Chocolate rocky road Christmas wreath cake

ingredients

• Christmas wreath cake

  • 250 gram butter, chopped
  • 200 gram dark chocolate, chopped
  • 2 cup caster sugar
  • 1 cup cold water
  • 1 1/4 cup self-raising flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• Chocolate ganache

  • 150 gram dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup cream

• Rocky road topping

  • 100 gram pink and white marshmallows, halved
  • 50 gram dried cranberries
  • 50 gram toasted natural almonds
  • 100 gram milk chocolate, melted
  • freeze-dried raspberries to finish (optional)

method

• • 1

    Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm ring cake tin and line the base with a circle of baking paper, cut to fit.

  • 2

    Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and water in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the chocolate melts and sugar dissolves. Transfer mixture to a large bowl to cool for 5 minutes.

  • 3

    Whisk in the flour and cocoa. Add the eggs and stir until combined. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out moist but clean. Cool cake in the tin for 30 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

• Chocolate ganache

  • 1

    Combine chocolate and cream in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or microwave in short bursts until melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool and thicken.

  • 2

    Spread ganache over the cake. Arrange marshmallows, cranberries and almonds on top. Drizzle milk chocolate over the topping. Sprinkle with raspberries.