Spiced chocolate brownie cake with pomegranates and raspberries

I know I should probably start the 2015 year off with something truly healthy for mind body and spirit but then I made this. And I had to share it. Just a slice never really hurt anyone anyway....surely.

If including the word lazy in a recipe title was appropriate this is the one I'd reserve it for. Its uncanny how something that looks so freakin get-in-my-belly-good requires such little effort. This is the kind of recipe that can combine your love for chocolate with your love for sitting on your ass with a good book and a cup of tea.

Actually a hunk of this is actually what's missing from the good book and cup of tea scenario. So I suggest you get off said ass and high tail it into the kitchen and make this - you certainly won't regret it. Here the richness of the chocolate, the sweet/tart combo of the fruit and the tang on your tongue after punch of the pomegranate molasses are working together for some kind of epic taste sensation party in your mouth. Eat this and good things will come. Promise.

Ingredients

150g butter

180g dark chocolate

3 eggs

100g flour, sifted

1 tbsp ground cardomom

1 tsp baking powder, sifted

Chocolate cream

50g white chocolate

100ml cream plus a dash

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1-2 generous pinches of icing sugar

To finish

½ pomegranate, hulled

½- 1 punnet (250g) raspberries

freeze dried raspberries (optional) to scatter

cacoa nibs(optional) to scatter

Drizzle of pomegranate molasses

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line a 15cm cake mould and set aside.

Place the butter and chocolate in a bain-marie and stir, until just melted and combined. Set aside to cool slightly.

Add the eggs to the bowl of an electric whisker fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the eggs and light and frothy. Don't rush this step. Add the sugar and beat for another 5-7 minutes – you want the mixture to be light in colour and thickish in texture.

Gently pour in the chocolate mixture, being careful not to beat the air out of the egg mix, and stir gently to combine. Add the flour, spice and baking powder and stir again until just combined. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for about 30 minutes. Like a brownie you want it to be crisp on the outside and a little molten in the centre. When you remove it from the oven don't be alarmed if it puffs and collapses a little in the middle. It will do this. Allow to cool completely.

To make the chocolate cream, melt the white chocolate and dash of cream in a bain-marie. Remove from the heat and briskly whisk through the cocoa powder. Whisk the remaining cream until soft peak in the bowl of an electric mixer then add the icing sugar and mix until combined.

Gently pour in the chocolate and cocoa powder combo and whisk until well combined and thick. Scoop onto your brownie cake, starting in the middle if it collapsed a little then generously top with pomegranate seeds and raspberries. Sprinkle over the freeze dried raspberry and cocoa nibs if using then sparingly drizzle over the pomegranate molasses and serve.