Chocolate Truffle Cake with Berries

Ingredients

• 6 eggs (separated)
• 150 g sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.5 orange (unprocessed)
• 130 g flour
• 30 g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 325 g dark chocolate couverture
• 130 g bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao)
• 780 ml whipping cream
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp brandy
• 2 tsp vanilla sugar
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 100 g fresh raspberries
• 100 g fresh blueberries

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease a springform pan and dust with flour or line with parchment paper.

2. 2.

   For the base, beat the egg whites in a tall bowl into stiff peaks and set aside. In a large mixing bowl whisk the yolks with sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, and grated orange zest until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder; fold into the yolk mixture along with the whipped whites. Pour batter into pan and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Let cool in pan briefly, then transfer to a cooling rack.

3. 3.

   Use a spoon to hollow out the cake base, leaving about 2 cm around the edge and 1 cm thick bottom.

4. 4.

   Melt the couverture and bittersweet chocolate together over a bain‑marie; let cool until lukewarm but still liquid.

5. 5.

   Whip cream with milk, brandy, and vanilla sugar in a large bowl until creamy but not firm. Quickly fold melted chocolate into the cream. Spread mixture over the cake base and smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

6. 6.

   Before serving dust the top with cocoa powder and garnish with fresh berries.

7. 7.

   Optionally crush the hollowed-out cake crumbs and mix into the filling.