Dessert

Epic triple chocolate layer cake

This monumental chocolate cake is Fiona Hugues' extreme solution to those times when you need an epic cake to either celebrate something audacious or silly, or to shed tears over as you commiserate with a loved one. Fiona has included every fantastic, wicked treat that she has at some time or other danced around with, or sat and wept with, and enveloped them in a Snickers-like cream and then drizzled in salted caramel sauce. Recipe and styling by Fiona Hugues. Photography by Jani Shepherd, Gatherum Collectif.
Epic triple chocolate layer cake
10
1H 30M

Ingredients

Friand layers
Snickers cream
Salted caramel sauce
To assemble

Method

Friand layers

1.Preheat oven to 180°C fanbake. Grease and line two 26cm springform cake tins.
2.In a saucepan melt the butter on a medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells nutty. Set aside to cool.
3.Sift icing sugar, cocoa and flour into a large bowl and add ground almonds. Stir to combine. Whisk egg whites to a light foam (not until stiff).
4.Make a well in centre of flour mix and add egg whites and melted butter. Lightly stir until you have an even batter.
5.Divide mixture between the tins and bake for around 40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool in tins for 5 minutes then remove and let cool completely.

Snickers cream

6.To make the Snickers cream, warm cream in a pot until almost boiling. Remove from heat, add chocolate and let it sit for a couple of minutes, then stir until combined.
7.Add icing sugar and peanut butter and stir to mix. Leave to cool (it will thicken slightly as it cools).

Salted caramel sauce

8.Heat caster sugar and water together in a large, clean, heavy-based pan over medium heat until mixture turns a light golden amber; do not stir at all. As soon as sugar turns golden, take it off the heat and whisk in the cream; be careful as it will froth up, but keep stirring until incorporated.
9.Add butter and salt and stir to combine. Set aside to cool and thicken.

To assemble

10.To assemble, place a cake layer on a serving platter and spread with half the Snickers cream. Break Chit Chats in half and press most of them into cream, taking care not to push too much of it towards the edge.
11.Lay the other cake layer on top and insert two or three bamboo skewers through the centre to secure the layers (snip off at the cake’s surface). Carefully smear the rest of the Snickers cream on top.
12.Press chocolates (or your own favourites) and remaining Chit Chat halves into cream and pile a few on top. Pour on a little caramel sauce (room temperature) and serve.

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