Let Her Eat Cake: Chocolate Chilli Cake

This cake is inspired by Tea with Bea's ULTIMATE chocolate buttermilk cake, which is so chocolatey, it might eclipse the sun.

This is not, I repeat, not a healthy cake. This is a CHOCOLATE CAKE. You want to be healthy? Eat some celery. Now, pass the bars and let's get cracking...

Chocolate Chilli Cake

You will need:

For the cake:

• 200g good quality dark chocolate
• 65g cocoa powder
• 175g butter
• 4 free-range eggs
• 300g caster sugar
• 175g self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 225ml milk
• 1 red chilli, finely diced
• 1 nutmeg
• White chocolate, to decorate

For the icing:

• 100g good quality dark chocolate
• 200ml double cream
• 2 tbsp golden syrup

Make it!

The cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 25cm cake tin.
2. Chop the chocolate roughly and place in a bowl with the cocoa powder. 
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. 
4. Pour the butter over the chocolate and cocoa, stirring until smooth and combined. (Try not to drool so much). 
5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and caster sugar, then pour into the chocolate mixture and stir until well combined. 
6. Sift together the flour and baking soda. 
7. Add a quarter of it to the chocolate mixture, and fold in gently, followed by a quarter of the milk. Repeat until all the mixture is used. 
8. Add the finely diced chilli, and grate a quarter of a nutmeg into the mixture. (1/2 tsp if you're using ground nutmeg). Stir to combine. 
9. Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 35-45 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

The icing:

1. In a small saucepan, gently heat the cream without allowing it to boil.
2. Roughly chop the chocolate and place in a bowl. 
3. When the cream is hot, pour over the chocolate and stir until completely melted. 
4. Stir in the golden syrup. Cover and chill in the fridge for up to an hour, until it has reached the desired consistency. 
5. Using a pallet knife, smooth all over the sides and top of the cake. 
6. Decorate with freshly grated nutmeg and white chocolate.