A flourless, intensely rich chocolate cake laced with pistachio and pomegranate jewels, perfect for showing someone a bit of home-baked lovin’ this Valentine’s.
Ingredients.
Prep – 20 mins
Cook & Decorate – 1hr – 1hr 20mins
225g butter
365g plain chocolate
250g caster sugar
55g blitzed pistachio kernels (or bash in a bag if you don’t have a food processor)
6 medium eggs
30g cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk (I used Koko)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method.
Decoration; pomegranate seeds (dry with kitchen towel before decorating) & more blitzed pistachio kernels. I also used pink candy pearls I found in the supermarket. You could also use desiccated coconut.
Pre-heat your oven to 200c / 180c (fan) / Gas Mark 6
1. Using a 9 inch circular spring-form tin, place on greaseproof paper and draw an outline of the cake tin. Cut the circle out.
2. Spray the tin with a bit of cooking oil, place the greaseproof paper circle inside the tin and spray once more with cooking oil.
3. In a small saucepan, melt on the lowest heat, only 250g worth of the chocolate with all of the butter.
4. Once completely melted and combined, transfer to a large mixing bowl and beat in the sugar.
5. Adding your eggs once at a time, continue to beat and combine.
6. Tip in the cocoa powder and blitzed pistachios and stir a few times to combine.
7. Pour the cake mix into the prepared spring-form tin and into the oven for 45-60 minutes (depends on your oven, mine took 1hr).
8. Check your cake is cooked through via skewer test, ensuring it comes out clean and the top is firm to the touch.
9. Remove and set cake aside in it’s tin to cool for 10 minutes.
10. Place a plate on top of the cake tin and invert, flipping it upside down. Release the spring-form tin, and remove the greaseproof paper that’s now on the top side of the cake. Leave to cool further.
11. Meanwhile you can begin the glossy glaze to top the cake with. Melt remaining 115g of chocolate with 3 tablespoons of butter. Stirring until smooth.
12. Take off the heat and stir in the honey, vanilla extract and milk. Now set this aside to cool slightly.
13. You want your cake to be completely cool before topping with your glaze. Pour it onto the centre of the cake and use a spatula to spread over the top and sides of the cake.
14. Top with some more pistachio kernels (some blitzed, some whole if you like), and pomegranate seeds. Be as extravagant or as minimalistic as you feel with the decoration.
15. Cover and leave in the fridge for the half an hour or until you’re ready, to allow the glaze to set and harden.
