Baking | Sinful Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche … chocolate + toffee = heavenly!

[print_this]Recipe: Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche 

Summary: Chocolate and toffee are a pairing made in Dulce de leche heaven. This Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche makes a fab special occasion cake. It needs a little advance planning though, like all good things in life do!

Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 2.5 hours plus setting time Ingredients:

• Chocolate Genoise Cake {x 2; I made 2 cakes and cut them horizontally each to get 4 layers}
• 4 eggs
• 90g granulated vanilla sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 50g all-purpose flour
• 45g dark cocoa powder
•  20g butter, melted
• Filling 
• 3/4 thick portion dulce de leche from 1 tin condensed milk
• 500ml low fat cream, chilled
• 2 tsp gelatin powder
• Frosting
• 200g dark couverture chocolate
• 200g low fat cream
• 25g honey
• Dulce de leche sauce
• Remaining dulce de leche 1/4 portion from above
• 15g salted butter
• 100g low fat cream {or as required for pouring consistency}

Method:

1. Chocolate Genoise Cake {I made 2}
2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line, grease & flour 2 X 8-inch round cake pan.
3. Sift the flour and cocoa together three times; reserve.
4. Bring some water to a boil in a large pan & reduce to simmer. Place eggs, vanilla & sugar in a large bowl. Place over pan of simmering water, and beat constantly until tripled in volume.
5. Take off heat and continue to beat for another 3-4 minutes until the mixture cools a bit.
6. Sift about one-third of the flour and cocoa over the whipped eggs. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the mixture-quickly but gently-until combined. Fold in half the remaining flour and cocoa, then fold in the rest.
7. Scoop about 1 cup of the batter into the bowl with the melted butter and fold together until completely combined. Use the large rubber spatula to fold the butter mixture completely into the remaining batter. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and level with a spatula.
8. Bake until the cake beginning to shrink slightly around the edges and the top springs back when pressed with your finger, about 40 minutes. Cool the cake completely in the pan on a rack. Cut horizontally into 2.
9. Repeat for second cake. Total 2 cakes and 4 layers.
10. Filling
11. Mix 50ml cream and gelatin in a bowl. Keep over simmering water to dissolve. Mix well.
12. Whisk in 100 ml low fat cream into the 3/4 portion of the dulce de leche to loosen it
13. Beat the remaining cream to medium stiff peaks. Fold in the dulce de leche mixture gently, followed by the gelatin.
14. Assemble
15. Place 1 layer of genoise on serving platter and place adjustable dessert ring around it. Top with 1/3 of the filling. {If the cake is dry, brush it with a simple sugar syrup first {1/3 cup sugar + 1/4 cup water + 1 tbsp liqueur if you like}
16. Repeat with the next few layers and cover and allow to set overnight.
17. Frosting
18. Dark chocolate ganache
19. Place chocolate and cream in a heat proof bowl. Microwave for 1 minute at a time. Stir and repeat as necessary. Once the chocolate has melted, add the honey and whisk well to combine until glossy and smooth. Cool before using.
20. Unmold the cake and give it a slight crumb coat with a little ganache. Set in the fridge for 30 minutes, then use the remaining ganache to frost the cake.
21. Dulce de leche sauce
22. While the ganache is setting, gently simmer the ingredients in a heavy bottom small saucepan. {Begin with half the cream and add as required. The amount will depend on how thick the dulce de leche is. Mine was considerably thick}
23. Reserve in serving jug and cool until the ganache sets.
24. Pour along the sides of the cake, allowing drips over the sides.
25. Finish
26. Finish the border with dark chocolate shards and a dusting of powdered sugar.

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