Dark Chocolate and Duchy Originals Golden Ale Cake

This simple recipe combines rich dark flavours of bitter cocoa powder, dark muscovado sugar and roasted ground almonds with fantastic Duchy Golden Ale that is light and refreshing – perfectly matched to celebrate Great British Pub Week!

Ingredients

Makes 2 x 1lb Loaf tins

For the cake:

• 175g Plain Flour
• 75g Ground Almonds, roasted
• 100g dark cocoa powder
• 1tsp of Baking Powder
• 250g unsalted butter
• 200ml Duchy Originals Golden Ale
  (or any other Ale/Stout you have to hand)
• 2 large eggs
• 250g Dark Muscovado sugar

For the truffle glaze topping

• 200ml Duchy Originals Golden Ale
• 350g milk chocolate
• 50g butter

Method

1. First preheat the oven to 180C and line the loaf tins with greaseproof paper
2. Sieve together the plain flour,ground almonds,dark cocoa powder and baking powder
3. In a sauce pan melt the butter and the ale together until melted – don’t let it boil
4. Using an electric mixer whisk the eggs and sugar together for approx. 5 minutes or until it has thickened and turned paler in colour
5. Pour the melted butter and ale mixture into the egg mixture and fold through adding the dry ingredients
6. Pour into the prelined baking tins and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes
7. Whilst the cake is cooking, make the Ganache. Place the ale and the butter into a pan and heat gently. Don’t boil as this will burn off too much of the ale flavour
8. Whisk in the broken chocolate and stir till a smooth consistency
9. Place in a bowl and keep till needed
10. The cake should be springy and when inserted with a knife, comes out clean
11. Leave to cool in the tin
12. Once the cake has cooled remove from the tin and drizzle with the chocolate Ganache. Alternatively you can set the Ganache a little more and spread on
13. Sprinkle with a little muscovado sugar to add a little crunch.