Custard Black Berry Chocolate Slice

A deliciously cool after dinner treat.  This dessert has two components, the chocolate cake, and the custard topping, with an easy to follow recipe guide.  Prepare at least six hours in advance as the custard needs the time to set to give a good clean cut. (Cake mixture is enough for two bases, one can be frozen for up to three months)

For the Cake
150g melted butter
150g Caster Sugar
200g Self raising Flour
50g Cocoa Powder
1 tsp Baking Powder
4 eggs
1 shot espresso coffee

For the Custard
4 egg yolks
100g sugar
500ml milk
100ml Cream
1 vanilla pod
3 Gelatin leaves

Filling
3 tbsp black berry Jam
2 tbsp Kirsch or Tia Maria
3 tbsp lemonade or Ice Tea

Chocolate coffee sauce
200g dark chocolate
50ml cream
50ml milk
1 tsp ground coffee, or few crushed beans.

Butter two lamington dishes 20cmx30cm.  Pre heat oven to 180c. Beat sugar and eggs together till soft peaks form.  Sift flour cocoa and baking powder and using a metal spoon stir in egg mixture,making half turns to keep the merengue as light as possible.  Add melted butter, and espresso coffee,and carefully stir till mixture is smooth.  Divide mixture between the two tins and bake for about 25 minutes till skewer comes clean when tested.  Leave to cool, freeze one portion and use the other.

Meanwhile, prepare the custard.  Put Gelatin sheets in a bowl and cover with cold water, let it stand for about ten minutes. Split the vanilla in half , scrape seeds and add to milk and cream in a saucepan. Add also the pod to milk, then bring mixture to boil and turn heat off. Beat egg yolks and sugar till pale and fluffy, remove vanilla pod then add milk to yolk mixture stirring continuously.  Return mix to pan and stir over low heat till mixture thickens to cover the back of a wooden spoon. Be careful not to scramble the mixture.  Remove from heat, strain the gelatin leaves from water and add to custard mix and stir till they dissolve. Cover custard with cling film, and let it stand for about 15 minutes.

Prepare the chocolate sauce by heating milk and cream till boiling point.  Remove from heat, add the chopped chocolate and ground coffee. Mix till sauce is smooth and even.  Stand to cool coverd with cling film.

Arrange one layer of cake in a serving ceramic dish of approximately the same size. Mix jam, liquor and Ice tea together and pour over the cake.  Using a ladle, pour the custard evenly over the cake.  Carefully put in a low shelf in a refrigerator to set completely.

Right before serving cut in slices and pour over the chocolate coffee cream.  Makes 8 portions.