No fail chocolate cake
So, I've been baking since I was thirteen years old. To me, baking never seemed difficult but rather intriguing. It all started with my mum's chocolate cake. I remember everything about the cake, the taste, the smell, the guests it would attract and so on. What I loved about it was that my mum always involved me during the preparation of the cake be it just watching her or licking up the batter bowl or breaking the eggs; I've been hooked ever since. Better than the cake was the frosting. It was to die for. I've tried to make it at least a hundred times now but I can never get it to taste like hers. So this first post is dedicated to my mum. She still doesn't know that she's the reason I got into it. The chocolate cake I make now is not exactly the same as her recipe. This recipe never fails me. Its simple and the cake is delicious.It can be eaten plain but I prefer it with ganache .
Ingredients
Serves: 12
- For the cake
- 225g butter, at room temperature
- 250g icing sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 310g plain flour
- 65g cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 235ml milk
- For the ganache
- 300g dark or milk chocolate, chopped
- 200ml double cream
- 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
Method
Prep:30min ›
Cook:50min ›
Ready in:1hr20min
- Preheat the oven to 200 C / Gas 6. Grease a 20cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment.
- Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy and light. The butter will become pale and slightly increase in volume. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until pale and creamy.
- Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and bicarb into a mixing bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula.
- Add the vanilla extract and milk accordingly to get the right consistency; what we are looking for is a smooth mixture which "tears away" from the spatula when held high. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake in the oven for 45 minutes reducing the heat to a temperature of 160 C / 2/3 or till a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Remove the cake from the oven and cool the cake on a cooling rack.
- Place the chocolate in a mixing bowl. Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium high heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and add the butter. Mix until the ganache is smooth, glossy and lump free. Let it cool down to room temperature and then it is ready to use.
- Place the cake on a serving plate or cake board and spread the ganache on top. Decorate as desired; I used fresh strawberries and kiwis for decoration after dipping them in glaze. Slice and serve.
