Mexican Chocolate Cake with Chilli Ganache

I like weird recipes.  This is a true story.  From banana burgers to steak with balsamic strawberry glaze to double white chocolate and pretzel peanut butter cookies with sea salt. I really like weird recipes.  Especially things that combine sweet and savoury, or involve otherwise unusual flavour combinations.

To that effect, I was just so excited when I stumbled across a recipe for some "Sweet Heat" in the June 2011 issue of Super Food Ideas magazine, I was ecstatic.  It seemed to be the perfect baking idea for my weekly writing group.  I try to bring a new treat each week, so I asked around and borrowed a round cake pan (shock and horror, I don't own one!) and got to shopping.

I wish I had a photo of this cake, but it disappeared far too quickly. (Edit: hey, I found a photo. It's not very exciting, in fact... it's a cake on my desk covered in saran wrap. Anyway. It's a picture.)  However, the comments I got were very positive. People were surprised by the gentle heat of the ganache and the spices in the cake.  I also learned that 'ganache' means icing.  I learn something new every day.  Ok enough of the rambling, check out this cake recipe.

Mexican chocolate cake with chilli ganache

Cake
180g dark chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup sour cream
250g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
3 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t ground cardamom
dark chocolate curls, to serve


Chilli Ganache
180 dark chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup sour cream
1 t honey
1/2 t ground chilli (hot)


Preparing the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan-forced (~350F).
2. Grease 8 1/2" (22cm) round cake pan, line base and sides with baking paper.
3. Put chocolate and sour cream in heat proof, microwave-safe bowl.  Microwave on MED-HI (75%) for 2 mins, stirring with a metal spoon ever 30s or until smooth.  Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add 1 egg at a time, beating well.
5. Add chocolate mixture, beat until just combined (~1 minute).
6. Combine dry ingredients and add to butter mixture gradually, stirring with a wooden spoon until just combined.
7. Pour into pan and smooth top.
8. Bake for 1 hour 25 minutes or until skewer comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it.  Allow to cool in pan (~10 minutes) before turning out onto wire rack.

Ganache

1. Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on MED-HI (75%) for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds with a metal spoon or until smooth.
2. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes, or until spreadable.  Spread on cake. Top with curls.

My cake came out pretty lumpy on top, which is pretty typical. Our oven rack sits on a slant and our oven distributes heat unevenly.  These things happen.  I'm told that to counteract this, you should simply take a sharp knife and slice off the 'wobbly bits' on top.  I didn't think to try that until after I'd spread the ganache on.  Or, to prevent it, turn your oven down.  I'm told turning it down by 25F should 'eliminate the hump' (thanks Jen, excellent terminology).  Apparently this is what them fancy professional-type bakers will do.

A few side notes to this recipe:  

First - oh my god this is good and I don't even like chocolate cake all that much, or cake in general.  

Second - I didn't add the chocolate curls, mostly because I'm lazy, but also because I was sharing it at the office so the garnish seemed silly.  I don't do garnish. My cooking is not very pretty.

Third - don't be afraid of the chilli.  The amount of hot chilli called for in the recipe does not make it 'spicy', it gives it a slow and smoky burn that is completely tolerable (and pleasant) even to people who have no tolerance for spicy foods. I know the next time I make this recipe, I will probably double the chilli, but I couldn't tell you how that will work out, yet.  If you're using regular chilli powder, I would suggest using maybe 3/4 t instead of 1/2 t.... By the way, "t" is teaspoon, "T" is tablespoon. 

Enjoy :)