A little Piece of Heaven

This little cake is from christmas, I thought it was about time I got around to posting it. For Christmas one year my boyfriend brought me the box set of Nigella's DVD's. So as my fairly newish tradition I like to watch her DVD's and flick through her cook books each Christmas, to gain inspiration for the christmas meal. This next recipe is adapted from her Guinness Chocolate Cake recipe that is in her Feast cookbook.

The cake is so beautiful and moist, and it lasts for ages. It has a fairly strong smell of Guinness, which to a none Guinness drinking person may be off putting, but take one bite and you'll surly change your mind, well I certainly did.

Guinness Chocolate

1 1/2 cups Guinness

1/4 cup cocoa

200g butter

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 eggs 

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 cups flour

1 teaspoons baking soda

Pre heat the oven to 180°C

Place Guinness, cocoa, and butter into a saucepan and heat on a medium heat until the butter melts.

Place the sugar, eggs and buttermilk into a bowl and beat with and electric mixer until combined. Pour the guinness mix into the  buttermilk mixture and stir until incorporated. Sift in the flour and soda and whisk until combined. Then pour into a lined 20cm round cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until cooked. 

Chocolate Ganache 

300g of dark chocolate 

1/2 cup of thick cream

25g butter

Place the ingredients into a bowl and place over a saucepan of water, or if you happen to have a double boiler use that, heat until the butter and chocolate melt. Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes.

To decorate cut the cake in half and fill with whipped cream and fruit of your choosing. Sandwich the cakes together then pour over the ganache  and top with more fruit.

Cake recipe adapted from Nigella