Toasted S’mores Cake

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

• 185 grams butter, softened 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄2 cup caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup cake flour
• 3⁄4 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 200 grams Tennis biscuits 3⁄4 cup buttermilk

MARSHMALLOW

• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 500 grams caster sugar
• 350 grams liquid glucose
• 3⁄4 cup water
• 42 grams powdered gelatine 3⁄4 cup water, extra
• 1 tbsp vanilla essence

GANACHE

• 300 ml cream
• 500 grams dark chocolate, chopped

METHOD

CAKE Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease two 20cm springform pans and line bases and sides with baking paper. BEAT butter, vanilla and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.

SIFT flour, baking powder and bicarb into a separate bowl. Reserve 6 biscuits for decorating and process remaining biscuits into fine crumbs. Stir into flour mixture. Mix dry ingredients into egg mixture alternating with buttermilk. Divide mixture evenly between prepared cake pans.

BAKE cakes for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks covered with baking paper. Cool.

MARSHMALLOW Wash and dry cake pans. Grease and line bases and sides with baking paper. Dust a large oven tray with the cornflour.

LEVEL the cakes, if necessary. Place cakes, top-side down, into lined pans, pressing down to ensure they cover the base of the pan.

STIR together sugar, glucose and water in a pot over medium heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and cook, without stirring, until syrup reaches 115°C.

MEANWHILE, bloom gelatine in the extra water. Microwave in 10-second bursts until the gelatine has melted and pour into a mixer. With the mixer on high speed, pour hot syrup into the gelatine in a thin steady stream. Continue whipping for 5 minutes or until thick and fluffy, then mix in vanilla.

IMMEDIATELY pour one-third of the marshmallow on top of each of the cakes; refrigerate for 30 minutes until set. Using two spoons, and working quickly before it sets, dollop remaining marshmallows onto the cornflour tray.

GANACHE Heat cream in a pot until almost boiling. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stand for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Cool for 20 minutes.

TO ASSEMBLE Divide ganache between cake pans and refrigerate for 45 minutes or until firm.

REMOVE cakes from pans and stack them on a serving plate. Lightly toast marshmallows on the tray using a kitchen torch. Decorate the top of the cake with reserved biscuits and toasted marshmallows and serve.

ALSO SEE CHRISTMAS TREE CAKES RECIPE