Chocolate Truffle Cake
Serves 6
Easy
Total time:
Fantastic chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has donated this wonderful cake recipe to TREE AID. Hugh belives: "Villagers in Africa pick fruit, nuts and leaves straight from the trees around their villages-food doesn't come more local than that. It's a lifeline for them and vital that we do what we can to ensure they have enough trees for food and the many other products and benefits trees provide." Go to Treeaidcakebake.org to download your FREE recipe booklet and get baking for TREE AID!
Skip to ingredients
- 250g (9 oz) dark chocolate
- 250g (9 oz) unsalted butter
- 250g (9 oz) peeled cooked chestnuts (tinned if you like)
- 250ml (9 fl oz) milk
- 4 eggs
- 125g (5 oz) caster sugar
Method
step 1
Preheat the oven to 170°C / Gas Mark 3 and grease and line a 23cm / 9inch diameter springform type tin.step 2
Melt the dark chocolate and unsalted butter together in a pan over a very gentle heat. In another pan, heat the chestnuts with milk until just boiling, then mash thoroughly with a potato masher (or process to a rough puree in a machine).step 3
Separate the eggs, put the yolks in a bowl and mix with caster sugar. Stir in the chocolate mixture and the chestnut puree until you have a smooth, blended batter.step 4
Whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them carefully into the batter. Transfer the mixture into the greased, lined cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, until it is just set but still has a slight wobble.step 5
If you want to serve the cake warm, leave to cool a little, then release the tin and slice carefully. It will be very soft and moussey. Or leave to go cold, when it will have set firm.step 6
Hugh's tip: It can be served with double cream, especailly when warm, but it is also delicious unadulterated. Its a great alternative to Christmas pudding.step 7
Our Tip: We cooked this for 40-45 minutes. It rises beautifully and is easy to eat with your fingers. It also looks great topped with chocolate shavings and chestnuts.
