Chocolate cake, flavoured with Tia Maria coffee liqueur

A bottle of Tia- Maria has been lying about in my cupboard for a while and this weekend I decided to use it - I had come across this recipe while shopping at Waitrose on Saturday and made this delicious Tia-Maria flavoured chocolate cake ! And I have to say it was absolutely delicious - the recipe said serves 10 but I thought it was enough only for 2 ( very greedy - I have eaten more than half in just 1 day - out of 10 slices only 4 is left :-)

A very special chocolate cake, flavoured with Tia Maria coffee liqueur. Serve with tea or coffee or as a dessert. Pure bliss !

Ingredients

The icing:
200g  chocolate
675g icing sugar
25g butter, melted
5tbsp milk

The ganache:
3tbsp Tia Maria
25g caster sugar
250ml double cream
2 medium egg yolks
225g  Plain Continentan Chocolate

The sponge:
175g Plain Continental Chocolate
6tbsp Tia Maria
6 medium eggs, separated and 2 medium egg yolks
175g Olivio spread
175g caster sugar
75g Self Raising Flour, sifted
75g ground almonds

Method

1. Grease and line a 23cm deep, loose-bottomed cake tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the chocolate with the Tia Maria in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
3. Cream the Olivio with the sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually beat in the egg yolks. Cool the melted chocolate slightly and beat into the egg mixture.
4. Fold in the flour and almonds. Whisk the egg whites and fold into the sponge mixture with a metal spoon.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C, gas mark 4, for 40-45 minutes. (To make sure the cake is cooked insert a small knife or metal skewer into the centre of the cake - if it comes out clean it is cooked). Leave the cake to cool before removing from the tin.
6. To make the ganache, melt the chocolate with half of the cream in a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar and add to the chocolate mixture. Add the remaining cream, and allow to cool.
7. Cut the cake carefully into 3 even horizontal slices. Brush one side of each slice with 1tbsp Tia Maria and spread with the ganache. Layer together.
8. To make the white icing, mix together all the ingredients, except the chocolate, until smooth and spreadable, adding a little more milk if it is too thick. Spread over the top and sides of the cake, making sure it is completely covered.
9. Coarsely grate the chocolate and place in the freezer for a few minutes to firm up. Coat the cake with the grated chocolate.