About the bake
This delicious Chocolate and Violet Fancies recipe featured in the 2012 edition of The Little Book of Treats as Stephen Fry's favourite. The blend of rich chocolate and fragrant violet is the perfect combination and would be a fantastic addition to any afternoon tea party.
Method
Step 1:
Grease a cake tin measuring 30×23 cm. Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan, gas mark 4).
Step 2:
For the cake, put the cocoa powder into a mixing bowl, add the boiling water and mix to give a smooth paste. Then add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. Pour into the prepared tin, bake for about 30 minutes and leave to cool.
Step 3:
For the ganache icing, put the chocolate and crème fraîche into a heat-proof bowl and heat gently over a pan of simmering water, stirring until melted. Set aside to thicken a little.
Step 4:
With a biscuit or scone cutter, stamp out small cakes from the large tray bake. Cut in half and spread some chocolate ganache over the bottom half of the cake, before replacing the top.
Step 5:
Spread more chocolate ganache over the top of the cakes and decorate with crystallised violets and rose petals if using.
Ingredients
For the sponge
- 25g Cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp Water (boiling)
- 225g Butter (unsalted)
- 225g Billington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
- 2 Violet extract ((drops))
- 300g Self-raising white flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 4 Egg(s) (free range)
For the ganache
- 180g Dark chocolate
- 200ml Crème fraîche
For the decoration
- Crystallised violets
- Crystallised rose petals
Utensils
- 30x23cm cake tin
- Mixing bowl
- Heat proof bowl
- Biscuit cutter
We'd love a slice of advice.
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Ingredients
For the sponge
- 25g Cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp Water (boiling)
- 225g Butter (unsalted)
- 225g Billington's Unrefined Golden Caster Sugar
- 2 Violet extract ((drops))
- 300g Self-raising white flour
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 4 Egg(s) (free range)
For the ganache
- 180g Dark chocolate
- 200ml Crème fraîche
For the decoration
- Crystallised violets
- Crystallised rose petals
Utensils
- 30x23cm cake tin
- Mixing bowl
- Heat proof bowl
- Biscuit cutter