Best-ever chocolate layer cake

Best-ever chocolate layer cake

This decadent choc fest lives up to its name

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 10

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

plus cooling

Method

  1. Make the icing first (it takes a while to cool and thicken). Put the chocolate into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan and heat until simmering. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the mixture is smooth. Cool, then chill, until really thick but spreadable.
  2. Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and base-line 2 x 18cm sandwich tins with baking parchment. Take 3 tbsp flour from the full flour amount and put them back in the flour bag - the cocoa powder will make up the difference.
  3. Put all the cake ingredients except the chocolate in a large bowl. Beat them together with an electric whisk (or whizz in a food processor) until you have a creamy mixture, then fold in the melted chocolate. Add a little more milk if the mix is too stiff - it should fall easily from a spoon.
  4. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and level. Bake on the same shelf in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the sponge springs back when pressed. Cool for 5 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack, peel off the paper and cool completely. Cut each in half horizontally so that you have 4 layers altogether.
  5. Sandwich the layers together with a little icing, then spread the rest on top thickly.

PER SERVING

865 kcalories, protein 9.5g, carbohydrate 67.2g, fat 63.9 g, saturated fat 36.5g, fibre 1.8g, salt 0.82 g

Recipe from olive magazine, April 2011.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 1-20

  • Binder photo Smudgie

    30 marzo 2011

    Smudgie commented on this recipe

    This will be a perfect birthday cake.

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  • Binder photo Smudgie

    07 abril 2011

    Smudgie commented on this recipe

    A special occasion cake. Nobody believed that I had made it. I just had one layer of chocolate in the cake and used the rest to cover the top and sides. Perfect !

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  • Binder photo Gina

    07 abril 2011

    Gina rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Had a piece of this cake today, and I really have to say, it is one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever tasted! I just hope there is some left in the staff room for tomorrow :)

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  • Binder photo ginger

    09 abril 2011

    ginger rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this cake a couple of weeks back & it was sooo good and very easy to make. Didn't have 2 big enough halves to cut it into 4 layers, but 2 worked just as well with a bit less of the filling/topping.

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  • Binder photo faxafile

    19 abril 2011

    faxafile commented on this recipe

    I made this cake for my grandsons birthday as he loves chocolate. I increased the ingredients by half (1.5 in total) and instead of using all dark chocolate in the cake I put half White and half dark. I then baked the mixture in a larger cake tin and instead of making layers I kept it as one whole cake. I then spread the icing on top and added some small decorations along with "Happy 9th Birthday" candles. My grandson absolutely loved it as did the rest of the family who had some. I definitely think adding the White chocolate was much better and not so sharp tasting. I will definitely be baking this cake many times. Thank you for the recipe.

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  • Binder photo Miss W

    30 abril 2011

    Miss W rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Taste was heavenly! I added orange extract and it was gorogeous! Couldn't get my ganache thick to look like it did in the pics but it didn't matter because it was yummy anyway!

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  • Binder photo Sarah

    01 mayo 2011

    Sarah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this for my husbands birthday, its delicious, not too sickly and very light. Everyone commented on how nice it was.

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  • Binder photo LUV COOKINGXX

    05 mayo 2011

    LUV COOKINGXX commented on this recipe

    doesnt dis have a picture showing you step by step as it wuld be much much easier!!! :p

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  • Binder photo LUV COOKINGXX

    05 mayo 2011

    LUV COOKINGXX commented on this recipe

    what about if you didnt have dark chocolate does it really matter??? and double cream? what other icing could you use instead PLEAZ let me know thanks

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  • Binder photo Gizmorella

    10 mayo 2011

    Gizmorella rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this for my boyfriends birthday. It was adored by all, most defiantly lives up to its name of best ever! The cake stayed beautifully moist and icing was very more-ish.

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  • Binder photo LUV COOKINGXX

    10 mayo 2011

    LUV COOKINGXX commented on this recipe

    i want to try and make this cake but i only have 8cm round tins does it matter??

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  • Binder photo shadow

    14 mayo 2011

    shadow commented on this recipe

    Need to make the cake very soon can someone tell me do i brew the coffee and in how much water.

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  • Binder photo Thegeneral

    16 mayo 2011

    Thegeneral rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Excellent

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  • Binder photo julia_bakes

    16 mayo 2011

    julia_bakes rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I used regular instant coffee as I didn't have any espresso powder (1 tbsp instead of 1tsp) and this cake went down a treat for a friend's leaving party.

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  • Binder photo LUV COOKINGXX

    16 mayo 2011

    LUV COOKINGXX rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    To be honest i dont think i would want to make this again NO OFFENCE but it did not come out the way i wanted it the icing was too hard and the cake was all squashy and horrible. It looked nothing like the picture. i am going to rate it 1 star :( :(

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  • Binder photo hattie

    22 mayo 2011

    hattie commented on this recipe

    This is by far and away the best chocolate cake i have ever made! i put some icing on whilst it was still runny then put the rest on top when it had set. i cant keep people away from it - a wonderful birthday cake!

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  • Binder photo Dee

    28 mayo 2011

    Dee rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    This is a really delicious cake. I only had one problem, I followed the icing recipe to a T, however it is too runny. I had it for a couple of hours in the fridge and also, in between, the freezer. If anyone can advise me how this happened, I'd be obliged.

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  • Binder photo clarelouise

    09 junio 2011

    clarelouise commented on this recipe

    500mls double cream is well too much, it was very runny even after being left in the fridge over night. cake recipe was nice though... shame about the icing. i will use nutella next time

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  • Binder photo heavendessert

    12 junio 2011

    heavendessert commented on this recipe

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNHdo8sH4N4

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  • Binder photo Beth Obrian

    14 junio 2011

    Beth Obrian commented on this recipe

    i absolutly loved this for my sisters birthday party

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 10

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

plus cooling

Ingredients

  • 175g self-raising flour , sifted
  • 3 tbsp 70% cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp instant espresso coffee powder (optional)
  • 175g butter , completely softened, plus extra for lining the tin
  • 175g golden caster sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3 eggs
  • 1-2 tbsp milk
  • 100g 70% dark chocolate , melted and cooled

FOR THE ICING

  • 500ml double cream
  • 500g milk chocolate , chopped
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PER SERVING

865 kcalories, protein 9.5g, carbohydrate 67.2g, fat 63.9 g, saturated fat 36.5g, fibre 1.8g, salt 0.82 g

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