Inside-out Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

It's our wedding anniversary today. We've shared just about everything two people can share. Our home, our families, our friends, our inner-most fears, the best times of our lives, our deepest sorrows, our jokes, our secrets, our dreams, our time, our laughter, even our toothbrush when I forgot mine on an over-night stay in a hotel (gross, huh?). One thing that we haven't shared much is the kitchen. We used to cook together more in the early days because we were young (and I was more tolerant). In recent times though, I have become a regular female Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen. If it's not done my way (which is obviously the right way), it drives me nuts. My husband tends to have his own way of doing things and this is where things get a bit... tense. When he cooks, I look on as he trashes the kitchen worse than I do (and that's saying something) and uses sharp utensils on my non-stick cookware. He never knows where things are, resulting in a constant stream of "where's the...?, where do you keep the... ? where have you put the...?" On the rare occasion that I let him cook, he pours me a glass of wine and shoos me out of the kitchen telling me to go and relax (his think bubble... "preferably as far away from the kitchen as possible").  I used to think he was just being a great guy, (and he was, and he is), but truthfully, I think he is just trying to get me out of the vicinity of the kitchen so he doesn't have to perform under the pressure of my hawk-like stare and menacing presence - and who could blame him? Poor guy. Despite all that, I've given him my heart and he still wants to stay married to me.


Inside-out Hazelnut Chocolate Cake

slightly adapted from Donna Hay

For the Cake:
15g instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon hot water
10 eggs
550g caster sugar
450g unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
300g cake flour
100g hazelnut meal
50g Dutch cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
80g sour cream

For the Chocolate Ganache:
250ml cream
300g dark chocolate, chopped

Make the Cake:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees C. Spray 2 x 20 cm heart-shaped silicone cake molds with cooking oil spray.

Place the coffee and water in a bowl and mix well to form a smooth paste and set aside.

In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs for about 1 minute. Add 55g sugar and beat for a further 4 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Set aside.

Place butter and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl and beat for 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar and beat for further 4 minutes. Add the egg mixture, flour, hazelnut meal, cocoa, baking powder, coffee mixture and sour cream and beat until just combined. Do not over mix or you'll end up with a tough cake.

Divide the mixture between the prepared molds. Bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean.  Allow cakes to cool in the molds for 10 minutes before turning out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the Ganache:
Place the cream and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Increase oven temperature to 200 degrees C. Trim the tops from the cakes to create a flat surface and cut the tops into small pieces. Place the cake pieces on a baking tray in one layer and bake for 10 minutes or until toasted. Allow to cool. Place cake pieces in a food processor and process until fine you have a fine crumb. Spread the crumb out onto a baking tray.

Use a palette knife to spread 1 cake with 1/2 cup ganache and top with remaining cake. Spread the sides of the cake with ganache, reserving enough for the top, and refrigerate for 10 minutes or until set. Carefully roll the sides of the cake in the crumbs to coat. Spread the top of the cake with remaining ganache and sprinkle with remaining crumbs.

Serve with whipped cream.