2piping bags filled with a little dark and white chocolate in eachfrom chocolate shards chocolate
CHOCOLATE SHARDS
150gwhite chocolate broken up in pieces
150gdark chocolatebroken up in pieces
MILK CHOCOLATE GANACHE
300gmilk chocolate, broken up in little pieces
125mldouble (thick) cream(also called whipping cream)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 180˚C/350˚F and line and grease 2 x 8 " cake pans.
Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until pale.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Add the vanilla and mix.
Add the flour mix in 3 additions, beating gently, at the lowest speed, alternating with half of the evaporated milk, finishing with the flour, gently folding in the last part.
Finally, gently stir in the chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
Divide the mixture up into the 2 baking tins and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Just remember that the cake will continue cooking for a few minutes after you take it out of the oven, so don't look for it to have come away from the sides of the cake pan. Just insert a skewer and if it comes out clean, it's done.
Milk Chocolate Ganache
Place the chocolate pieces in a large bowl.
Heat the cream to simmering point, then pour all over the chocolate pieces and let sit for a minute.
Stir the cream and chocolate together until you get a smooth mix. You could beat this ganache with electric beaters to get a shiny effect.
Chocolate Shards
Melt both chocolate separately. I do all this in the microwave oven. White chocolate has a tendency to burn, so I heat it at 50% power in 30-60 second bursts. My oven has a strength of 1 000 watts.
Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Pour the above chocolate on the baking paper, alternating them to create a mix. Save 2 Tbsp of each for the piping bags.
Spread the melted chocolate out with a spreader/knife and leave in fridge to set for 10 minutes.
Using a large, sharp knife, cut the chocolate up at angles as you can see in the picture.
DECORATING THE CAKE
Trim the chocolate cakes if you want the crusts off but I don't bother. Spread the buttercream on one of the cakes and place the other on top.
Spreading the chocolate ganache - chocolate ganache hardens very quickly, so unless you are very quick, you won't get a smooth cake if using a spatula. So you have 2 choices:Spread the ganache the best you can.ORHeat the ganache until very runny (be careful not to overdo and burn it). Place the cake on a cake rack with a large tray lined with baking paper underneath. Then, liberally, pour the ganache all over the cake and let it run down the sides into the tray. This will give you a smooth, unlined effect.
Let the ganache cool and harden for about 5 minutes.
Chocolate Lines and Triangular Shards
Place the 2 Tbsp of melted chocolate into the piping bags and snip off a tiny opening. Then just drizzle the melted dark and white chocolate all over, to create a random criss cross effect.
Press the shards of chocolate to the sides of the cake.
The shards don't have to be identical in height, a haphazard look is more effective.
Notes
Because of the liquid content, the cake is better baked in two pans for even cooking.