I’m giving my macaron making a break this weekend. Mainly because my family is starting to get sick of macarons, to the point that my sister doesn’t eat them anymore. Sad, I know. Another reason was because it was a relative’s birthday today, and I decided to make a cake to celebrate. Here I have made Adriano Zumbo’s Over the Top Chocolate Cake.
Unfortunately when I cut the cake, the layers didn’t turn out properly, so I’m just showing a picture of the large cake. Adriano Zumbo originally decorated the cake with chocolate and coffee macarons. I would have done that, except I didn’t have enough time to also make macarons, which explains why I decorated the cake with Maltesers.
This cake requires a lot of chilling time to ensure it sets properly, which essentially becomes easier to spread the glaze and cream. I accidentally didn’t read the recipe properly and put my glaze in the fridge. Silly me, I didn’t need to do that, which explains why my glaze looks more like a spread than a smooth and glossy covering over the cake. Anyways, it still tasted great. I love the different textures of the layers, from crunchy to smooth and creamy. I also removed the limes from the recipe because I knew how fussy my family would be, but having it there might neutralise the sweetness.
Over the Top Chocolate Cake (via Adriano Zumbo in Masterchef Magazine Issue 12)
Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 110g caster sugar
• 150g ground hazelnuts
• 100g icing sugar
• 1tbs cornflour
• 2 limes, zested

Milk Chocolate Cream

• 600ml pouring cream
• 300g milk chocolate, roughly chopped

Chocolate Glaze

• 100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 100g creme fraiche
• 50g icing sugar

Method

1. To make chocolate cream, place cream in a saucepan and bring almost to the boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, add chocolate and whisk until melted. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for 1 1/2 hours to chill.
2. Meanwhile, make meringue cakes. Preheat oven to 170C. Grease 2 x 20cm round cake pans and line the bases with baking paper. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites to soft peaks, then gradually add caster sugar and whisk to stiff peaks. Sift ground hazelnuts, icing sugar and cornflour over egg whites, then gently fold in with zest until just combined. Divide mixture between pans, level and bake for 17 minutes or until golden. Cool cakes in pans.
3. Turn out cakes and peel away baking paper. Place one cake, top-side up, on a tart pan base or round cardboard base.
4. Using an electric mixer, whisk the chocolate cream almost to stiff peaks. Reserve 3/4 cup chocolate cream, then, using a spatula, spread half the remaining chocolate cream evenly over the top of the cake. Top with the second cake, base-side up, then spread top evenly with remaining chocolate cream. Spread the side evenly with reserved chocolate cream. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm.
5. Meanwhile, to make chocolate glaze, place dark chocolate, cream fraiche, icing sugar and 80ml water in a small pan. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is smooth and comes to the boil, then cook for 3 minutes or until thickened. Transfer to a stainless-steel bowl, then place bowl over a second bowl filled with iced water. Stir occasionally for 10 minutes or until cool and the consistency of double cream.
6. Place cake on a wire rack over a tray. Pour glaze over cake, easing it over the side to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.