Chocolate Almond Fudge Cake

Who doesn't like chocolate cake, and that too when its' a fudge cake. It's a perfect cake for dark chocolate lovers, as it is not too sweet like other chocolate cake, and chocolate ganache frosting on the top just takes it too another level with layers of almond surprise!  This chocolate recipe is taken from a TV show prepared by Chef Sara Riaz, however, I added my own twist here i.e. the almonds! Try it and you will love it!

REQUIRED INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

Flour: 2 cups (8 ounces)

Cocoa powder: 1/2 cup

Cinnamon powder: 1/4 tsp

Soda bi-carbonate: 1 and 1/2 tsp ( or you can substitute with 2 tsp of baking powder)

Lukewarm water: 1 cup

Caster Sugar: 2 and 1/4 cup

Liquid Milk: 1 cup

Vanilla or Chocolate essence: 2 tsp

Egg: 2

Butter or oil: 1/2 cup (100 grams) **

** [Butter will add more flavor to the cake which oil cannot do!]**

For Chocolate Ganache:

Cream: 175 grams

Chocolate (cooking or normal): 200 grams

For Decoration:

Cherries, Dry fruits, Almonds - as required!
Cake syrup [ melt 1 tbsp of butter, 2 tbsp of sugar, 2 tbsp of water in a pan and let it cool at room temperature]

[You can use strawberries as well!]

REQUIRED INSTRUCTIONS:

For The Cake

1. Preheat oven at 180 degree-Celsius  and grease an 8 inch cake tin.
2. Sift all the dry ingredients in a large bowl i.e. flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder and soda bi-carbonate.
3. Heat some water in a pan at lukewarm temperature, of which we will use 1 cup in the cake batter.
4. In another bowl, add milk, eggs, melted butter or oil, vanilla essence and sugar. Now beat them with your electric beater. Once it is mixed well, add all the dry ingredients and beat at a low speed. Now add 1 cup of lukewarm water to it and beat at high speed once again. Pour the watery batter to the cake tin and let it bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until it is fully baked. Note that oven temperature varies from oven to oven, so time to bake taken can vary as well.
5. Once the cake is baked, let it cool and get ready to start with the chocolate ganache.

For the Chocolate Ganache

1. With the help of the double-boiler,  melt the chocolates at first. Now add the cream to it, and mix then well on the double boiler.
2. Once it is mixed properly, take it out of the heat and let it cool at room temperature. Let it sit for a while to take a nice thick texture of melted chocolate,

For Cake decoration

1. Take about almonds 1 cup of almonds and boil them.  Take off its outer layer and let it dry roast, use no oil.
2. Now once your cake is cooled, cut in between and moist it with cake syrup. Now add half of the chocolate ganache and spread well on the cake. Spread the almonds on the entire cake and cover it with the other half cake. Now, moist your cake with the cake syrup once more and add chocolate ganache on sides and on the top.  And decorate the top with almonds as well, with a red cherry on the middle! 
3.  You can refrigerate it, if you like and have with ice cream as well.