A Sweet All-rounder

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday March 27, 2007

Belinda Jeffery

This versatile chocolate cake recipe can star in any occasion, writes Belinda Jeffery.

There are some recipes that I get asked for over and over again - and this lovely, simple chocolate cake is one of them. I think of this as my little black dress of a cake, a slim, rich chocolate cake that can be dressed up or down at will. It's perfect for afternoon tea with a dollop of cream on top or can be dolled up with a coating of shiny ganache or shards of chocolate or coffee bean brittle to make a very chi-chi dessert.

It's a somewhat more sophisticated version of the one-pan chocolate cake published in my second book, Belinda Jeffery's Tried-and-True Recipes. Of all the recipes in that book, I've had no end of people tell me that they make it over and over again, more so than any other recipe. This mocha version is a little more "grown-up" than the original and makes a wonderful birthday cake. You certainly don't have to make the coffee bean brittle, but if you want it to be "dressed to kill", then give it a go - it looks gorgeous.

Edited extract from Mix & Bake by Belinda Jeffery (Penguin $49.95).

One-pan mocha cake with coffee bean brittle

1/? cup (35g) Dutch-processed cocoa*

75g unsalted butter

1/? cup (80ml) light olive oil

2/? cup (160ml) strong black coffee,

cooled (this equals 3 tsp instant

coffee granules dissolved in

2/? cup boiling water)

90g good-quality dark chocolate, finely chopped

250g caster sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 ? cups (185g) plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/? cup (80 ml) buttermilk (or at a pinch, sour cream or yoghurt)

For the topping

350ml double thick cream**, lightly whipped

Coffee bean brittle (see panel right), coarsely crushed, or shards of dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 150C. Butter a 23-24cm round cake tin. Line the base with buttered baking paper, then dust the tin with flour, shake out the excess and set aside.

Put the cocoa, butter, oil and coffee into a largish saucepan. Bring to the

boil over medium heat, stirring frequently until the mixture is silky, then take it off the heat. Add the chocolate and sugar and whisk them in until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

Once the mixture has cooled, add the egg and vanilla extract, whisking them in thoroughly. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and stir them in until they're just combined. Whisk in the buttermilk.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and give it a gentle shake to level it out. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a fine skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the tin on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the paper and leave it to cool completely.

When you're ready to serve, transfer the cake onto a serving plate or cake stand if you want it to look extra special. Just before serving, spread the cream on top, then use the back of a spoon to swirl it up a bit. To finish it off, sprinkle some of the coffee bean brittle or chocolate shards over the cream.

This cake keeps well for a couple of days in the fridge, although if it is covered with cream and topped with coffee bean brittle, the brittle will soften. It also freezes well, without the topping, for about three weeks.

* "Dutch-processed" means the cocoa has gone through a process that removes some of its acidity. It is usually available in good delicatessens.

** Thicker and richer than regular thickened cream, double thick cream is sold under a few names, including "rich, thick cream". It's a beautiful ivory colour with a satiny sheen and tastes wonderful.

Serves 8

Coffee bean brittle

This makes a bit more than you may need but the brittle keeps forever and is great to have on hand to dress up all sorts of desserts. Even something as simple as scoops of chocolate and coffee ice-cream look fantastic when you scatter them with it, as there's a lovely contrast between the cold, creamy ice-cream, the crunch of the brittle and the slight bitterness of the coffee beans. The way it sparkles looks really special, too.

1 cup (220g) caster sugar

1/2 cup (125ml) water

1 tbsp roasted coffee beans, coarsely choppedLine a large, shallow baking tray with baking paper or foil and sit it on a chopping board or thick tea towel.

Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan over high heat. Stir it constantly until the sugar dissolves, then stop stirring and bring the mixture to the boil. As it boils, wash down the sides occasionally with a pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals. The mixture will slowly change from being quite liquid to a thicker syrup, with lazy bubbles on the surface.

Watch it like a hawk, as it changes colour quite rapidly. As soon as it turns a light amber colour, add the chopped coffee beans and swirl the pan to mix them in (be careful as it may froth a bit at first). Continue to cook the syrup until it is a deep golden brown, then immediately take it off the heat and carefully pour the mixture into the prepared baking tray.

Hold the tray with a thick cloth to protect your hands and tilt it gently to spread the syrup evenly. (Be careful doing this as both the syrup and the baking tray will be very hot.) Leave the brittle to cool and set, then carefully

peel away the paper and break it into large shards.

To store the brittle, layer the shards in an airtight container between sheets of baking paper to stop them sticking together, then freeze. When you need it, take out as much as you want, crush it coarsely (or leave it in bigger pieces)

and return the rest to the freezer. The brittle will keep in the freezer for up to

12 months.