This wonderful recipe came via Zeb Bakes who in turn spotted it on Dan Lepard's site. Not only did Joanne sell this to me as a "chocolate porridge" recipe, she also made it clear that it was a one pan cake - how could I resist? It's just taken me rather a while to blog about it. Not having any stout in the house, I substituted a bottle of real ale I had knocking about the place. I also followed Joanne's suggestion of making a creme fraiche ganache as a topping rather than the sweeter icing in the original recipe.
This is what I did:
- Poured 330ml ale (Badger Original) into a large pan and added 50g rolled oats and 25g cocoa.
- Brought to the boil and simmered for 1 minute.
- Removed from heat and stirred in 75g unsalted butter and 100g 70% dark chocolate.
- Added 225g brown sugar (I think muscovado would have worked well here) and stirred well.
- Beat in one duck egg and 2 tsp vanilla extract.
- Mixed in 150g rasins
- Beat in 250 wholemeal spelt and 1 tsp baking powder
- Spooned into a 9" cake thingie and baked for 30 mins at 18oC.
- Whilst cake was cooling, I melted 100g dark chocolate with 100 ml creme fraiche and stirred gently. I don't seem to have much success with ganache, it started to split so I very quickly stopped stirring.
- Spread this on top of the cooled cake as best I could and cut into 16 squares.
Voted by CT as his favourite cake in a long time, this was rich, dense, chewy, moist and delicious - need I go on? Well, one other thing, it wasn't too sweet, which is how we both like our cakes (mostly!). Despite the ganache not being quite perfect, it still tasted good and it worked better than I think the original fudgy icing would have done. It lasted well and was just as delicious, if not more so, one week on. As I'm sure the ale will have given a different result to the stout, this gives me a good excuse to make it again. Thank you Joanna.
This sounds gorgeous, and a welcome alternative to brownies which are so often disappointing (except mine and yours of course) I've been sitting on a Dan Leppard recipe for a chocolate poppy seed roll for ages - time to dig it out I think.
ReplyDeleteLiz (aka feastandfestivals.co.uk)
Liz - get baking, rolls sound scrumilicious and thanks for letting me off on the brownie front.
ReplyDeleteThat does sound really good and an interesting way of making a cake by boiling the ale and porridge oats, a bit like a ginger cake without the ginger. Actually nothing like it, but you know what I mean. Will have to try this one.
ReplyDeleteMmm...that looks very healthy and delicious. I can eat this any time. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteKath - Not much like a ginger cake, but I did get your drift. You made me smile which cheered me up in this cold wet grey and miserable day that we are having (down this end of the country anyway) so a big thank you.
ReplyDeleteMaryMoh - thank you, it was indeed delicious.
Beautiful cake..perfect ones..
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious, Choclette. I'm determined to try this recipe now, after so many glowing endorsements.
ReplyDeleteSushma - thank you
ReplyDeleteSuelle - I'd certainly be interested to see what you think.
I'm with Suelle, now both you and Jo have made this, AND made it look so wickedly good, I'm going to have to try it too! I'm sure I have a can of Guinness somewhere...
ReplyDeleteI still haven't made this either, but now two of you, I really think I need go find some ale. Very tasty looking!
ReplyDeleteI've noticed a lot of recipes using beer (ale/stout etc!) in them lately. I will need to give this a try ... if Hubby can share! Looks great though, very moist and yummy.
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm, looks and sounds great and as usual, I am caught by one of your recipes and pondering should I go make it now. But I mustn't as we are heading off to Edinburgh for the day. It will have to wait :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I trust myself to make that and not eat it all right then and there... ;-) Have you cracked the ganache problem yet? Lower-fat creams will split much more easily than high-fat versions - try using single, whipped, or double cream instead?
ReplyDeleteI've seen this recipe so many times now I really, really must make it and see how it turns out. Your's looks delicious. I find Dan Lepard's recipes really interesting - there's always a twist!
ReplyDeleteOh my, this looks glorious!! I love baking with ales and stouts, and I can just imagine how wonderfully the ale pairs with the nutty oats...
ReplyDeletewow this is indeed a healthy fudge cake..Thanks for sharing...am craving to eat some chocolate...:)
ReplyDeleteLovely cake ! Clever man that Dan Lepard !
ReplyDeleteFor a double cream ganache you use equal weights of dark choc and double cream. Chop chocolate into small rubble. Heat cream to boiling point and pour over chocolate. Leave for 5 mins. and then beat until combined and glossy. Will be runny at this stage and will set in a couple of hours. I think for creme fraiche you melt the chocolate first, leave till barely warm and then beat the creme fraiche in. Again it starts off quite runny and then sets off eventually. It's a while since I made it.
amazing.
ReplyDeletesimply...amazing..............
Oh my, cakes and ale, what a great combination and I love the sound of this damp, sticky, not too sweet one. Ganache is a *** (bad word of your choice there). I find it purely impossible, looks gorgeous though.
ReplyDeleteThese look good. I have some ale in the fridge that needs using up. I may well have to try this recipe - soon.
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of these. Nigella's guiness choc cake is a favourite in our house, so these would probably be popular too.
ReplyDeleteCelia - oh it's well worth making - look forward to hearing how you found it.
ReplyDeleteCityHippy - this is getting really exciting with so many potentially making this - hope you do give it a go.
Chele - oh good, another who will hopefully try it out
Jacqueline - hope you had a good day in Edinburgh and it would be great to see this on your blog at some point???
Aforkful - it is hard to be disciplined indeed. The ganache was using full fat creme fraiche!
C - hope you give this a go, it's always interesting to hear what others think about something you've made.
Astra Libris - cooking with beer is all fairly new to me. I've made Guinness cake and this, both of which I've been really pleased with - what else have you made?
Ananda - thank you
Joanna - I've always followed these instructions for ganache, it's just when it comes to the stirring, it always seems to split - maybe it's just me????
Thank you Queen Bee
Oxslip - thank you for making me feel I'm not in a minority of one on the ganache front
Springtime - it's sure worth a try
Janice, it's different from Guiness cake, but very good
These look unbelievable-I can only imagine how chewy they are.
ReplyDeleteEsme - but moist and very tasty too.
ReplyDeleteTrue to my word, I've made a batch this afternoon. Wow.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I think I've now eaten FAR too much of it...
Suzi - So glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for letting me know. I went straight over to your blog to have a look and got a post about beef steak!!!
ReplyDeleteI've now posted about the cake too - how could I not?!
ReplyDeleteAnd a great post it is too - I want to make it all over again now.
ReplyDeleteI tried this recipe out last night and it worked really well. Everyone in my office is enjoying them today...yummy! :)
ReplyDelete