Marzipan Cake With Chocolate Ganache And Sliced Almonds Recipes

MARZIPAN CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND SLICED ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease a 9-inch pie dish with butter. Add 1 tablespoon flour and coat the dish, shaking out any excess flour.
• Mix the almond paste and sugar on low speed in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure each one has been fully incorporated before adding the next. Add the remaining 1/2 cup flour and mix just until combined. Pour into the prepared pie dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan until just until scalding, about 3 minutes. Pour the cream over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Let the ganache cool slightly so it is spreadable. Evenly frost the top of the cake with the ganache. Sprinkle the outer edges with the sliced almonds and decorate with the raspberries. Serve at room temperature.

MARZIPAN CHOCOLATE LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 1kg loaf tin (ours was 14 x 24 x 7cm) and line with a long strip of baking parchment. Lightly dust a surface with icing sugar and roll the marzipan out to a 1cm-thick rectangle, then cut it so that it's just smaller than the base of the loaf tin.
• Beat the butter and both sugars together in a large bowl using an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, flour, baking powder, almond extract, milk and cocoa powder until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is combined.
• Pour half the batter into the tin. Top with the marzipan rectangle, then pour the remaining batter on top and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until golden, risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• To make the ganache, bring the cream to a simmer in a small pan. Meanwhile, put the dark chocolate, golden syrup and almond extract in a heatproof bowl. Once the cream is simmering, pour it over the chocolate mixture and set aside for 2 mins to melt. Whisk until smooth, then leave for 5 mins to cool and thicken slightly. Pour the ganache all over the cake, and cut into slices to serve.