Chocolate tray bake with sour cream ganache

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups (600g) castor sugar
• 2 cups (500ml) water
• ⅗ cup (150ml) buttermilk
• 1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
• 3¼ cups (500g) cake flour
• ½ cup (60g) cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp (30ml) baking powder
• ½ tsp (3ml) salt

Ganache:

• 3 slabs (100g each) dark chocolate
• 1¼ cups (300g) sour cream
• 2 Tbsp (30g) butter, cubed
• 1 packet (100g) almonds or hazelnuts, toasted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Line a 35cm x 25cm sheet tray or oven dish.
3. Whisk eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy.
4. Stir in water, buttermilk and vanilla.
5. Sift dry ingredients into wet mixture and combine thoroughly.
6. Pour into the prepared dish.
7. Bake for 35-45 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool.
8. Place chocolate and sour cream in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
9. Heat for 5 minutes while stirring until chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth. (Your bowl should never become too hot for you to touch with your bare hand, as a high heat will seize your chocolate.)
10. Stir in butter and mix to combine with chocolate mixture.
11. Spread ganache over cake and top with nuts. 
12. Leave to set at room temperature, then slice and serve.