I’m just going to admit it straight off, I don’t really like baking with chocolate. It’s just a bit messy and results can often be a bit hit or miss. However, I will get a notion every now and again to bake with it for a challenge and it was on one of those occasions that I came up with this recipe for a chocolate cake. My usual team of testers (my lovely F&F colleagues) gave this the thumbs up so I hope you will try it and love it too!
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
250g unsalted butter at room temperature
200g light muscovado sugar
half a teaspoon of salt
100g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking powder
2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
250g plain flour
3 large eggs
250mls buttermilk
50g dark chocolate melted
Buttercream Icing Ingredients
1 tablespoon of milk
150g unsalted butter at room temperature
200g icing sugar
25g cocoa powder
Method
Grease and line 2 round 20cm sandwich tins and preheat the oven 160°C (fan oven, increase to about 180°C for a conventional oven). Firstly sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl and mix together. In a separte large bowl cream the butter and sugar in a bowl with a hand whisk. One at a time add the eggs to the sugar and butter mix. If you find that the mixture starts to curdle mix in a tablespoon of flour with each egg. Next add the cooled melted chocolate and fold in the mixture. Now add in half of the flour mixture and mix. Next add it half of the butter milk and mix. Add the remaining flour, one combine add in the remaining buttermilk. Make sure the mix at the very bottom of the bowl is not forgotten about – this happens me so often!
Divide the mixture between the two tins and pop into the oven for about 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean (I know I am like a broken record at this stage but ever oven is different so its best to keep on eye on this, it could be ready earlier or later!! My current oven has its own personality with the back left end the hottest). Turn out and cool the cakes on a wire rack.
To make the icing pop the butter in into a bowl and whisk for a few moment on high-speed. Add the icing sugar bit by bit (sieving as you go) Add in the cocoa powder and milk and mix for a few more moments until you have a beautifully smooth icing. (To prevent the sugar going all over the place I sometimes mix the sugar in a with the mixer off for a minute and then fire it up to full speed, repeating this process as I add the icing sugar bit by bit)
Once the cakes have cooled its icing time, I usually pop one layer topside down as my base as it is easier to spread the icing along the flatter side. If you have a spatula use this to speed the icing, if not a regular knife will do fine. One you have spread your filling pop the next layer on top again top side down so you have a nice and flat top to spread the icing one again. spread the icing evenly across the top of the cake.
I had some chocolate sprinkles and chocolate chips that I sprinkled along the edge of the cake along with a little edible gold dust for a little bit of bling but it’s completely up to you! you could pop some mini marshmallows around the edge or some strawberries or raspberries – what ever you have at home, get creative! 🙂
I hope you will try this chocolate cake and would love to see some pictures if so, tag any snaps with the #bakemystyle hashtag. It might be the perfect valentines treat for someone special! x
Happy baking and have a great weekend, dont forget to follow Bake My Style on Instagram for more regular updates!
M x
