The Only Chocolate Cake You Need
1 1/8 cups unsweetened cocoa (not dutch process) (110 gm)
3/4 cup full cream milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3 cups (360g) plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
salt
350g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups caster sugar
6 eggs
preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan forced).
butter two large rectangular baking tins (33 x 23 x 5 cm).
line them with baking paper.
butter the paper and dust with extra cocoa.
hold the tins over a sink and give them a gentle tap so the excess cocoa floats off.
measure the cocoa powder into a bowl, and whisk in 1 1/2 cups of boiling water until it is smooth, dark and so glossy it reminds you of chocolate pudding. Whisk in the milk and vanilla.
whisk the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and 3/4 tsp salt, in another bowl.
put the butter into the bowl of a mixer and beat in the sugars until the mixture is light, fluffy and colour of coffee with cream (it will take about 5 minutes).
add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about 20 seconds before adding the next.
on low speed, beat in the flour mixture in 3 batches and the cocoa mixture in 2 batches, alternating flour- cocoa-flour-cocoa-flour.
pour half of the batter into each tin and smooth the tops.
bake in the middle of the oven until a tester comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes.
let the tins rest on cooling racks for 2 minutes, then turn the cakes onto racks to cool completely before frosting.
assemble the cake by spreading about a third of the frosting * on one of the cooled layers, putting the second layer on top, and swirling the rest of the frosting over the top and sides.
* use your favourite frosting
This works with my favourite frosting which is a chocolate ganache.
This also works with the frosting suggested by Ina Garten, which involves the use of cream cheese This frosting recipe is also found below.
chocolate ganache
version 1 add 300g dark cooking chocolate, 100g milk cooking chocolate and 1 cup of thick cream to a saucepan and heat on medium heat until the chocolate is melted.
transfer mixture to a mixer and beat on medium high speed until the mixture is room temperature and has thickened.
version 2 add 250g milk chocolate, 70g 90 percent cocoa , 2/3 cup thickened cream to a saucepan and heat on medium heat until the chocolate is melted.
transfer mixture to a mixer and beat on medium high speed until the mixture is room temperature and has thickened.
Ina Garten cream cheese frosting
150 g dark chocolate (unsweetened), 1 cup cream cheese (whipped), 2½ cup icing sugar, 175 g unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla, salt
Method, chop the chocolate and melt it down in a bowl over heat, stirring gently. Let it cool (enough that you can put your finger in the chocolate comfortably).
While it’s cooling, mix the butter with the whipped cream cheese. Add the chocolate, the vanilla and a dash of salt, and mix in the icing sugar until it looks like frosting.