Chocolate Pecan Traybake Recipes

CHOCOLATE & PECAN TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a 25cm square cake tin with non-stick baking parchment. Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-proof bowl, cover and cook on High for 30 secs. Stir, continue to cook for 30 secs until the chocolate has nearly melted. When cool, but still melted, stir in half the sugar and the egg yolks.
• Whisk the whites to firm peaks, add the remaining sugar, then whisk again until glossy. Stir 1 tbsp into the chocolate along with the ground almonds and breadcrumbs, then fold through the rest of the chocolate. Transfer to the tin, top with pecans. Bake for 25-30 mins. Cool in the tin for 10 mins, then lift onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut into squares to serve.

CHOCOLATE TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil and line the base and sides of a 33cm x 23cm roasting tin or cake tin with a lip of at least 2½ cm. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and a good pinch of salt in a large bowl. Rub any lumps of sugar between your fingers, shaking the bowl a few times to bring them to the surface.
• Whisk the oil, buttermilk, coffee, vanilla and eggs in a jug, then pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Use a spatula to stir well, removing any pockets of flour. Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If any wet cake mixture clings to the skewer, return the cake to the oven for 5 mins, then check again. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for at least 20 mins.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then remove from the heat and stir in the icing sugar, cocoa powder and milk. The icing will be very runny but will thicken a little as it cools. (If the icing has set too much before the cake has cooled, reheat it slightly to make it easier to pour.)
• Pour the icing over the cake and leave to set. Decorate with the sweets, sprinkles, chocolate shavings or nuts, then cut into squares and dig in.