My mum has made jars of rum balls for Christmas ever since I can remember, but these rum cakes have a decadent edge. For more flavour, serve them with rum-soaked dried figs, cherries or raisins. They can be made in advance and will keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container in the fridge, as will the ganache. Bring both to room temperature before coating. Chocolate is always best when eaten at room temperature.
Ingredients
Chocolate ganache
Chocolate cakes
Method
Main
1.For chocolate ganache, melt chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water (5-7 minutes). Once chocolate melts, stir until glossy, then remove from heat and stir through rum. Cool at room temperature until ganache is thick but still pliable (2-3 hours, see note).
2.Meanwhile, for chocolate cakes, preheat oven to 190C. Melt chocolate and rum in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, then stir until smooth and glossy. Cool to room temperature, then stir through egg yolks, butter and flour. Meanwhile, whisk eggwhites in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, then with motor running gradually add sugar and whisk until smooth and glossy. Fold a third of eggwhite mixture through chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining eggwhite mixture. Spoon into 6 buttered and baking paper-lined 9cm-diameter cake tins and bake until risen (15-20 minutes). Cool completely on a wire rack, then turn cakes out and set aside. Coat cakes evenly with chocolate ganache and scatter with finely grated coconut to serve.
If ganache sets too quickly, briefly dip bowl in hot water to soften and stir until smooth.
Notes
