How often do you bake? I bake around twice a month, definitely more if I have time.
One of the recipes I discovered last month was this glorious chocolate cake recipe by Choccywoccydoodah. I’ve seen the co-founder Christine and her team on TV a few times, and I have always been in awe of her chocolate creations. I didn’t realise a Choccywoccydoodah cookbook was available too. During a visit to my local library, I stood rooted to the spot when I saw it on the shelf.
It is one very beautiful book, wonderfully designed and the feel of the cover is lush. It is that gorgeous luxe-matt texture that you can’t stop carressing. And because I didn’t want to get thrown out of the library for being the weirdo who strokes book covers (I smell new books too, they smell scrumptious), I hastily checked the book out and went off on my merry way.
I baked this chocolate cake for The Derby Book & Cake Club. Yes it’s a club where we talk about books and cake and actually nibble on cake and put the world to rights. It is a cool club. Feedback for the cake was 100% positive. Even my boyfriend who doesn’t really have a sweet tooth went back for seconds. I use his action – of returning for seconds – as a barometer of deliciousness, which the Choccywoccydoodah chocolate cake recipe smashed.
One of the ingredients of the cake was whipped cream. I have never baked cream into the sponge, and being an inquisitive soul, I wondered what sort of sponge whipped cream would yield. The sponge was oxymoronically dense yet light. Choccywoccydoodah’s cake is big and lush and should be celebrated in its own right.
This chocolate cake recipe is now in my baking arsenal. I wrote up the recipe with gusto in my fancy note-book, because once it’s in the note-book, it’s a recipe for life. I will take this recipe with me wherever I go, and I highly recommend Christine’s recipe. You need to try it. You won’t be disappointed. Well, maybe you will be disappointed as this cake is guaranteed to disappear fast.
The beauty of this chocolate cake recipe is that you can keep it as it is, covered in gloriously gooey ganache, or pimp it up with decorations. I have a giant bag of chocolate vermicelli, and I liberally threw handfuls of these sprinkles onto the cake. Note: my photos are usually more styled; I wasn’t planning on photographing the cake, let alone writing it. When I bake this cake in future, I’ll take some more photos of it, so do keep your eyes peeled. In the meantime, here is my creation:
I recommend cutting a good wodge, placing it for safe-keeping in a Tupperware container, and either scarfing it wearing PJs when no-one’s at home, or freezing it for a rainy day (God knows there’s plenty of those coming up as we face the transition months from winter to spring). Either way, enjoy the cake.
I have just made myself hungry by thinking and writing about Christine’s wonderful cake. Here is the recipe, which is fairly simple to make, but packs a punch in the flavour stakes.
Sponge
- 200g salted butter
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 100g ground almonds
- 200g dark chocolate melted
- 100g self-raising flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 50g cocoa powder
- 250ml double cream whipped
Filling & topping
- 200ml double cream
- 200g dark chocolate
- 100g cold salted butter chopped
- Icing sugar to dust. Or if you’re freestyling like me, chocolate vermicelli and anything else you can get your hands on.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan. Grease and line two 15cm round sandwich cake tins.
- Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until fluffy.
- Beat in the eggs and ground almonds.
- Stir in the molten chocolate.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa together, then fold into the chocolatey mixture a little at a time.
- Whip the cream and fold into this mixture, dividing between the two tins and bake for 15-20 minutes till bouncy to the touch. The cake should be sticky.
- Leave to stand in the tins for 15 minutes then put onto a wire rack to cool.
- When the cake is completely cool, make the topping and filling.
- Break up the chocolate and put into a heavy-bottomed pan with the cream. Heat gently, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and cool slightly by placing in a wide bowl. Add the butter a knob at a time and beat in.
- Fill the cake and top it. Shake icing sugar over the top (or use any decorations you like).
I would love to know how you got on with Christine’s recipe. And whilst I’ve got your attention, I’m curious why you bake? Hey, why don’t you Tweet me and I will reply, honest.
*Chocolate cake recipe published online with kind permission from Christine at Choccywoccydoodah. For more information about the cookbook, please click here.*