Chocolate Pyramid Christmas Cake

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/Gas Mark 4). Grease and line two 20cm square baking tins with greaseproof paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each to prevent curdling.

3. Sift in the remaining flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the mixture, then stir in the milk until a smooth batter forms.

4. Divide the batter equally between the two tins and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

5. Prepare the ganache by heating 300ml of double cream in a saucepan until it just begins to simmer. Pour it over 300g of chopped dark chocolate, leave for 2 minutes, then stir until glossy. Allow it to thicken to a spreadable consistency.

6. Using cardboard templates, cut the sponges into five squares of decreasing sizes: 18cm, 14cm, 10cm, 6cm, and 2cm. Stack the layers from largest to smallest, spreading a layer of ganache between each.

7. Using a long serrated knife, carefully shave the corners and sides of the stacked squares at an angle to create a smooth, flat-sided pyramid shape.

8. Coat the entire pyramid in a thin layer of ganache (a crumb coat) and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes. Apply a second, very smooth layer of ganache and chill until firm.

9. For the mirror glaze, bloom the gelatine in cold water. Boil the glucose syrup, 150g sugar, and 75ml water in a pan. Remove from heat, stir in the condensed milk, 100g dark chocolate, and the squeezed gelatine. Blend until perfectly smooth and pass through a fine sieve.

10. Once the glaze reaches 32°C, place the chilled pyramid on a rack over a tray and pour the glaze over the cake in one steady motion. Allow to set, then decorate with fragments of edible gold leaf.

Notes

Questions