Four Layer Chocolate Ganache Drip Cake
The cakes and icing are best made the day before and then assembled on the day.
For the cake:
- 10 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/3 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 1.5 cups plain all purpose flour
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Woolworths Gold Single Origin Brazilian Ground Coffee or Woolworths Gold Ethiopian Capsule ground coffee
For the icing:
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup caster or superfine sugar
- 300g/10.6ozs. butter, softened, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
For decoration:
- 1 cup espresso made with Woolworths Gold Single Origin Brazilian Ground Coffee or Woolworths Gold Ethiopian Capsule ground coffee
- 100g/3.5oz block Woolworths Gold Swiss Caramel Sea Salt Dark Chocolate, chopped roughly
- 2x 100g/3.5oz. blocks Woolworths Gold Intense Dark with 76% cacao
- 100ml/3.5ozs cream
- 50g/1.7ozs white chocolate
- 2x cannoli sticks (or any 2 small 1 inch thick sticks will do)
- 2 sheets baking parchment
- 2x macarons to decorate
- 3 mini Crunchie bars, halved
Step 1 - Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Line 4 x 20cm/8inch round baking tins. Whisk eggs and sugar in an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until triple the volume - this can take up to 8 minutes.
Step 2 - Meanwhile sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder three times at height by tapping the sieve with the base of your hand. Once the egg mixture is thick and voluminous add the flour mixture in three lots on the lowest speed. Divide the mixture into the four tins and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool completely and wrap in cling film.
Step 3 - Make the Swiss meringue buttercream. In a heat proof bowl sitting over a saucepan of simmering water whisk the whites and caster sugar until it reaches 60C/140F. Remove from heat and whisk this mixture until you get stiff peaks. Then switch to a paddle beater attachment and start adding the cubes of butter and vanilla. The mixture should not be hot so the butter should combine well into it without becoming liquid. Cover and set aside.
Step 4 - Make the chocolate sail decorations. Melt 100g/3.5ozs. of the Woolworths Gold Intense Dark Chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave. Take two baking trays and two pieces of parchment. Spread the melted dark chocolate onto one piece of parchment (not too thin, you need it to be thick enough to stand up) and then position the cannoli molds underneath it. Place in a cool place to set completely (on a very hot day you may have to put it in the fridge).
Step 5 - Melt the white chocolate and spread out onto parchment to make smaller sails.
Step 6 - To assemble the cake, brush the first layer with cold coffee. Then spread the first cake layer with some buttercream and then a small handful of the chopped Woolworths Gold Swiss Caramel Sea Salt Dark Chocolate. Then repeat until you have added all the layers finishing with just coffee and buttercream (no chopped chocolate on top). Refrigerate until firm and then use a cake scraper to smooth the sides.
Step 7 - Melt the remaining block of the Woolworths Gold Intense Dark Chocolate and heat the cream. Mix until you get a smooth ganache. Using a teaspoon drop little drips down the side of the cake with various amounts so that some drips are longer than others. Repeat around the whole cake. Then spread the remaining ganache on top. Spread the icing around the cake. Place the dark and white chocolate sails and macarons on top.