Dark wicked chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and figs

Serves 8 Prep time 15 minutes
Baking time 1 hour 15 minutes

190g unsalted butter, cubed
300g fine sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
250ml cold water
220g plain flour
50g dark cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp butter for greasing
2 tbsp flour

Dark chocolate ganache
80g dark chocolate (70% or more cocoa content)
10g unsalted butter
40ml double cream

Garnish
150g fresh figs

• Place the unsalted butter and sugar together in a kitchen mixer and beat it to a light creamy and fluffy texture. Then, add vanilla essence followed by eggs, one at a time. Add cold water and blend at medium to high speed.
• Finally, add plain flour, dark cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix it at medium to high speed until there is a uniformed colour. Scrape the bottom to ensure that all the ingredients are evenly mixed.
• Grease a 36cm round baking tin with butter. Dust with flour.
• Preheat the oven to 160ºC. Meanwhile, pour the mix into the baking tin. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes. To check whether the cake is done, poke a satay stick into the cake. If the stick comes out clean, the cake is ready.
• While waiting for the cake to be ready, melt the dark chocolate for the dark chocolate ganache in a mixing bowl over a bain-marie. Add butter and stir well.
• Take the whisking bowl off the bain-marie and whisk in double cream.
• Slice the figs into wedges. Remove the cake from the oven. Let cool for 20 minutes. Spoon the dark chocolate ganache over the cake surface. Top with figs.

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