Here’s a rich and scrumptious cake that could also be a lovely dessert. White chocolate, ginger and blackberries together might be a bit “different”, but it’s a lovely tasty combination.
Serves: 10 -12 slices
Time: Hands on 30– 35 minutes; baking also 30 – 35 minutes + cooling; decorating 15 – 20 minutes.
Level: A little care is needed, but not overly difficult
Need: A 20cm/8” round cake tin, preferably spring form/loose bottomed. (At the end I’ll give ingredient measurements for a larger 23cm/9” cake.)
Ingredients
- 150g/5½oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 150g/5½oz white chocolate, broken up
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 4 medium eggs, separated
- 115g/4oz caster sugar
- 75g/2½oz ground almonds
- 1tsp ground ginger (2tsp if you want a bigger “hit” of ginger)
- 125g/4½oz blackberries
- 300g/10oz full fat cream cheese or mascarpone
- 100g/3½oz icing sugar
- Approx.100g/3½oz ginger biscuits, whizzed to fine crumbs*
*I wanted to make it a gluten free cake so I made my own GF ginger biscuits, which was quite quick and easy. I’ll add the recipe towards the end.
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C /fan 160°C / 350°F / gas 4. Grease the tin and line the base.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together, either using a bain marie or carefully in the micro-wave, stirring regularly. Let it cool a little then stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Beat the egg yolks with 50g/1¾oz caster sugar until pale in colour then pour in the chocolate mixture. Stir in the ground almonds and ground ginger.
4. Whisk the egg whites until almost stiff, gradually adding in the remaining caster sugar until combined. Stir about a quarter of these whisked whites into the chocolate mixture then gently fold in the rest until just blended.
5. Gently stir in about 100g/3½oz blackberries, cut into halves or quarters (depending on their size).
6. Spoon the mixture into the tin, spreading it evenly then bake for 30-35 minutes. When baked, leave in the tin for 10 – 15 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully. (If the cake appears baked but not firmly set, keep it in the tin and place in the fridge until it’s firmer.)
N.B. The top might be rather crumbly. I prefer to turn the cake over and decorate the flatter surface as the top.
7. To decorate, briefly beat the cream cheese or mascarpone then sift in the icing sugar. Stir first then beat again. Stir in about three-quarters of the ginger biscuit crumbs. Spread this mixture evenly on top of the cake then sprinkle over some more biscuit crumbs and add the remaining whole blackberries.
Measurements for a 23cm/9” cake
- 200g/7oz unsalted butter
- 200g/7oz white chocolate
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 5 medium eggs, separated
- 150g/5½oz caster sugar
- 100g/3½oz ground almonds
- 2tsp ground ginger
- 150g/5½oz blackberries
- 400g/14oz cream cheese/mascarpone
- 150g/5½oz icing sugar
- About 225g/8oz ginger biscuits
Gluten Free Ginger biscuits – Ingredients
50g/1¾oz butter, 15g/½oz treacle or golden syrup, 175g/6oz Gluten free self-raising flour, ½tsp xanthan gum powder, 50g/1¾oz demerara sugar, 50g/1¾oz light muscovado sugar, ½tsp bi-carb soda, 1tbsp ground ginger, ½tsp mixed spices, 1 medium egg, beaten, 1tbsp milk to loosen the mixture if necessary
(For non-GF, omit xanthan gum powder and change the flour.)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C / Fan 140C / 325F / Gas 3 and line 2 baking trays.
2. Measure the butter and golden syrup into a small saucepan. Melt together over low heat and stir.
3. Meanwhile, sift the flour, bi-carb, ginger and mixed spices into a bowl and then add in the sugars and stir.
4. Pour the butter mixture and the egg into the flour mix and stir well until it comes together. Add small amount of milk if needed.
5. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place on the trays. If they spread while baking and join together it’s not a problem – you’ll be whizzing them into crumbs anyway.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden, lift off the tray and leave to cool on a wire rack.
I really hope you make this lovely torte and enjoy the process as well as the end product. I’d love to hear your views of it or answer any questions you may have. Please contact me via the contact page.
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Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 