Recipe uploaded by

247 ratings

Recipe by Angela Nilsen

Subscribe to Good Food magazine - 3 issues for £3

Tested

Leave a comment or rate this recipe

1. Video tutorial: Lining a cake tin

1. Butter a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep) and line the base. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan. Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 125ml/4fl oz cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.
2. While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.
3. Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the ganache: chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan, add the sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smoothing to cover with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

541 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 55g, fat 35 g, saturated fat 20g, fibre 2g, salt 0.51 g

Latest comments and suggestions

Results 61-80

• abla

  06 May 2008

  abla rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Hi Revenn, try this link to Nigella's website...http://www.nigella.com/news/detail.asp?article=1814&area=2 it has conversions..if it doesn't work then google nigella lawson and click on the conversions link on her website... Abi

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• bindername 1

  12 May 2008

  bindername 1 commented on this recipe

  Made this cake for my daughter's birthday,it tasted delicious but i couldn't slice it in 2nor 3 layers because it was sooo heavy & damp.It was like a HUGE brownie, maybe too much sugar,i had to eat it all(didn't want 2 throw it away)& my daughter was very disappointed(the picture looked fantastic).Any suggestion on how i can make it dryer&fluffier,lighter?

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• super_doll

  14 May 2008

  super_doll commented on this recipe

  i bake all the time, i spend hours looking for recipes, i know it sounds sad but its true. but this cake really was amazing. i tend to make a lot of chocolate things, and this one was one of the best. i made it for a birthday and everyone made a bee line for it and they all said it was seriously good. so go ahead and make it! i didnt have any buttermilk and i searched the shops high and low but alas i couldnt find any, so i mixed sour cream with single cream, more so of the sour cream to give it that sour taste like buttermilk and it worked incredibly well.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• super_doll

  14 May 2008

  super_doll rated and commented on this recipe

  

  oh i forgot the rating :] !!

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• Catriona

  16 May 2008

  Catriona commented on this recipe

  Best chocolate cake I have ever made- everyone loved it! Rich and chocolately but still really moist and fluffy. The buttermilk seems to be the magic ingredient.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• Catriona

  16 May 2008

  Catriona rated this recipe

  

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• Zoebum

  21 May 2008

  Zoebum commented on this recipe

  This was absolutly gorgeous, though it did dip in the middle as i was rushed to get it out of the oven. Everyone loved it...even if it was more of a mud pie.! :D

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• Zoebum

  21 May 2008

  Zoebum commented on this recipe

  I forgot to rate it.! Oops.! :D

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• Zoebum

  21 May 2008

  Zoebum rated and commented on this recipe

  

  And again.! Double Oops.!

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• Denise

  25 May 2008

  Denise rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Just made this cake and was very pleased. Really delicious and gorgeous texture. It did crack a lot and it wasn't the most attractive looking cake (certainly looks nothing like the picture!) but who cares when it tastes good right!? I used 2 shallow 20cm cake tins to avoid having to do any slicing and just sandwiched them together. Found the Ganache a little tricky as not all the chocolate melted and there wre still large bits of chocolate in it but there was still more than enough for the cake. Didn't decorate with any chocolate curls as I figured it was chocolately enough so put some sliced strawberries on top which went very nicely with the dark chocolate. All in all, a very good cake and definitely worth the effort.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• stuck-on-the-rock

  28 May 2008

  stuck-on-the-rock commented on this recipe

  This does exactly what the title says - it gives the gold star choc cake. We always follow the recipe to the letter and have an amazing result every single time.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• twinmum

  30 May 2008

  twinmum rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Everything a chocolate cake should be - proper chocolaty and moist and substantial. I made this for a tea party and our guests loved it. Just one question - how do you make those huge decorative chocolate swirls?

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• KateWhite

  30 May 2008

  KateWhite commented on this recipe

  Watched people licking the plate - need I say more!

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• TommyRack

  31 May 2008

  TommyRack rated and commented on this recipe

  

  Excellent recipe. So moist, fudgy, and rich. Made this for a friend's birthday yesterday. Had to substitute a couple of ingredients, and used a slightly larger cake tin so the finished product wasn't really tall enough to slice horizontally and fill, but the actual texture is fantastic. Once the ganache is on, it's just a profusion of incredible dark, rich, bitter flavours all working well together. I served it topped with fresh raspberries and a raspberry coulis, the tartness of which really balanced out the cake and reduced the sense of over-heaviness that can sometimes accompany dark chocolate cakes. If you really want to indulge with this cake, serve with a fresh espresso - it's incredible!

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• fig

  01 June 2008

  fig commented on this recipe

  This is the BEST chocolate cake I've ever made. Followed directions & it turned out beautifully. I cooked it in 2 23cm sandwich tins (silicon) & baked for just under an hour. So easy. I will try with white chocolate for the ganache next time, as the dark chocolate was a little bit too grown-up for the kids. Made it for my brother's wedding & it was a real success.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• redspy

  03 June 2008

  redspy commented on this recipe

  I want to make this for my son's 1st birthday and I am wondering if it is possible to make the cake 1 day before? If yes, where should I keep in the refrigerator or just in room temperature? Thanks for the help.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• PINK GEM

  03 June 2008

  PINK GEM commented on this recipe

  Delicious cake recipe, used half milk and half dark chocolate as not a fan of dark. tasted yummy but didn't look as dark as the picture shown. Also the icing was difficult to make as it was too runny following these instructions so had to put it in a bowl of cold water and use a hand mixer for 10mins to thicken it up to spread.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• jensmuse

  06 June 2008

  jensmuse commented on this recipe

  Could anyone please tell me the best size cake tin for this cake?

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• louisecowan

  10 June 2008

  louisecowan commented on this recipe

  Made this cake and it was delicious! It didnt turn out as nice as the pic though. I found it was very soft in the middle and this made it hard to slice. Im going to try it again tomorrow, any suggestions on how to make it firmer and easier to slice? x

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:
• TommyRack

  10 June 2008

  TommyRack commented on this recipe

  To redspy if it's still of any use - I stored the cake in tupperware just in a cupboard and it kept very well for a few days (until it was all finished!), the day after should be fine. Best wishes.

  Flag as inappropriate

  Please let us know your name and the reason you find the above comment inappropriate.

  Your name: Reason:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3092/

Your binder

• Register
• Sign in
• More info

Sign up or sign in to receive a £40 wine voucher, and to save, rate and comment on recipes. Plus, get our newsletter.

Ingredients

• 200g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
• 200g butter , cut in pieces
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml buttermilk (5 tbsp)
• grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

FOR THE GANACHE

• 200g good-quality dark chocolate , as above
• 284ml carton double cream (pouring type)
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Search Good Food

Keywords

Refine your recipe search

Search filter options

Search by cooking times Less than 10 minutes 10-30 minutes 35-60 minutes Over an hour Search by difficulty Easy Moderately easy For the keen cook Search by cuisine American British Cajun & Creole Caribbean French German Greek Indian Italian Mediterranean Mexican Moroccan Scottish Spanish Swiss Thai Vietnamese Search by course Warm starter Cold starter Main course Side dish Pudding Search by calorie range Less than 200 200-400 400-600 600-800 Over 800 Search by occasion Midweek meal Dinner party Family favourite Birthdays Christmas New Year Mother's Day Chinese New Year Easter Search by chef Good Food Team olive Angela Nilsen Annabel Karmel Anthony Worral Thompson Gary Rhodes Gordon Ramsay James Martin John Torode Ken Hom Lesley Waters Mary Cadogan Merrilees Parker Nick Nairn Orlando Murrin Ruth Watson Silvana Franco Thane Prince Tony Tobin Search by diet Vegetarian Vegan Gluten-free Dairy-free Nut-free Egg-free Low-fat Low in salt Suitable for diabetics Search by magazine BBC Good food olive Search by servings 1 2 4 6 8 For a crowd

Difficulty and servings

Cuts into 14 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 30 40 mins

Cook 1 hr min 1 hr 30 mins

Plus baking and cooling time

Without icing

Ingredients

• 200g good quality dark chocolate , about 60% cocoa solids
• 200g butter , cut in pieces
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• 1⁄4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml buttermilk (5 tbsp)
• grated chocolate or curls, to decorate

FOR THE GANACHE

• 200g good-quality dark chocolate , as above
• 284ml carton double cream (pouring type)
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

541 kcalories, protein 6g, carbohydrate 55g, fat 35 g, saturated fat 20g, fibre 2g, salt 0.51 g

Your binder

Here are three other great reasons why to sign up:

• You get an online binder, where you can store all your favourite recipes and create menus.
• You can add your own recipes to this site for others to try; plus, rate and make comments on recipes, and share your views on our blog.
• You can sign up for our weekly newsletter (sent out on Wednesdays) - it's packed with recipes, special offers and competitions.

Tried and tested recipes from Good Food and olive magazines. bbcgoodfood.com

Recipes from the new TV channel and celebrity chefs. goodfoodchannel.co.uk