The Ultimate Rich Chocolate

I have three brothers, all older than me, Johnny, Mike & Pa, 37, 39 & 42, all born in January & all love chocolate cake, especially Pa, so every year we celebrate their birthdays all at once & this year I decided to make the birthday cake with a little help from my daughter Ella. It had to be a chocolate cake because thats their favourite, so this is how it went.

Ingredients:
Cake
400g  good quality plain chocolate
350g butter  room temp
350g caster sugar
8 eggs separated
230g ground almonds
150g self raising flour
30g coco powder
3 crushed flake bars
2 nine inch or 23cm greased & lightly floured cake tins

Ganache:
400ml cream
400g chocolate 70% coco

1:I recommend making the ganache first as it takes awhile to cool down & set. Put the cream into a saucepan & when it comes to the boil take it off the heat & stir in the chocolate until its all melted, leave to cool & refrigerate.

2: For the cake,melt the chocolate over a pot of simmering water, mean while whisk the egg whites until it forms soft peaks and leave to one side.

3: Cream the butter & sugar together & then add in the egg yolks one at a time 

4: On minimum speed add in the ground almonds and melted chocolate, then add in the coco & the flour

5: Fold in the the egg white.

6:Transfer to the prepared tins & bake for around 40 mins on 170 degrees 

7: Turn out onto a wire tray & allow to cool & then cut both cakes in half. Spread some ganache between each layer of the cake & put it all back together again, then spread the whole outside of the cake with the ganache, then sprinkle some crushed up flake onto the sides & with a hot pallet knife smooth out the top of it.

The perfect end to a perfect day ..........