French food Friday...Reynaud's Black and White Layer Cake

 

photo and recipe from here

Bpnjour mes belles,

I hope that you are having a fabulous week. I am in the mood for some chocolate and this week's recipe comes from one of my favourite chocolate recipe books written by Joanne Harris who is the author of the bestseller Chocolat.

  Reynaud's black-and-white layer cake

Purists – like Mayor Reynaud in Chocolat (played by Alfred Molina in the film), who tries to force the free-spirited Vianne out of his village – believe white chocolate doesn’t count as chocolate at all. This means you can enjoy this layer cake with only half the guilt.

Serves 8–12

For the ganache
500ml (18fl oz) double cream
500g (1lb 2oz) white chocolate, broken into small pieces

For the cake
Butter, for greasing
190g (7oz) self-raising flour
40g (1½oz) cocoa powder
200g (7oz) soft butter, cut into small cubes
200g (7oz) golden syrup
1tsp baking powder
4 eggs, beaten
125g (4½oz) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
50ml (2fl oz) shot of strong espresso

To make the ganache, heat the cream in a saucepan until just simmering. Remove from the heat and add the white chocolate. Stir until melted. Leave to cool and thicken. This will take at least an hour – you can put it in the fridge, but stir regularly. It needs a spreadable consistency, like heavy whipped cream.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Butter two 20cm (8in) non stick cake tins and line the bases with parchment.

Beat the flour, cocoa, butter, golden syrup, baking powder and eggs quickly with an electric mixer until creamy.

Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, then pour it and the espresso shot into the cake mixture and blend until even.

Divide between the tins and bake in the middle of the oven for 25 minutes, until a knife inserted into the centres comes out clean.
Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn the cakes out on to a cooling wire, peel away the parchment and leave until cold. Slice each cake in half horizontally, making four layers. Spread a spoonful of ganache in the middle of a serving plate. Stick one layer on top.

Spread with a layer of ganache, top with another cake and repeat until all layers are used.

Finally, top the cake and sides with ganache. Leave to set for at least 30 minutes in a cool place.

très bon vendredi à tous, Leeann x

 

p.s. Enjoy the eclipse wherever you are in the world.