Fig & Brazil Nut Chocolate Mud Cake

INGREDIENTS (Serves 8)

◆ 150g unsalted butter, plus extra

melted for greasing (optional)

◆ 150g dark chocolate chips or chunks or dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), chopped

◆ 50g dark soft brown sugar

◆ 4tbsp golden syrup

◆ 2 eggs

◆ 100ml hot whole milk

◆ 2 tsp good-quality instant coffee

◆ 20g cocoa powder

◆ 150g self-raising flour

◆ pinch of salt

◆ 100g dried figs, chopped

◆ 100g Brazil nuts, chopped, plus a handful to decorate

◆ 3 fresh figs, quartered

For the ganache:

◆ 200ml double cream

◆ 150g dark chocolate chips

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, Gas Mark 4 and grease a 23 x 8cm round Bundt tin with melted butter. Alternatively line a 23cm round cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over a low heat. Do not overheat as it will split. Remove from the heat when nearly melted and stir until glossy. Mix in the sugar and golden syrup, then – as long as the mixture isn’t too hot – beat in the eggs.

2 Mix the hot milk, instant coffee powder and cocoa together in a jug and then mix into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour and salt and mix well until combined. Stir in the chopped figs and nuts. Pour into the prepared tin and level out. Bake for 30-40min until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10min, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack – you may need to give the bottom of the Bundt tin a whack!

3 To make the ganache, pour the cream into a saucepan and heat over a low-medium heat until bubbling. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate and leave for 5min. Stir until glossy. Leave to cool to a thick pouring consistency. 4

Use a chopstick or skewer to make some holes in the cooled cake. Pour over the ganache so it seeps into the holes and drips all over the sides.

Top with the fresh figs and scatter over nuts or chunks or dark chocolate (min 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped.