Chocolate Apple Cake

This one is from Green & Blacks Chocolate recipe book, I had some apples from my dad’s neighbour’s garden to use up and this did the job. I was making it in rather a hurry (to be ready for desert with Dan and Fran) so I didn’t leave it to cool for long enough before cutting, it therefore sank a bit! The rustic look suited it though, scattered with nuts and icing dripping down the sides. It’s said that it improves after a day or two, I have to try it today.

Cake
140g hazelnuts (I used almonds, untoasted)
275g unsalted butter
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs
275g sf flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 tbsp strong coffee (brewed, in liquid form – nearly made a mistake here!)
50g dark chocolate, minimum 60%cocoa solids, coarsely grated

Filling
700g bramley apples
1 large lemon
2 dsp rhubarb jam or fruit compote

Icing
200g dark chocolate (as above)
25g unsalted butter
2 drops vanilla extract
1 tsp strong coffee

Crush the nuts (not too finely) and if using hazelnuts, grill them lightly until golden. Cream the butter and sugar together, whisk the eggs and add to the creamed mixture with a little flour. Mix well, sift in the rest of the flour and enough coffee to make a soft mix. Set aside 25g of the nuts and add the rest into the mixture with the grated chocolate.

Pour in to 21cm tin and bake for 50-55 minutes at 180. Leave to cool in the tin a little before turning out.

Meanwhile prepare the filling – peel and roughly chop the apples, place in a saucepan with the rind and juice of the lemon and the the jam. Cover and cook on a low heat until the apple pieces are soft but not mushy.

Once the cake has cooled (I didn’t wait long enough!) cut it in half anf fill with he cooled apple.

Make the icing – melt the chocolate with the coffee in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Leave to cool a little before pouring over the cake, allowing the icing to run over the sides. Decorate with the remaining nuts.