Nigella Christmas-Spiced Chocolate Cake

This Christmas-Spiced Chocolate Cake is rich, soft, and full of warm flavors from chocolate, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slightly gooey center, a crunchy almond topping, and a hint of citrus from clementines. Perfect for the holiday season!

Ingredients Needed:

For the Cake:

• 150 grams chopped dark chocolate
• 150 grams of soft butter
• 6 large eggs
• 250 grams of granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 grams of ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of ground cloves
• zest of 1 clementine (or satsuma)
• 4 teaspoons instant espresso powder

For the Topping:

• juice of 1 clementine (or satsuma)
• 15 grams butter
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 50 grams of flaked almonds

How To Make Christmas-Spiced Chocolate Cake?

1. Prepare the oven and tin: Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 23cm springform tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter: In a heatproof bowl, melt dark chocolate and butter together in the microwave or over simmering water. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Whisk the eggs and sugar: In a large bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and fluffy. It should double or even triple in size.
4. Fold in dry ingredients: Gently fold in ground almonds, cinnamon, cloves, clementine zest, and espresso powder, keeping the batter light and airy.
5. Add melted chocolate: Pour the melted chocolate and butter into the batter and gently fold until combined.
6. Bake the cake: Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes. The top should be firm, but the center should still be slightly gooey.
7. Cool the cake: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Cover it loosely with a tea towel.
8. Make the topping: In a small pan, heat clementine juice, butter, sugar, and cinnamon until melted. Let it bubble for a minute, then add the flaked almonds. Stir until the liquid evaporates and the nuts are shiny and caramelized. Transfer to a plate to cool.
9. Assemble the cake: Remove the cake from the tin and place it on a serving plate. Scatter the caramelized almonds over the top, mainly in the center, but let some fall naturally.
10. Serve and enjoy: Slice and serve as is, or with Cointreau cream for a festive touch!

Recipe Tips:

• Use room-temperature eggs: Cold eggs won’t mix well and may affect the cake’s texture. If your eggs are cold, place them in warm water for 10 minutes before using.
• Melt chocolate properly: If using a microwave, melt the chocolate and butter in short intervals, stirring each time to prevent burning. If using a double boiler, make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl.
• Fold ingredients gently: When adding the dry ingredients and melted chocolate, fold them in carefully to keep the batter airy and light. Overmixing can make the cake dense.
• Check for the right doneness: The cake should be firm on top but slightly soft in the center. If a skewer inserted comes out with some moist crumbs, it’s perfect. Overbaking will make it dry.
• Let it cool before removing from the tin: This cake is delicate, so let it cool completely before taking it out of the springform tin. If you remove it too soon, it might break apart.

How To Store Leftovers?

• Refrigerate: Let the leftover Christmas-Spiced Chocolate Cake cool completely to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days to keep it fresh.
• Freeze: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition Facts:

• Calories: 320 kcal
• Total Fat: 18g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Cholesterol: 100mg
• Sodium: 40mg
• Potassium: 200mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 35g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Sugars: 25g
• Protein: 6g

Try More Nigella  Lawson Recipes:

• Nigella Dairy Free Chocolate Cake ​Recipe
• Nigella Amaretto Chocolate Cake​ Recipe
• Nigella Christmas Bundt Cake Recipe​