2020-04-01 Good Housekeeping South Africa

LATE

FOR THE VANILLA SPONGE

350g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing 600g caster sugar 475g flour ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda 8 large eggs, at room temperature 1½ tsp vanilla extract 250ml sour cream FOR THE CHOCOLATE SPONGE 275g flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 75g cocoa powder 350g caster sugar 250g unsalted butter, softened 175ml sour cream 2 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks 1½ tsp vanilla extract FOR THE BUTTERCREAM 350g dark cooking chocolate, broken into pieces 6 large egg whites 300g icing sugar, sifted 400g unsalted butter, softened FOR THE SHARDS 75g dark chocolate 75g white chocolate FOR THE GLAZE 125g dark chocolate, finely chopped 75g unsalted butter, softened FOR DECORATION truffles

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Lightly grease and line three
20cm cake tins, at least 10cm
deep, with baking paper.

Begin by making vanilla
sponge. In a large bowl,
cream butter and sugar with

an electric whisk for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Into a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda; add ¾ tsp salt. In a large jug, beat eggs, vanilla extract and sour cream. Set all mixtures aside.

For the chocolate sponge:
into a large bowl, sift together
flour, baking powder,
bicarbonate of soda and cocoa
powder. Stir through caster
sugar and ¾ tsp salt. Add butter
and beat gently with an electric
whisk until mixture looks like
wet sand. In a large jug, beat
together sour cream, eggs, egg
yolks and vanilla extract until
smooth. Set mixtures aside,
separate from vanilla-sponge
mixtures.

Finish the vanilla sponge.
Gently beat a third of the flour
mixture into the creamed-
butter mixture, followed by
half the sour-cream mixture.
Repeat with another third of the
flour, the remaining sour cream
and the final third of the flour,
folding until smooth. Set aside.

Finish the chocolate sponge.
Gradually add the sour-cream
mixture and 100ml boiling
water to the flour mixture
and beat until smooth.

Divide the vanilla- and
chocolate-sponge mixtures
among the three cake tins,
adding them in alternate
spoonfuls. Swirl together with
a palette knife. (For the best
marble effect, don’t overmix.)
Bake in the middle of the oven
for 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour

15 minutes until springy to the touch. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Remove baking paper from sponges and trim tops off so cakes are 5cm deep.

Make the buttercream: melt
the chocolate in a large bowl
over a pot of barely simmering
water. Remove from heat and
set aside to cool for about 20
minutes. Put egg whites into
a large bowl with the icing
sugar and stir to combine.
Set the bowl over the same
pot of water and increase the
heat slightly so it is simmering
gently. Beat with an electric
whisk for about 5 minutes until
thick and stiff like meringue,
and a teaspoon stands upright
in the mixture. Remove from
heat and whisk for 10 minutes
until completely cooled, thick
and stiff. Whisk the butter into
the cooled, melted chocolate.
Gradually add the chocolate
mixture to the meringue,
whisking until light and fluffy. If it
looks like it is going to split, either
the chocolate or meringue
were still warm; cool in the
fridge for up to 15 minutes.
Beat again until smooth.

Put the bottom layer on
a 20cm round cake board,
then spread with buttercream.
Add the second and third
layers, sandwiching them
together with buttercream, and
turning the top layer upside
down to give the cake a flat
surface. Spread the remaining

buttercream over the top and side of the cake with a palette knife. For smoother edges, turn the cake slowly on a turntable as you ice it. Chill for 30 minutes.

Make the chocolate
shards: gently melt
the dark and white
chocolate in separate
bowls over pots of
simmering water. On
a baking tray lined with
baking paper, pour the
dark chocolate in a
thin layer (about 3mm
thick). Spoon the white
chocolate onto the dark
layer and swirl together
with a spatula (don’t
overmix), tilting the tray
to ensure the surface
sets evenly. Set aside.

For the glaze: put
the chocolate and
butter in a medium
bowl set over barely
simmering water. Stir
until melted. Pour over
cake, smoothing the
top with a clean palette
knife and encouraging
it to drip over the edges.
Decorate with chocolate
shards and truffles. Chill
in fridge to set. Remove
2 hours before serving.
EACH SERVING (WITHOUT
DECORATION) About
3 600kJ, 10g protein,
50g fat (30g saturated),
89g carbohydrate (66g
total sugars), 2g fibre.

As any aficionado knows, chocolate is a serious business. If you’re craving something a little more adult, look no further than these decadent and sumptuous triple- tested show stoppers...

Chocolate Marble Cake Hands-on Time 1 hour 40 minutes Cooking Time About 1 hour 45 minutes Serves Up to 24

for grown-ups

CHOC HEAVEN

0420_GHE_038_045_Chocolate.indd 2 2020/03/10 8:15 AM