makes 16
Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
300g caster sugar
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
50ml sunflower oil
250g soured cream
5 eggs
300g plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
FOR THE CHOCOLATE SYRUP & COATING
30g cocoa powder
300g caster sugar
200ml milk
300g plain dark chocolate (70 per cent cocoa solids), finely chopped or blitzed in a food processor
200g pistachio nut slivers, very finely ground in a food processor
20g freeze-dried raspberry pieces
50g desiccated coconut
Method
This Australian classic is a Dan Lepard recipe that I’ve adapted with a few twists of my own. I’m a big fan of his approachable style of baking. Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan), Gas Mark 3½. Grease a 25cm square cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
Combine the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, oil and soured cream in a bowl and beat well for a couple of minutes. Beat in the eggs , 1 at a time, until the mixture is smooth. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix well. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and cover the top with kitchen foil. Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for a further 20 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cover the top of the tin loosely with kitchen foil to prevent it from drying out and leave the cake to cool completely.
To make the chocolate syrup, put the cocoa powder, sugar and milk into a saucepan set over a medium-low heat and whisk while you bring the mixture to the boil. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate until evenly incorporated. Set aside until the mixture is warm.
Cut the cake into 16 squares. Pour the warm chocolate syrup into a bowl that is deep enough to submerge the cake squares in the syrup. Mix the pistachios, raspberries and coconut together and spread the mixture on a tray. Line another tray with baking paper. Dip the squares into the chocolate syrup, then roll them in the pistachio, raspberry and coconut mixture to coat generously on all sides. Arrange the coated squares on the paper-lined tray and leave somewhere cool for a couple of hours to allow the chocolate to set.