Flourless Irish coffee chocolate cake; Honey-choc truffles

Irish coffee’s classic combo – espresso, whisky and cream – goes brilliantly with couverture chocolate and cocoa in this cake.

Perfect match: flourless Irish coffee chocolate cake. Pictures: Guy Bailey

Irish coffee’s classic combo – espresso, whisky and cream – balances brilliantly with the sweetness of couverture chocolate and cocoa. The term couverture refers to a greater percentage of cocoa butter and a finer texture, giving it that rich, melt-in-the-mouth result we crave in chocolate desserts. Speaking of melting, these melt-and-mix recipes are so easy – and gluten-free to boot.

Flourless Irish coffee chocolate cake

200g couverture dark chocolate (see tips)

250ml pouring cream

50g butter

50ml strong espresso coffee

1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

1 tablespoon good quality whisky

Good pinch sea salt flakes

30g (1/3 cup) Dutch cocoa powder (plus extra for dusting)

190g (2/3 cup) firmly packed dark brown sugar

125g (11/3 cups) almond meal (or hazelnut)

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs, beaten

300ml thickened cream, whipped to soft peaks

Finishing touch: dusting with cocoa

Preheat oven to 180C (160C fan) and grease and line a 20cm springform tin. Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. In a saucepan, heat cream and butter until bubbling, then pour over the chocolate. After 10 minutes, stir to combine. Add the espresso, vanilla, whisky, salt, cocoa, sugar, almond meal and baking powder and whisk until lumps disappear. Whisk in eggs until incorporated. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until the top springs back when touched and a skewer comes out mostly clean. You want the cake to be a little undercooked so it is fudgy when cooled. Serve warm, dusted with extra cocoa and with whipped cream on the side, or allow to cool and top with billowy cream and a sprinkle of cocoa. This cake keeps well in the fridge: just slice and wrap what you don’t eat. Serves 8-12

Honey-choc truffles

Honey-choc truffles

200g couverture dark chocolate (see tips)

2 tablespoons full-flavoured honey

1 cup thickened cream

50g butter, cubed

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

½ teaspoon sea salt flakes

½ cup good quality Dutch cocoa powder, plus more to store

Break the chocolate into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl with the honey, cream, butter, vanilla and salt. Place over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and melt it all together, stirring occasionally. Using a flexible spatula, stir until silky and glossy. Place in the fridge overnight to set. Sift cocoa over a sheet of baking paper on a tray. Using a teaspoon, scoop out even portions of the chocolate ganache and drop onto the cocoa; roll into spheres. Place in an airtight container, sift over more cocoa and leave to set in the fridge. When ready to serve, sift over more cocoa if needed. Makes 18

TOP TIPS

I like to use a French or Belgian dark chocolate such as Valrhona or Callebaut; from the supermarket, Green & Black’s 70% will do the trick.

You can melt the truffle ingredients in the microwave in 30-second bursts.

Truffle rolling can get a bit messy; cold hands and a cool kitchen are your friends.