Ultimate chocolate cake

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake
200g dark chocolate
200g butter
85g self-raising flour
85g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g golden caster sugar
25g cocoa powder
3 medium eggs
75ml buttermilk
For the ganache
200g dark chocolate
300ml double cream
2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Method-

  1. 1-Heat the oven to 160C/ fan140C/ gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
  2. 2-Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
  3. 3-Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
  4. 4-Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted – don’t overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
  5. 5-Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
  6. 6-Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
  7. 7-Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
  8. 8-Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 – 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don’t worry if it cracks a bit).
  9. 9-Leave to cool in the tin (don’t worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
  10. 10-To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl.  Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
  11. 11-Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
  12. 12-Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
  13. 13-Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.
  14. Ultimate chocolate cake topped with chocolate curls

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