Decorating of Cakes

Chocolate Bay Leaf Cake

Ingredients :

- 110 grams / 1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

- 7 fresh bay leaves

- 200 grams  granulated sugar

- 8 hazelnuts

- 2 tablespoons icing sugar

- round chocolate sponge cake

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or bain-marie. Paint the melted chocolate onto the back of the bay leaves and leave to set.

Carefully peel away the leaves from the chocolate.

Stick a cocktail stick into each hazelnut to help coat them in the caramel.

Put the sugar in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat until it starts to melt around the edges. Gently swirl the pan over the heat until it has all melted.

Dip the hazelnuts into the caramel and leave them to drip upside down over the pan until the caramel has hardened.

Dust the cake with icing sugar. Assemble the leaves and caramel coated hazelnuts on top of the cake.