Almond Chocolate Cake

Cake:

• 200g Nestlé® Bakers’ Choice® Dark Melts
• 200g unsalted butter
• 1¾ cup CSR Caster Sugar
• ½ cup (125ml) hot water
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp Queen Natural Vanilla Extract
• 1½ cup White Wings Self Raising Flour
• ⅔ cup Nestlé® Bakers’ Choice® Baking Cocoa
• ¾ cup Sunbeam Almond Meal
• ½ cup (125ml) full cream milk

Ganache:

• 290g Nestlé® Bakers’ Choice® Dark Melts
• ¾ cup (180ml) thickened cream
• Dr. Oetker Chocolate Stars

1. Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced. Grease and line a deep 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
2. Combine dark chocolate melts, butter, caster sugar, water and instant coffee in a large saucepan over a low heat until smooth and melted. Set aside and allow to cool.
3. Add eggs, vanilla extract and mix until just combined. Sift over self raising flour, cocoa, and almond meal and mix until there is still a few streaks of flour. Add milk and mix until combined.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hr and 15 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in tin for 10 mins before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan over a low heat, gently bring cream to a simmer. Pour over chocolate and allow to sit for 4 mins before stirring until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature and thicken to a spreadable consistency before spreading over cooled cake. Top with chocolate stars.