The Only </em>Chocolate Cake you’ll ever need
I have a confession to make.
I have NEVER had a go-to chocolate cake recipe, just until now. Yes, you heard me! I mean it is a bit embarrassing to be blogging all this while and not have a basic chocolate cake recipe. And I don’t mean up on the blog kinda way, like not have it at all. However, in my defence, I’m very picky about my go to recipes so I just never found THE ONE, haha. Well, I’m not single anymore because I have this huge slice of chocolate cake with the best ever chocolate frosting to keep me company from now on. Match made in heaven (I literally had 2 slices while writing this post ..:P )
Let me tell you why this is the BEST chocolate cake you’ll ever eat.
Super moist and fluffy, and yet it is not so crumbly that the cake just falls apart with the slightest touch. A few crumbs here and there are very much needed, you know for the whole cake eating experience
It has the perfect amount of chocolate! I know that seems a bit of an odd point but stay with me on this okay. Have you ever gone to take a bite of a chocolate cake and it either has no chocolatey goodness or so much of it that you low key feel sick after? Guilty! No? Only me? Uh okay. Good for you because you’ll love it nonetheless!
ALSO, can we take a moment to appreciate that beautiful frosting?! Probably one of the BEST frostings ever! It compliments the cake so beautifully!
I know right!! Well I’m done talking and gonna let you take over. If you don’t already have your aprons out, I don’t know what are you even doing?! I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do! Happy baking.
Recipe
Makes: 1 sheet cake or two 8″ cakes
Ingredients
For the cake:
4 whole eggs
60 ml milk
120 ml vegetable oil, or any neutral flavoured oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
230 g sour cream
70 g good quality dark chocolate (min. 50%), melted
235 g self raising flour
100 g cocoa powder
140 g light brown sugar
200 g castor sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
a pinch
250 g boiling water
For the frosting:
150 g pure cream, chilled *
100 g mascarpone cream, chilled
50 g icing sugar
30-40g cocoa powder
a pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the candied pecan:
75 g pecans, or walnuts, roasted
10 g honey
10 g castor sugar
10 g salted butter
5 ml whiskey, optional
Method
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease a rectangle baking tray and line with baking paper. Keep aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla and oil. Keep aside.
Put the dry ingredients in a stand mixer bowl and using a paddle attachment, mix the ingredients well until homogeneous.
While the mixer is on, stream in the wet ingredients.
Pour in the melted chocolate and add the sour cream.
Lastly, add the hot water slowly and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Use a hand whisk to break the lumps, if any.
Pour onto the prepared baking tray and bake for 50-60 mins or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. A few moist crumbs is okay. Let it cool completely.
For the candied pecan:
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add the sugar and honey and caramelise until a nice amber colour.
Add the roasted nuts and mix until the nuts are well coated with the caramel.
Remove from the heat and add the butter. Mix well. Cook for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and drizzle in the alcohol if using. BE CAREFUL as it will sizzle once you add the alcohol.
Pour onto a parchment paper or silmat and let cool completely before chopping.
For the frosting:
Put all the ingredients in a bowl, and whisk until firm. Do not over whisk or else the frosting will split.
Assembly:
Take the cooled cake out of the baking tray. Trim the top if you have to, to make it even.
Invert the cake upside down to make the top flat.
Dollop the frosting on top of the cooled cake and spread using a spatula or a knife.
Top with chopped candied pecan. Cut into slices and serve! Bon appetite!
If you enjoyed that and tried it at home, please tag me at @myyummyspatula on instagram so that I can see all your bakes! For more BTS stories, updates and fun, you can follow long here