Moist chocolate cake with Galaxy ganache and Baileys cream filling (recipe)

How long can I use the ‘it’s Christmas’ excuse? – me

I’ve been experimenting again. I normally cook using good quality milk or dark chocolate, but as I had a lot of lovely, velvety Galaxy in the house this week, I used some of it to make a deliciously pale and fudgey ganache.

Spread atop a chocolate oil cake filled with Baileys whipped cream, this ganache tops off a very decadent dessert. Here’s what to do.

Ingredients

For the sponge

• 175g self raising flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 medium free range eggs, beaten
• 150ml sunflower oil
• 150ml semi-skimmed milk
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

For the ganache

• 250g Galaxy chocolate
• 150ml double cream

For the Bailey’s cream

• 400ml double cream
• 75ml Baileys

Instructions

1. Make the ganache the night before by chopping the chocolate and placing it in a large bowl
2. Put the cream in a bowl and bring to the boil
3. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and beat until melted and shiny – Galaxy is naturally more matt than most milk chocolates so it won’t go as glossy as a standard ganache
4. Leave it to set over night – don’t refrigerate it, just leave it covered somewhere cool
5. Preheat oven to 180ºC (160C fan assisted)
6. Sieve the dry sponge ingredients together in a large bowl
7. Add the wet sponge ingredients and beat until smooth
8. Pour the mixture into a greased, lined loose bottomed cake tin
9. Bake for 35-40 minutes until firm and springy on top
10. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin to cool completely
11. Using a long, serrated knife, cut the sponge in half two create two halves
12. For the Bailey’s cream, beat the cream until it reaches a soft peak, then slowly add the Baileys, beating until you have a firm peak – be careful, you don’t want it to go buttery
13. Using a spatula or flat knife, spread the cream on the bottom cake half, the put the other half back on top to create a sandwich
14. Using a clean spatula/knife, carefully spread the ganache all over the top and sides
15. Leave to set for at least an hour before serving

Of course, if you want to share this cake with the kids, you can simply leave out the Baileys, but the combination of the Baileys cream and Galaxy ganache is rather amazing.

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