Chocolate Cake
Wonderful Lorraine at Not Quite Nigella is currently running a competition for the best chocolate cake recipe. How could I resist!
This recipe was given to me after I harassed my friend Penny for it over a couple of years. She finally gave it up, and though reluctant to share, share I will. It’s a very simple melt and mix cake, and it’s success is in the quality of the ingredients and careful baking. It’s rich and dense and chocolatey. Enjoy!
Penny & Fiona’s Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 200g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%)
- 250g butter
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 tbs instant coffee (I used actual coffee made with my machine)
- 1 1/2 cups Self raising flour
- 3 tbs cocoa
- 2 eggs
- 1 dessert spoon vanilla essence
Melt the butter in a large saucepan – do not allow to boil.
Dissolve coffee in boiling water, and add coffee mixture, sugar and broken up chocolate to butter. Stir until dissolved, melted and mixed. Do not allow to boil.
Pour mixture into bowl & allow to cool. (You will need a large bowl as it’s a big mixture)
Sieve flour and cocoa together and add to butter/choc mixture in 3 lots, beating well between additions.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well between eggs.
Add vanilla essence and beat well.
Pour mixture into a well greased and lined tin, and bake in a slow oven (fan-forced around 160°-170°) for 1 1/2 hours.
The mixture when cooking is very moist and really only firms up at the end. It makes a very large cake. When cooked the top very often rises and cracks (high sugar content), and apparently it is very good to freeze when cold, but I’ve never tried!
Mmm what a fantastic looking cake! And I find it endearing that you made such an effort to get the recipe. Love the icing sugar pattern too
Great cake! And you’ve just reminded me that I need to bake one for Lorraine’s event too.
That’s a very yummy-looking cake. May I copy the recipe (for personal use, not for Lorraine’s challenge!)
Yuuummmm! Looks better than my one hahah
Belle, please go ahead and bake to your heart’s content..it’s such a decadent cake it must be shared!
Mmm, yummy! Going to check the details now – hope I’m not too late!
This sounds great and I am going to attempt it this weekend, just curious if the temp. listed is in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Thanks!
@ Treat Hiya! Glad you’ve enjoyed! All temps are in Celsius…
Hi what size cake tin did you use??????
@ Fatema Ali it’s a 20cm springform
yumm!! Am thinking of making this for my friend’s b’day tomorrow. When you say “Beat” in your instructions, do you use a handbeater for this or just good old fashioned elbow grease?
@Kateyboo good old fashioned elbow grease!
Thanks! I tried making it today and the taste was great, but my cake sunk in the middle! (and I did’nt open the oven door). Help!! Any suggestions or thoughts why? Maybe I let the mixture cool too much?
@Kateyboo Oh, so sorry that it sunk. It’s not meant to rise much as it’s quite dense, but it shouldn’t collapse. But as they say, Practice Makes Perfect! I am puzzled. Try again and let me know how it is.
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