Festive chocolate torte recipe

This decadent torte is dense, rich and full of festive flavour. Delicious hints of orange and cinnamon enrich the cranberry cake, which is deepened by a rich chocolate ganache and sticky salted cinnamon caramel. Try your hand at making this indulgent Christmas baking recipe from expert baker Chetna Makan. 

1. Preheat the oven to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C. Grease and line a 23 cm (9in) springform cake tin. In a mixing bowl, combine the ground almonds, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder and the cranberries. Add the orange zest and mix well.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and the oil together. Pour into the cranberry mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15-20 minutes.
3. While the torte is baking, make the caramel sauce. In a pan, gently heat the sugar with 6 tbsp water until it turns a caramel colour. Add the butter and mix until well blended – do this over low heat. Slowly add the cream along with the salt and cinnamon. Cook for 1-2 minutes, and then set aside to cool.
4. Now prepare the ganache. Put the chocolate in a bowl, and then heat the cream in a small pan until it just starts to boil. Pour it over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate has melted. Add the butter and mix again. Pour the ganache over the cooled cake and leave it in the fridge to set for 15 minutes.
5. Once the ganache has slightly set, pour the caramel sauce over the ganache, and then cover the tin with clingfilm. Leave the tin in the fridge for 2-3 hours or overnight.
6. To decorate, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water. Once melted, remove from the heat, add the milk chocolate and mix well. Pour into a piping bag and pipe the chocolate onto acetate sheets in different patterns. Leave it in the fridge to set.
7. When ready to eat, carefully remove the torte from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. Decorate with the truffles and sprinkle over a little edible gold dust. Carefully remove the chocolate decorations from the sheets and arrange them on the torte.

See more Adventurous Christmas baking recipes

As part of a healthy balanced diet, we recommend this recipe for a special occasion or treat.

This recipe comes from expert baker Chetna Makan is part of our Christmas video series. We've asked some of our favourite chefs and foodies to share their recipes for creating the perfect festive food – from the ultimate southern fried turkey to sensational Boxing Day buffet recipes. Watch the full video here.