheat the oven to 195°C/Fan 175°C/Gas 5. Line a baking tray with a silicone mat. 2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until pale. Add the salt, flour and ground almonds and mix to combine.

29: Roll out the sablé paste on the silicone mat to a 1cm thickness and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Once cool, chop the sablé mixture into a fine crumb.

30: For the sable tuiles, melt the sugar in a heavy-based saucepan over a low heat, then bring to the boil and continue to cook the sugar syrup until it forms a golden caramel. Add the chopped sablé paste and cook, stirring, for a minute.

31: Pour the sablé caramel onto a silicone mat and leave to cool slightly. When it is cool enough, roll out to a thin sheet. While still warm, press a 4cm cutter into the sheet make sablé discs. Leave until cooled and set then lift the sablé tuiles off the mat.

32: To serve, place a dot of caramel in the centre of each plate and position a sablé disc on top (the caramel will stop the disc sliding about). Place the cake directly on to the disc and then fill the hole in the top with salted caramel. Top with a rocher of muscovado ice cream and finish with a frosted pecan.

Share this Recipe

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  • email

Print

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Save this Recipe

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