This is the recipe I was going to do for Easter weekend, adorned with Mini Eggs for a decadent treat. But instead I got a stomach bug so I am making it now and present it to you here. This is a chocolate cake that shops or cafes would probably called chocolate fudge cake, and has a very light, rich sponge and a ridiculously rich and naughty icing. You could use any icing you like, but I've given a recipe for a chocolate ganache, which will make you dribble everywhere with delight, so get a bib handy!
Ingredients
200g good quality chocolate (I use Green & Blacks 70%)
200g unsalted butter, cubed
1tbsp instant coffee powder or granules
85g plain flour
85g self raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g light muscavado sugar
200g golden or white caster sugar
25g cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
75ml buttermilk
For the ganache
200g chocolate (same as above)
284ml tub of double cream
2 tbsp golden or white caster sugar
Butter the base and sides and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep). Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas 3.
Break the chocolate in to pieces and put in a heavy based pan with the butter and the coffee powder mixed with 125ml cold water. Place on a low heat until everything is melted and mixed but avoid overheating as the chocolate will catch and burn when exposed to too much heat. Once everthing is combined, take off the heat and leave to cool a little
In a large mixing bowl, mix the flours, sugars, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder. In a jug whisk the eggs and buttermilk together (If you can't get buttermilk, measure out 75mls of milk and add half a teaspoon of white wine vinegar, then leave it to sour for 5 mins. This means that the acid will be present in the batter to react with the bicarbonate of soda and create a light cake) then add to the dry ingredients followed by the chocolate and butter mixture. Mix together thoroughly until you have a smooth batter. This will be quite runny but don't worry, it's meant to be.
Pour the batter into your cake tin and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour 25-30 minutes. To check this is ready put a cake tester or skewar into the middle of the cake, which should come out clean once the cake is ready. The top of the cake should feel firm to the touch, but don't be alarmed if it's a little bit cracked. Leave it to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes, then turn out on to a rack to cool completely.
When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally in to three pieces. To make the ganache, break the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a heat proof bowl. In a heavy based pan heat the cream with the sugar until it is about to boil then take off the heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir this until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Sandwich the layers together using a little icing, then once all the layers are together, pour the rest of the ganache over the top, letting it fall down the sides. Smooth the sides with a palette knife then decorate the top with whatever you fancy: sprinkles, chocolate vermicelli, chocolate curls, crystallised flowers etc etc. Of course you can leave it unadorned too.
Variations
If you wanted something a bit more varied, you could sandwich the layers with tinned strained cherries and a thin spreading of lightly whipped cream, which would give you a Black Forrest type thing. I would top it with more whipped cream, some cherries and grated chocolate. You could do the same with fresh strawberries, though I would use a thin layer of strawberry jam then a layer of thinly sliced strawberry (about the thickness of a £1 coin). Do this on both layers then dust with icing sugar and serve with the whipped cream
Ingredients
200g good quality chocolate (I use Green & Blacks 70%)
200g unsalted butter, cubed
1tbsp instant coffee powder or granules
85g plain flour
85g self raising flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g light muscavado sugar
200g golden or white caster sugar
25g cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
75ml buttermilk
For the ganache
200g chocolate (same as above)
284ml tub of double cream
2 tbsp golden or white caster sugar
Butter the base and sides and line the base of a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep). Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas 3.
Break the chocolate in to pieces and put in a heavy based pan with the butter and the coffee powder mixed with 125ml cold water. Place on a low heat until everything is melted and mixed but avoid overheating as the chocolate will catch and burn when exposed to too much heat. Once everthing is combined, take off the heat and leave to cool a little
In a large mixing bowl, mix the flours, sugars, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder. In a jug whisk the eggs and buttermilk together (If you can't get buttermilk, measure out 75mls of milk and add half a teaspoon of white wine vinegar, then leave it to sour for 5 mins. This means that the acid will be present in the batter to react with the bicarbonate of soda and create a light cake) then add to the dry ingredients followed by the chocolate and butter mixture. Mix together thoroughly until you have a smooth batter. This will be quite runny but don't worry, it's meant to be.
Pour the batter into your cake tin and cook on the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour 25-30 minutes. To check this is ready put a cake tester or skewar into the middle of the cake, which should come out clean once the cake is ready. The top of the cake should feel firm to the touch, but don't be alarmed if it's a little bit cracked. Leave it to cool in the tin for about 10-15 minutes, then turn out on to a rack to cool completely.
When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally in to three pieces. To make the ganache, break the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a heat proof bowl. In a heavy based pan heat the cream with the sugar until it is about to boil then take off the heat and pour over the chocolate. Stir this until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Sandwich the layers together using a little icing, then once all the layers are together, pour the rest of the ganache over the top, letting it fall down the sides. Smooth the sides with a palette knife then decorate the top with whatever you fancy: sprinkles, chocolate vermicelli, chocolate curls, crystallised flowers etc etc. Of course you can leave it unadorned too.
Variations
If you wanted something a bit more varied, you could sandwich the layers with tinned strained cherries and a thin spreading of lightly whipped cream, which would give you a Black Forrest type thing. I would top it with more whipped cream, some cherries and grated chocolate. You could do the same with fresh strawberries, though I would use a thin layer of strawberry jam then a layer of thinly sliced strawberry (about the thickness of a £1 coin). Do this on both layers then dust with icing sugar and serve with the whipped cream
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