Gordon Ramsays Chocolate Mint Cake Food

GORDON RAMSAY'S CHOCOLATE MINT CAKE

Steps:

• ❶ Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas 4. Lightly grease a baking tray with a little groundnut oil. Lightly grease a 23cm (9in) springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper. ❷ Pour 100g (31⁄2 oz) of the caster sugar into a large frying pan and place it over a medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, but not stirring, to ensure it melts evenly. Once it has turned a deep golden colour, scatter it with the mint leaves and tip on to the prepared tray. Set aside to cool. When cold and firm, break half the caramel into pieces and place in a bowl. Using the end of a rolling pin, crush them into very small pieces and set aside. Break the remaining caramel into small shards and reserve for decoration. ❸ Melt the chocolate in a bowl that fits snugly over a pan of gently simmering water. (The bowl must not actually touch the water.) Add the butter and stir until melted. Set aside to cool slightly. ❹ Beat the 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks with 75g (3oz) of the caster sugar until thick, light and fluffy. Fold in the chocolate mixture, then fold in the crushed caramel. ❺ In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites into soft peaks, then add the remaining 100g (31⁄2 oz) caster sugar a little at a time until it is all incorporated. The mixture should be in stiff, glossy peaks that hold their shape. ❻ Fold a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold in the rest of them. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the cake has risen and the centre is no longer wobbly. Set aside to cool in the tin. Don't worry if th

GOOEY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and bottom line a 24cm spring form cake tin. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas. Melt 120g chocolate in a bowl. Cool for 5 mins, then beat in egg yolks. In a bowl, beat the butter and 100g sugar until soft and creamy. Mix in the melted chocolate and yolks.
• Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks then beat in remaining 120g sugar in three batches and continue whisking until stiff. Beat a third of the meringue into the chocolate mix. Then, gently fold in alternate spoonfuls of the flour and remaining meringue.
• Spoon into the tin, level and bake 40-45 mins until the top forms a light crust. Test the centre with a metal skewer, it should come out clean. Remove, cool 10 mins, before turning out of the tin. When cooled, cut in half carefully as it is fragile, with a large serrated knife.
• To make the filling: in a bowl beat the double cream until thickened, but not stiff. Then mix in the crème fraîche and the zest.
• Spread one half of the cake with all the zesty cream and sandwich together with the other half. Place on a rack with a large plate beneath.
• To make the ganache icing: break up the chocolate into a pan and add the double cream. Melt over the lowest heat and stir until smooth, then cool until the consistency of thick pouring cream. Pour over the cake.
• Let excess icing run onto the plate and spoon it back over to fill any gaps. Spread the icing evenly on the top and around the sides using the back of a spoon or a palette knife. While the icing sets sprinkle the grated chocolate on top and around the sides.
• Make the curls: You will need a large block of chocolate. Ensure the chocolate is at warm room temperature and placed on a worktop. Gordon used a sharp knife to make the curls, but it's easier to draw a swivel vegetable peeler down the side of a thick block of chocolate.
• Place a large ring cutter (about 10cm) in the centre of the cake and fill with the chocolate curls. Carefully remove the ring and let the curls cascade gently out. Serve at room temperature. If chilled ahead the cake should be allowed to come to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE MARQUISE

Steps:

• Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Then assemble a bain-marie - do this by pouring a little water into a saucepan and placing the bowl over the water (making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl). Set the pan over a gentle heat and warm the water until the chocolate has melted. Take off the heat and leave to cool a little.
• Meanwhile, place the butter and half the sugar into another large bowl. Using a tabletop mixer or electric hand whisk, beat until the mixture is really light and creamy, then beat in the cocoa powder.
• Separate the eggs (the whites can be frozen for another time) and put the yolks in a third bowl. Tip in the remaining sugar, then beat together until pale and creamy. To check if it's ready, make a figure-of-eight shape in the mixture with the beater - it should hold its shape for a moment. In a fourth bowl, whip the cream until thickened with soft peaks.
• Pour the melted chocolate into the butter mixture, and carefully stir through until it is well combined. Gently fold in the egg mixture. When this is amalgamated, stir in the whipped cream. Now line a 6.5 x 22cm tin with 3 layers of cling film, leaving a 10cm overhang.
• Spoon the mixture into a large piping bag with a large nozzle attached (see Gordon's steps, far right). Pipe a layer over the bottom of the tin, then cover this with a layer of After Eights (cut some in half to ensure they fit). Pipe over another layer of chocolate cream, followed by a layer of After Eights. Continue until you have 4 layers of chocolate mints and the tin is full, finishing with a chocolate cream layer. Fold over the cling film, then chill overnight or up to 2 days.
• Just before serving, place the marquise in the freezer for 10 mins to make it easier to slice. Place the tin, bottomside up, on a serving plate, slide off the tin, then peel away the cling film. If you have a blowtorch, quickly run the flame over the surface of the marquise to give it a glossy sheen. Alternatively, dip a palette knife in boiling water and smooth the surface that way. Use a serrated knife dipped in boiling water to cut the marquise into slices.