Chocolate-Walnut-Coffee Volcano

I am on a Nigella Train right now!!
Last week I made her Devil's food Cake, which was followed by Pizza Rustica, Jerkey Chicken (will post later) and finally this drop dead gorgeous beauty Chocolate-Walnut-Coffee Volcano cake. Oh My! I've been busy.

               I know the clicks are awful, but hey at least you get an idea what I am talking about :D

 

I have always been a big fan of Nigella, in fact watching her shows, actually inspired me to start baking in the first place. I remember back in 2004-05, her show used to air on Discovery channel (which now is called  TLC) and I was instantly hooked, totally charmed by her easy going manners and the way she made the complicated world of cooking and baking sound so simple and casual. I would say that was the period I got addicted to porn..urr..I mean "food-Porn".
I decided to make this cake coz it was Sagar's birthday, and also because I got myself a new toy :D.
Yay !! I now have my own blow torch.
Quick warning to all : Don't mess with me grrrr. I m now armed!!

 It's a beautiful creation comprising of a chocolate bundt cake, dampened with rum, stuffed with walnuts and topped with coffee custard (which I couldn't stop licking) and finally a sugary-crackle-crusted top. Simply divine!!

Chocolate Walnut Coffee Volcano Cake
Adapted from How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson
Ingredients:
For the cake:
300 grams caster sugar
140 grams all purpose flour
80 grams cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, separated, plus 2 more egg whites (from the yolks you need for the coffee custard)
125 ml vegetable oil
125 ml water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the coffee custard:
225 ml double cream
6 large egg yolks
3 tablespoon light muscavado sugar (got it from the waitrose counter at the Hypercity)
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

For the topping:
4 tablespoon (approximately) Tia Maria or Rum
125 grams toasted and chopped walnuts
4 tablespoon demerara sugar

Method:
Nigella advices to start with custard first, as it needs cooling down time.
Warm the cream gently in a saucepan. Mix the egg yolks, sugar & espresso powder together in a bowl & pour the warm cream over this mixture, whisking to combine/ Pour the mixture back into the now rinsed out pan & cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. Pour into a bowl & leave to cool.

Now for the cake. Preheat oven to 180c. Oil or butter a 10 inch bundt tin.
In a large bowl mix together 200g of the caster sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb & salt. In a measuring jug, whisk together the yolks, oil, water & vanilla. Pour over the dry ingredients gradually, beating to combine.

In another bowl, whisk the 6 egg whites until they are foamy & forming soft peaks. Add the remaining caster sugar, a spoonful at a time, still whisking until the whies are thick & shiny & hold their shape. Briskly beat a large dollop of whites into the cake mixture to lighten it, then a third at a time, fold in the remaining whites.

Pour the mixture into the oiled tin & bake for 40 minutes, the cake should then be springy & coming away from the sides. Let the cake cool in its tin on a rack for 25 minutes before turning out.

Sprinkle the rum onto the cake, 1 teaspoon at a time, letting the liqueur soak in after each spoon full.

When ready to serve, place the cake on a plate with a lip and fill the centre with walnuts. Pour in the cold custard letting it overflow a bit onto the shoulders & over the sides. Sprinkle the Demerara sugar, a little at a time, so that it doesn’t soak in, on top of the cake, & use a blowtorch to caramelise the top.

Since it contains walnuts, and the letter for this month's AlphaBakes, hosted by Ros@The more than occasional baker and Caroline@Caroline makes, is "W", m linking this post to the challenge.