Your chocolate cake skills are brought to new and delicious heights with this easy to make cake recipe from Rachel Allen.
Ingredients
- 175g (6oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 300g (11oz) ground almonds
- 100g (3½oz) desiccated coconut
- 50g (2oz) cocoa powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 x 400ml (14fl oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk
- 75g (3oz) dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa solids)
- 250g (9oz) caster sugar
- 3 eggs
For the Ganache
- 200g (7oz) dark chocolate (55-70% cocoa solids)
- 50ml (2fl oz) coconut liqueur (optional) or a few drops of coconut extract
- For the Coconut Crumb
- 75g (3oz) caster or granulated sugar
- 35ml (1fl oz) water
- 75g (3oz) desiccated coconut
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
- Mix in a bowl the ground almonds, desiccated coconut, cocoa powder and the salt. Pour half the coconut milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
- Take off the heat and stir in the chocolate until melted, then set aside.
- Place the butter in a bowl and beat until soft, then add the sugar and beat for another minute until light and creamy. Add the eggs while beating, one by one.
- Next, stir in the chocolate and coconut milk mixture and the dry ingredients. Tip into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Allow to sit in the tin for 10-20 minutes before taking out (remove the sides, then tip upside down to remove the base and paper). Tip back upright and cool.
- While the cake cools, make the chocolate coconut ganache. Place the remaining 200ml (7fl oz) of coconut milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat, tip in the chocolate and stir to melt.
- Add in the Malibu, if using, or a few drops of coconut extract and place in the fridge, stirring every 20 minutes or so, until stiff enough to spread over and around the cooled cake.
- This cake keeps really well for days and days.
For the Coconut Crumb:
- Preheat the oven to 180'C. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a baking tray. Place the sugar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar before it comes to the boil.
- Once the syrup boils stop stirring and continue to boil for 1 minute. Take off the heat and pour into a bowl with the coconut. Mix thoroughly and spread out evenly over the parchment paper.
- Bake in the oven for 3-4 minutes until golden. Take out halfway through cooking and mix it up so that it browns evenly, as the coconut around the outside will turn golden first.
- Take out of oven and allow to sit on the tray until cool. Break it up as it cools then transfer to a jar or bowl.
