Chocolate praline fancies recipe

By Hannah Miles

Makes 16
takes 40 minutes to make, 25-30 minutes to bake, plus cooling and setting
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These fancies make a perfect treat for Easter.

Ingredients

170g butter, softened, plus extra
for greasing
170g caster sugar
3 large eggs
140g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
50ml hazelnut liqueur (Frangelico),
or you can substitute amaretto or Tia Maria (optional)
Gold leaf, to decorate (optional)
for the praline butter cream
340g icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp hazelnut butter (available
from most supermarkets)
50ml milk
60g butter, softened
for the fondant icing
200g fondant icing sugar, sifted
60g cocoa powder, sifted

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan170°C/
gas 5. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin. In a bowl, cream together the butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Sift in the flour and cocoa, and fold in gently. Pour into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed lightly and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.
2. Meanwhile, make the praline butter cream. In a bowl, mix the icing sugar, hazelnut butter, milk and butter until light and creamy. Cover and set aside.
3. When the cake is cool, trim the edges with a sharp knife. Slice horizontally into 3 layers, gently lifting off each layer as you go – use
a flat baking tray to help lift each layer so it stays in 1 piece.
4. Put the bottom layer of cake on a chopping board. Drizzle with half the liqueur and spread the top with half the butter cream. Put the middle cake layer on top and repeat, using the remaining liqueur and most of the butter cream – reserve 3 teaspoons. Add the final layer. Put the cake and board in the fridge for the butter cream to set; at least 1 hour.
5. Make the icing. Put the fondant icing sugar and cocoa in a pan with 110ml water. Stir and heat gently. Remove from the heat and stand for 5 minutes. Cut the cake into 16 squares. Spoon a small blob of butter cream onto each cake (to give it its archetypal fondant fancy look).
6. Put the cakes on a wire rack with a piece of foil underneath to catch the icing. Spoon the icing over the cakes to cover, but don’t worry if some areas are left exposed. Icing on the foil can be returned to the pan and used again. Top with a little gold leaf, if you like, and leave to set for 1 hour.