Easy Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with Yogurt Ganache

Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/gas mark 4). In a saucepan over low heat, combine the dark brown soft sugar, unsalted butter, and 100g of the roughly broken dark chocolate. Stir continuously until the mixture is smooth, glossy, and completely melted. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Whisk the eggs into the cooled chocolate mixture one by one. In a separate large bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder, then stir in the ground hazelnuts. Pour the wet chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and stir gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.

Line a 20cm round cake tin with baking parchment and pour in the batter. Bake for 40–50 minutes. To check if it's done, insert a skewer into the center; it should come out clean. If the skewer is wet, return the cake to the oven for another 5–10 minutes. Let the cake cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the ganache, place the natural yogurt in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk for 3–4 minutes until the yogurt is hot, then add the remaining 100g of finely chopped dark chocolate. Turn off the heat and whisk until the chocolate is fully melted and the ganache is smooth. If the mixture appears to split, add a small splash of milk and whisk briefly. Let the ganache cool for 15–20 minutes until it reaches a spreadable consistency.