Chocolate Krantz CakE

Ingredients

Cake
4 1/4 all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
1/2 superfine sugar
2 tsp fast-rising active dry yeast
Grated zest of 1 small lemon
3 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
Sunflower oil for greasing

Chocolate Filling
Scant 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/3 cup best quality cocoa powder
4 1/2 oz good quality dark chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup pecans coarsely chopped
2 tbsp superfine sugar

Syrup
2/3 cups water
1 1/4 cups superfine sugar

Rachel's Rating
Fool Proof: 4/10
Taste: 10/10
Looks: 10/10

​Recipe From: Jerusalem by Yotam Ottolenghi & Sami Tamini
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​Baking Steps

For the dough, place the flour, sugar, yeast, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and water and mix on low speed for a few seconds, then increase the speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes, until the dough comes together. Add the salt and then start adding the butter, a few cubes at a time, mixing until it is incorporated into the dough. Continue mixing until it is incorporated into the dough. Continue mixing for about 10 minutes on medium speed, until the dough is completely smooth, elastic and shiny. While mixing, you will need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times and throw a small amount of flour onto the sides so that all the dough leaves them.

Place the dough in a large bowl brushed with sunflower oil, cover with plastic wrap, and leave in the fridge for at least half a day, preferably overnight.

Grease two 2 1/4 lb. loaf pans (9 by 4 inches) with some sunflower oil and line the bottom of each pan with a piece of waxed paper. Divide the dough in half and keep one-half covered in the fridge.

Make the filling by mixing together the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, and butter. You will get a spreadable paste. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring 15 by 11 inches. Trim the sides to make them even, then position the dough so that a long side is closet to you. Use an offset spatula to spread half the chocolate mixture over the rectangle, leaving a 3/4 inch border all around. Sprinkle half the pecans on top of the chocolate, then sprinkle over half the superfine sugar. 

Brush a little bit of water along the long end farthest away from you. Use both hands to roll up the rectangle like a roulade, starting from the long side that is closest to you and ending at the long end. Press to seal the dampened end onto the roulade and then use both hands to even out the roll into a perfect thick cigar. Rest the cigar on its seam. 

Trim about 3/4 inches off both ends of the roulade with a serrated knife. Now use the knife to gently cut the roll into half lengthwise, starting at the top and finishing at the seam. You are essentially dividing the log into two long halves, with the layers of dough and filling visible along the length of both halves. With the cut sides facing up, gently press together one end of each half, and then lift the right half over the left half. Repeat this process, but this time lift the left half over the right, to create a simple, two-pronged plait. Gently squeeze together the other ends so that you are left with the two halves, intertwined, showing the filling on top. Carefully lift the cake into a loaf pan. Cover the pan with a wet tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The cake will rise by 10 to 20 percent. Repeat the whole process to make the second cake. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, making sure you allow plenty of time for it to heat fully before the cakes have finished rising. Remove the tea towels, place the cakes on the middle rack of the oven, and bake for about 30 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 

While the cakes are in the oven, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. As soon as the sugar dissolves, remove from the heat and leave to cool down. As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, brush all of the syrup over them. It is important to use up all the syrup. Leave the cakes until they are just warm, then remove them from the pans and let cool completely before serving.
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