Sunday, July 25, 2010

Chocolate Cake

This recipe was bookmarked many months ago. I was browsing for a super moist and super chocolate cake recipe and came across this site: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3092/ultimate-chocolate-cake?pager.offset=100 which featured the "Ultimate Chocolate Cake" by Angela Nilsen.


Her recipe:

  • 200g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
  • 200g butter , cut in pieces
  • 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
  • 85g self-raising flour
  • 85g plain flour (I used self-raising)
  • 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (I used 1/8 tsp)
  • 200g light muscovado sugar (I used 150g dark )
  • 200g golden caster sugar (I used 150g caster sugar)
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 3 medium eggs
  • 75ml buttermilk (5 tbsp)
  • grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

For the Ganache:

200g good-quality dark chocolate , as above
284ml carton double cream (pouring type)
2 tbsp golden caster sugar


Her Method:

  1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 125ml/4fl oz cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
  2. While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.
  3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan, add the sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
  5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.



        I tried this plain chocolate piece without the ganache. I couldn't get the full chocolate flavour due to a blocked nose. (I caught the flu bug this time after the tummy bug. I'll try to catch the ladybug next time. :P)
        The texture sort of 'melts' in the mouth. I wouldn't recommend making a big cake cos it would be difficult to assemble the layers as it breaks easily.

        13 comments:

        1. Melts in the mouth?

          Sounds good to me!!!

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        2. Looks good! I would like to try this too.
          Hope that you're OK by now ;) Take care.

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        3. Mmmm.......one of my favourite cakes. I love moist chocolate cakes. Yours looks very soft and moist. Beautiful icing.

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        4. Hi Wendy,
          It sort of disintegrates in the mouth. Try it!


          Hi Ann,
          Tastes better with the ganache - full of chocolate! Thanks for concern. Bad flu bug! Won't let me off! It's been 5 days. Must be a strong strain!


          Hi Mary,
          Thanks. Was unwell when doing it, so the icing's quite haphazardly done. The cake's quite good.

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        5. Oh, what a beautiful and delicious cake! I like the hint of coffee it has in it. I just signed up to follow your blog and I will be checking back often to see what else you will be whipping up!

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        6. Hi Linda,
          Great to have you dropping by and thanks. Read your blog and wow! you write recipe books!

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        7. HI! Thanks for dropping by my blog - can't wait to browse ur recipes - the cake looks delish!

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        8. Your cake looks very pretty, and I totally heart the dainty sugar art flowers too :)

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        9. busygran, I am tempted to try the cake, melt it mouth, sound so unresistable!

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        10. Hi busygran,

          I love chocolatey cakes. This one looks too good to be true for chocoholics. I like the way you piped the lines in a rustic yet arty manner rather than like the neat decorations seen in cake shops. It shows the essence of a homebaked chocolate cake. Great job! =]

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        11. oh yummmm...but i am so scared to try this part "cut cake horizontally" waaa~ will i be able to pull that off..

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        12. Cake looks moist & nicely decorated.

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