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In the Land of Heston Bluementhal

Chocolate Exploding Cake by Bombay Foodie

I just got back from a jaunt down to London's Oxford Circus and happy to report that everything's just as it should be. Flowers and heart shaped balloons everywhere, stores decked out in pink and red and almost all guys on the bus carrying elaborately wrapped gifts. Pretty much your typical Valentine's Day.

Selfridges (one of my favorite stores) had long queues in front of chocolate and macaron counters. It's gotten slightly warmer here so I treated myself to Pinkberry frozen yogurt instead.

And here's another treat. A chocolate exploding cake, courtesy none other than legendary Heston Bluementhal. Heston does a weekly show on BBC here. He picks an ingredient and shows simple yet quirky dishes on the theme.

The week he picked chocolate, he made this cake. It's very quick to put together and is way too simple on first glance. But nothing's simple in Heston's world.

The bottom layer is store bought shortbread cookies, baked again until they are golden brown. These are then bashed up and mixed with butter, caster sugar and a secret ingredient. Depending on where you grew up, you are looking for either pop rocks or space dust. Either way, this is the exploding bit in your cake.

The top layer is ganache infused with passion fruit. What may seem like a simple addition isn't. I tasted the ganache plain and then after I added passion fruit puree and the transformation was unbelievable.

You then freeze this cake and in Heston's world, spray chocolate all over it with a paint gun. I didn't but it was a decadent dessert all the same.

A word of warning - don't unleash this on unsuspecting guests with weak hearts. This really does explode!
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Comments

notyet100 said…
Cake looks delicious :)
February 15, 2012 at 8:41 AM
Anonymous said…
Wow looks like a gr8 recipe simran, and so many different flavours as well.
February 15, 2012 at 9:19 AM
Srivalli said…
Looks very delicious..glad you are enjoying!
February 15, 2012 at 12:31 PM
Nupur said…
Hmm- I'll have to put this one on my bucket list :)

Just read that you've moved to London- how fun!
February 16, 2012 at 11:43 PM
Anonymous said…
Classic...

picturebite.com
February 22, 2012 at 1:15 PM
El said…
It sounds amazing and looks like a great recipe!
February 27, 2012 at 8:47 AM
Reeta Skeeter said…
oooohhh killer pic!
niceee back here after long and seeing you blogging still is good...
March 2, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Reeta Skeeter said…
oooohhh killer pic!
niceee back here after long and seeing you blogging still is good...
March 2, 2012 at 2:02 PM
Srivalli said…
Hey Simmi..hope things are fine..no updates!
May 3, 2012 at 10:22 PM
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