Tunis Cake
The nostalgic Christmas cake, made with an orange-flavoured Madeira sponge, topped with dark chocolate ganache topping and finished with marzipan fruits. A lovely alternative to traditional Christmas fruit cake for anyone who prefers sponge and chocolate.
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Servings: 8 slices
INGREDIENTS
For the Cake:
- 150 g Soft Margarine or Butter (at room temperature; plus extra for greasing)
- 150 g Caster Sugar
- 3 Free-range Eggs (beaten; at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
- 225 g Self-raising Flour
- 1 tsp Orange Extract
For the Topping:
- 300 g Dark Chocolate
- 300 ml Double Cream
- Marzipan Fruits
EQUIPMENT
- Plastic or Silicone Spoon
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Cake:
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C for fan-assisted ovens, Gas Mark 4 or 350°F). Grease and line a deep 20cm (8-inch) cake tin with greaseproof paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the margarine/butter and sugar until light and fluffy.150 g Soft Margarine or Butter; 150 g Caster Sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is mixed through before adding the next. Don't worry if the mixture appears to curdle - this will remedy itself once the flour is added.3 Free-range Eggs
- Add the orange extract and mix through. Sift in the flour and gently fold to create a thick batter.1 tsp Orange Extract; 225 g Self-raising Flour
- Spoon the batter into your pre-lined tin and bake in your pre-heated oven for 40-45 minutes, until risen, golden in colour, and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
For the Topping:
- In a large bowl, break up the chocolate into pieces. Set aside while you warm the cream.300 g Dark Chocolate
- In a small saucepan, heat the cream until it is warm and beginning to steam - do not boil!300 ml Double Cream
- Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and wait 20 minutes to allow the chocolate to begin melting.
- After 20 minutes, stir the cream and chocolate together until it melts together and becomes smooth and glossy ganache. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes before pouring and spreading over the top of your cooled cake (still in the tin, with the greaseproof intact). Spread the top into a somewhat level finish.
- Allow the chocolate ganache topping to set (around 2 hours at room temperature). Once set, carefully remove the cake from the tin and remove the greaseproof paper before topping with a few marzipan fruits to finish.Marzipan Fruits
Use a metal or plastic/silicone spoon (as opposed to a wooden one) when making the chocolate ganache.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion, but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
RECIPE NOTES:
Self-raising Flour: Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, whisk together 225g plain flour (all-purpose flour) and 3 teaspoons baking powder instead. For more information and cup conversions, see my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide.
Egg Size: I use mixed-weight free-range eggs, which are usually around a medium-sized egg in the UK, or roughly equivalent to a large-sized egg in the US. Egg size doesn't need to be overly exact here, so don't worry if yours vary slightly.
Dark Chocolate: I recommend a good-quality dark chocolate with a higher cocoa content for the ganache. Choose one you enjoy the flavour of, as it’s a big part of the finished cake.
Marzipan Fruits: You can make your own marzipan fruits or use shop-bought ones to decorate your Tunis Cake.
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