At the start of 2024, food research and development company Kerry declared a major food trend of 2024 would be gourmet flavours. Consumers, they predicted, were ready to level up their entertaining game, leaning on fancier ingredients and flavours to take their foodie pursuits up a notch. Artisan varieties of chocolate was an ingredient they named to watch, as were different blends of coffee and hazelnuts. It only feels right then that this spring, we lean into the flavour trends of the moment when guests pop by for afternoon tea.

No one ever says no to cake (or chocolate or coffee, for that matter) which leads us to believe this cake might be the perfect way to end a meal or treat a visitor. Sitting somewhere between a mud cake and a sponge, this indulgent (but unbelievably easy) chocolate, coffee and hazelnut cake will have guests leaving very happy and asking for the recipe. Head into the Strand Arcade for the ingredients and have it in the oven in 15 minutes.

Chocolate, coffee and hazelnut cake

Ingredients:

⅔ cup (100g) self-raising flour, sifted

⅓ cups (200g) plain flour, sifted 1 cup of hazelnuts, finely ground (from The Nut Shop, Ground Floor) ½ cup (50g) Dutch cocoa powder, sifted (from Gewurzhaus, Ground Floor)

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda, sifted 1 double espresso shot (made with beans from Gumption, Ground Floor)

250g unsalted butter, diced into 1cm cubes 250g 70% Dark Chocolate Pastilles (from Haigh’s Chocolates, Ground Floor)

2  ½ cups (550g) caster sugar

4 extra large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons (40ml) vegetable oil

½ cup (125ml) buttermilk

Chocolate Ganache 200g Dark Chocolate Couverture, finely chopped (from Haigh’s Chocolates, Ground Floor)

200ml thickened cream Chopped hazelnuts, to top (from The Nut Shop, Ground Floor)

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Lightly grease a deep 23cm round cake tin and line with baking paper, making sure the paper extends 10cm above the top of the tin.

Combine the flours, hazelnuts, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda together in a large mixing bowl, stirring until well combined.

Place espresso shot into a jug and top up with boiling water to 180ml. Pour coffee into a large saucepan over a very low heat, add butter, sugar and chocolate, stirring to combine. Continue stirring until chocolate and butter have melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Add the eggs, oil and milk to the chocolate mixture, whisking until well combined.

Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour the chocolate mixture into the centre, stirring until well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Place tin on a baking tray and bake in preheated oven for 2 hours or until a skewer comes out of the centre cleanly. Remove from oven, place on a wire rack and allow cake to cool completely in tin.

To make ganache, place prepared chocolate in a medium mixing bowl. Place cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat, bring to just below boiling point. Pour over chocolate and gently stir to combine. Leave to stand for several minutes before stirring again. Repeat process until chocolate has melted, making sure mixture is not stirred too much.

Allow ganache to cool until it is a spreadable consistency. Remove cake from tin and place on a serving plate. Using a spatula, ice the cake, starting with the sides and finishing with the top. Top with chopped hazelnuts and allow ganache to set before serving.

This recipe has been adapted from a recipe posted by Haigh’s Chocolates