DARK CHOCOLATE BAUMKUCHEN

EQUIPMENT:

• Loaf Tin

• Grill on highest setting

INGREDIENTS:

       Baumkuchen Batter

• 80g Butter

•  150g Marzipan

• 50ml Double Cream

• 4 Egg Yolks 

• 100g Plain Flour

• 50g Ground Almonds

• 4 Egg Whites

• 120g Sugar 

        Chocolate Ganache

• 350g 60% Chocolate

• 240ml Double Cream

• 3g Salt

• Flaked Almonds to decorate

• METHODS:

For the Baumkuchen…

Cook the butter until nutty golden, transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

Roughly chop the marzipan* into small pieces. In an electric mixer, mix with the cream until you have a smooth paste. Add the eggs gradually and mix until pale and thick.

Fold in the flour and ground almonds.

Whip the egg whites until foamy, add the sugar gradually, whisking up whip until firm peaks. Fold the 1/3 of the meringue into the marzipan mixture, then fold the two mixtures together taking care not to knock out too much air. Finish by folding in the cooked and cooled butter.

 To cook your Baumkuchen, once your grill is preheated, pour a ladle-full amount onto the bottom of your cake tin and use your dough scraper to cover the base of the tin. Place under the grill for 4 minutes or until brown. Repeat until the mixture is used up, allow to cool before unmoulding.

For the Ganache..

In a Bain-Marie, melt the chocolate over a low heat. Meanwhile, heat the cream with the salt until steaming, once ready, pour the cream gradually into the dark chocolate and mix until smooth.

Cover with clingfilm and set in the fridge for up to 1 hour until spreadable.

Once the ganache has set to a nice spreadable texture, turn the cake out and cover with the ganache and then decorate with the flaked almonds.

-

-