Tim Tam Cake

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 175°C / 350°F. Grease and line the bases of two 20 cm round cake tins.

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2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

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3. Whisk the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla in a jug. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth, then whisk in the hot water. The batter will be thin. Fold in the crushed Tim Tams.

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4. Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely, at least 1 hour.

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5. For the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan until it just starts to steam. Pour it over the chopped chocolate, leave for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Leave to cool and thicken for 30 minutes, stirring now and then.

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6. Set one cake layer on a plate, spread with a third of the ganache and press 4 whole Tim Tams into it. Set the second layer on top and spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides.

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7. Stand the remaining Tim Tams around the side of the cake, or arrange them on the top, and leave for the ganache to set.

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Chef’s Tips

• Whisk the hot water in last. It blooms the cocoa, and it makes a thin batter that gives a very moist crumb.
• Let the ganache cool until it thickens. Warm ganache runs off the cake, and cold ganache is too stiff to spread.
• Assemble the cake on the day. The biscuits soften against the ganache within a day.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Out of buttermilk? Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar into the same amount of ordinary milk and let it sit five minutes before using.
• Double cream won't whip if you swap it, but for the cooking itself, full-fat crème fraîche or a lower-fat single cream works in its place.

Pairing Suggestions

• A glass of cold milk
• Vanilla ice cream
• A cup of tea

Storage & Reheating

Keep covered at room temperature up to 2 days, or in the fridge up to 4. Freeze the unfilled layers for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.