Originally from 'The Great British Bake Off: How to turn everyday bakes into showstoppers' by Linda Collister, this cake is a great twist to the marble cake. Originally three layers, I compressed it down to two, and it was still quite tall. It is essential though, that you have two relatively large piping bags with 1.5cm tubes, otherwise you will not get the chessboard effect.
Ingredients
The Sponge
233g Butter,Softened
233g Caster Sugar
233g Self-Raising Flour
40ml Milk
33g Cocoa Powder
4 Large Eggs, Beaten
2/3 tsp Vanilla Extract
Pinch of Salt
White Chocolate Ganache
87g White Chocolate, finely chopped
63ml Whipping Cream
25g Unsalted Butter
Dark Chocolate Ganache
150g Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa Solids), finely chopped
150ml Whipping Cream
To Finish
A slab of white chocolate (not much will be used)
8 Boozy Chocolate Truffles (click link for recipe)
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan 160C/Gas 4. Grease 2 x 20.5 sandwich tins, and line the bases with baking paper. Put the butter into a large mixing bowl, and beat with a free standing mixer until very creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar, then the vanilla. Keep beating (scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time) until the mixture is very pale and fluffy in texture.
2. Gradually add the eggs, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon of the flour with each of the last 2 portions of egg to prevent curdling.
3. Sift the remaining flour and the salt into the bowl, and gently fold in using a large metal spoon until thoroughly combined. Transfer half of the mixture into another large bowl.
4. Sift the cocoa into one bowl, and add half of the milk; fold in until completely blended. Fold the rest of the milk into the second bowl of mix. Fit two piping bags with 1.5cm plain tubes, and place each in two large glasses, folding the top of the piping bags over the rim of the glasses.
5. Fill the piping bags 2/3 of the way up, one with the vanilla mix, and one with the chocolate mix. Take one sandwich tin, and pipe a chocolate ring around the inside edge. Then pipe a vanilla ring inside the chocolate ring. Repeat with alternate piping bags until the tin is filled. In the next tin, start with the vanilla mix on the inside edge, and again, alternate piping bags until the tin is full. Make sure all of the rings are even the whole way round before baking.
6. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until browned/ a skewer will come out clean. Run a knife around the inside of each tin, and turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.
7. For either/both ganaches, put the chocolate (and butter for the white chocolate ganache)into a heatproof bowl. Heat up the corresponding quantity of cream until right before it starts boiling, and pour over the chocolate. Slowly stir with a spoon until all the chocolate has melted, and leave in the fridge to set.
8. Once the ganaches have become much thicker, but still spreadable and glossy, take them out of the fridge and evenly spread one cake, browned side uppermost, with the white chocolate ganache, and place the other cake on top. Wipe away any trickling ganache. Next, cover the top and sides of the cake with the dark chocolate ganache, scooping away any excess. If the ganache has set too much that you cant spread it properly, hold a palette knife under hot water, dry, and then use to spread the ganache. Leave to set.
9. Take the block of white chocolate, and scrape a large knife across it, to create a bunch curls or shavings. Then take a small round cookie cutter and place in the middle of your cake. Place the chocolate curls in the ring, and lift the ring away, letting the curls cascade down. Place the truffles around the edges, and you are finished! Consume within 4 days.
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