Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Last weekend I made what I shamelessly refer to as the best cake I have ever made. Much credit is owed to the recipe, which is concise, easy to follow, and to be honest, it's hard to believe that it's so simple when comparing it to the quality of the result.
I have made this cake once before for a close friend's birthday, and it turned out absolutely delicious. I was a tad wary of using sour cream in a cake the first time I made it, but it made the cake incredibly moist and the batter itself was so delicious that my sister offered to wash up just so she could eat the leftover clinging to the  (whatever you call the detachable thing you use for a  food processor).
This time, it was made for Mother's Day (see post below), and only had to be shared amongst the five immediate members of my family, and my mum even ate a few slices without complaining about how much fat and sugar was in it.
I find that putting chocolate cake in the microwave for fifteen seconds or so is similar to toasting a sandwich, it just adds an extra level of deliciousness. This proved true for this cake, and I strongly recommend this to anyone who attempts this cake.
So here's the recipe, if you like your cakes on the simple and delicious side, do try it!

(Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe)

For the cake: 

• 200g plain flour
• 200g caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 40g cocoa
• 175g soft unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla essence (use extract if you have it)
• 150 mL sour cream

For the ganache: 

• 75g unsalted butter
•  175g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
•  300g icing sugar
• 125mL sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease a 20cm cake tin.
2. Put everything into a food processor and blitz until you have a smooth, thick batter. (Seriously, that's it. I usually get scared that the batter is too thick, so i splash in a bit of milk while I'm blitzing it).
3.  Bake for around 30 minutes or when until a skewer comes out clean. (For me, both times, most of it was cooked but the centre was stil gooey; make sure all of it is completely cooked before removing it, but also take care not to leave it in the oven for too long or the rest of it will dry out).
4. Allow cake to cool for five minutes in its tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. When  cake is completely cool, prepare the ganache. Melt the chocolate and butter together by placing them in a bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally.
6. When the mixture has finished melting, sift the icing sugar  into a small bowl while the chocolate mixture cools. Add the sour cream and vanilla and then the icing sugar into the chocolate mixture, whisking while the icing sugar is added to prouduce a silky smooth concoction.
7. Cover cake in the icing and.....eat it.

 Note: The quantities will probably make more icing than you need, it will thicken upon refrigeration into a solid mousse-like mass, but can be used again if heated slowly in the microwave (or y'know, just grab a spoon and eat it in its solid form).

    

Victoria Sandwich

                                 (Please excuse the poor photo, it did look better in real life, I promise).

The increased amount of baking I find myself doing causes concern with my parents from time to time, who do not equate knowing how to make the perfect batch of red velvet cupcakes from scratch with focusing on the HSC [that's what they think........;)].

For that reason, it came as quite a surprise when I was told by both my parents to bake something. For those who do not completely understand the significance of this, it's like having a "study period" and being told to bludge; to do something we do anyway, but this time, with the permission of the authorities. My mum requested a cake be made for a lunch she was going to be attending, and my dad told me to make one for my mum as it was Mother's Day.

My initial reaction was actually less than enthusiastic. I think it may have had something to do with the several hours I spent baking a few days before, but you can never be sure...

Nevertheless, after a quick Woolies-Run with my sister, I found myself back in the kitchen (yes hello boys, I said I was back in the kitchen. haw haw.) and baking again.

I had decided for the second cake (post to follow this one) I would bake a chocolate cake, and for the Mother's Day lunch, I would attempt a Victoria Sandwich. Named for Queen Victoria, the cake is a light sponge sandwiched with jam and cream.

The fact that the recipe I used required little else but mixing all the ingredients together and included substituting fresh cream with butter cream icing should have been enough of an indication that this cake would end up hardly different to a regular butter cake. Nevertheless, I persevered; it was on the BBC website after all. How could I say no to the corporation that provided us with such joyous Victorian Era entertainment in so many English Extension lessons?

I have included the recipe below, but if you actually intend to bake a proper sponge cake, do not use this recipe! I am yet to re-attempt another sponge  recipe, and after finding a favourite butter cake and chocolate cake recipe, a sponge cake recipe is next on ma list.


(Adapted from BBC GoodFood Classic Victoria Sandwich Recipe)

Victoria Sandwich 

For the cake:

    * 200g caster sugar
    * 200g softened butter
    * 3 eggs, beaten
    * 200g plain flour
    * 3 tsp baking powder
    * 2 tbsp milk

 For the filling:

    * 100g soft butter
    *  140g icing sugar
    * 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence if that's all you have)
    *  5 tbsp rasberry or strawberry jam
    * Icing sugar (for dusting)

Method:

1.      Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease two 20cm cake tins (I only have one so I had to do them one after another).
2.      Beat all the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth. (Seriously. This is all it said to do on the site).
3.      Divide the butter evenly among each tin, or alternatively, fill one tin with half the mixture and cover the other half with cling wrap and put aside.
4.      Cook the cake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
5.      Allow cake to cool for five minutes in its tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
6.      (If using one tin, put other half of mixutre into tin after removing the cooked cake and repeat)
7.      When cakes have cooled completely, prepare the buttercream by creaming the butter and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until soft and creamy. Slowly sift in icing sugar and beat to combine.
8.     Spead the top of one of the cakes with jam and then butter cream. Place other cake on top of the cream layer and finish with a dusting of icing sugar.                     

I managed to try a tiny piece of the cake which my parents brought home as leftovers. It was okay, just like a butter cake but a lot more dense. I can happily report that I was much, MUCH happier with the other cake I made that day (which I will recount in the next post). Happy Belated Mother's Day to all the mums out there. :)