Dark & Delicious Chocolate Cake

 

This chocolate cake is "The" chocolate cakes to end all chocolate cakes.  I always struggle with showing my chocolate bakes in a positive light.  They are incredibly difficult to photograph!  This is especially disappointing when you know what you have baked is incredibly moist and delicious!

 

  

How do other people cope with the "Chocolate" bake?  I would love to hear any suggestions you might have that would help me to take better photos.  But then again . . . 

 

Its all about how it tastes . . .  not how it looks and this tastes incredible. 

 

This has been my go-to chocolate cake for years now.  I can't remember where the original recipe came from.  I strongly suspect the back of a tin of cocoa powder . . . 

 

It is dense . . .  and moist . . .  and very chocolatey.  If anything it tastes even better the day after you bake it . . .  when all of that chocolate ripens and gets ooey scrummy, delish.

 

*Dark & Delicious Chocolate Cake*

Serves 12

Printable Recipe 

Moist, dark and really delicious.  The chocolate snacking cake to end all chocolate snacking cakes! 

380g granulated sugar (2 cups)

245g plain flour (1 3/4 cup)

85g cocoa powder (3/4 cup) (Not drinking chocolate)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1 tsp salt

2 large free range eggs
240ml milk (1 cup)

2 tsp vanilla

120ml vegetable oil (1/2 cup)

240ml boiling hot coffee 

For the frosting:

6 TBS butter

350g icing sugar (2 2/3 cups)

55g cocoa powder (1/2 cup) (Not drinking chocolate)

80ml milk (1/3 cup)

1 tsp vanilla

 

Preheat the oven to 180*c/ 350*F/ gas mark 4.  Butter a 9 by 13 inch baking tin and lightly dust with flour, shaking out any excess.  Set aside. 

Whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, soda, and salt.  Add the eggs, milk, vanilla and vegetable oil.  Beat with an electric whisk for 2 minutes on medium speed, stopping to scrape up the sides and bottom.  Beat in the hot coffee. The mixture will be very thin. 

Pour into the prepared pan.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely in the tin, placed on a wire rack. 

Beat the butter for the frosting until fluffy.  Sift together the cocoa powder and the icing sugar.  Beat into the butter, alternately with the milk and vanilla until smooth and of spreading consistency. (You may need additional milk or sugar.  Use your own judgement)  Cut into squares to serve. 

 

Every time I bake this I am incredibly grateful that I have neighbors and friends that don't mind me gifting them with it.  Todd is not a fan of chocolate cake at all, and I am not supposed to be eating it at all . . .  but every now and then a gal just has to do what a gal has to do.  When the kids were growing up it was never around long enough to be a problem!  You could also bake it in layers if you wanted to, just reduce the baking time to about 25 to 30 minutes if you do.  Bon Appetit!