Name: Chocolate cake with mascarpone
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 175 gram unsalted butter, at room temperature; 200 gram good-quality dark chocolate, chopped; 275 gram plain flour; 375 gram caster sugar; 50 gram Dutch cocoa; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 2 free-range eggs; 200 gram plain yoghurt; 100 millilitre strong coffee; Ganache; 110 gram good-quality dark chocolate; 100 millilitre cream; 30 gram unsalted butter; To decorate; 400 gram mascarpone; raspberry jam; fresh raspberries and pomegranate seeds (or seasonal fruit of your choice)

Ingredients

175 gram unsalted butter, at room temperature

200 gram good-quality dark chocolate, chopped

275 gram plain flour

375 gram caster sugar

50 gram Dutch cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 free-range eggs

200 gram plain yoghurt

100 millilitre strong coffee

Ganache

110 gram good-quality dark chocolate

100 millilitre cream

30 gram unsalted butter

To decorate

400 gram mascarpone

raspberry jam

fresh raspberries and pomegranate seeds (or seasonal fruit of your choice)

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fanbake). Grease and line three 20cm cake tins with baking paper.

2.Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Set aside to cool.

3.Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and set aside.

4.Whisk eggs and yoghurt together in a small jug. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and mix through melted chocolate and butter, followed by egg and yoghurt mixture. Lastly, add coffee and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go.

5.Divide mixture evenly between tins and smooth the tops with a knife so they are level. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into each centre comes out clean and the tops spring back when lightly touched.

6.Remove and cool cakes in tins for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

7.While the cakes are cooling, make the ganache. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. Heat cream until just boiling in a small saucepan. Pour over chocolate and leave to sit for a few minutes before stirring to combine. Add butter and continue to stir until ganache is glossy and smooth.

8.To assemble, remove baking paper from the bottoms of cooled cakes. Place one cake onto your plate and spread a few large dollops of mascarpone over the top, spreading right out to the edges. Drizzle dollops of raspberry jam over the top.

9.Carefully place second cake on top of the mascarpone and repeat with the mascarpone and jam. Place the third cake on top and drizzle over chocolate ganache.

10.Decorate with fresh fruit. Serve straight away or chill in the refrigerator until an hour before serving.

Karla Goodwin