Wedding cake - rich dark chocolate cake

Recipe uploaded by

Jane Hornby

21 ratings

Recipe by Jane Hornby

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1. Video tutorial: Lining a cake tin

1. Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 4. Butter, double-line and wrap the sides of the 30cm cake tin as before. Put the butter and chocolate into a medium saucepan, then stir over a low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in the coffee and vanilla.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the biggest bowl you have. Add the sugar, breaking down any lumps with your fingertips if necessary. Beat the eggs and soured cream together in a jug or bowl and pour into the flour mix. Pour in the melted chocolate mix as well, then stir with a wooden spoon until you have a thick, even chocolaty batter.
3. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 2½ hrs - don't open the oven door before 2 hrs is up, as this will cause the cake to sink. Once cooked, leave in the tin to cool completely. The unfilled cake will keep for up to four days, wrapped as before, or frozen for a month.

Per serving

274 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 30g, fat 16 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 1g, salt 0.23 g

Latest comments and suggestions

Results 81-100

• lalybaba

  04 August 2009

  lalybaba commented on this recipe

  Have made this three times now and it has always been a huge success. The first time I made it I took it out the oven slightly too soon and it sank in the middle. It cuts beautifully and is really fabulously chocolatey.

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• babyoven

  05 August 2009

  babyoven commented on this recipe

  You cant taste the coffee!

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• babyoven

  05 August 2009

  babyoven commented on this recipe

  An easy way of cutting the cake is to place it on a turntable and use a large knife and rotate the table as you are cutting until just the last bit in the centre needs to be cut (you keep the knife still) Hope this helps!

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• Woodenspoon

  06 August 2009

  Woodenspoon commented on this recipe

  I needed a 10" round cake and tried various suggestions on here. Mistakes are expensive with this recipie. In the end I found half quantities worked best for me and the cake was just deep enough to match the other layers when filled and iced. Using a fan oven I baked it for about 1hr 50mins but as ovens seem to vary maybe have a peep after 1hr 40 or so and test it with a skewer.

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• Jendeb

  09 August 2009

  Jendeb commented on this recipe

  Hi there, I am hoping to use this receipe to be eaten a Saturday. I need to have the cake finished & decorated the Friday. It states it keeps for four days so I will need to bake it on the Wednesday then buttercream & ice on Thursday. Can anyone advise how long the cake stays fresh as I would really like to bake it on the Tuesday - would you think this would be ok? Please help!!!

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• Christina Eagles

  11 August 2009

  Christina Eagles rated and commented on this recipe

  

  I am making this again for a friends 30th birthday in 3 weeks and I will be adding the lemon tier this time round. The chocolate version I wrote about in June for my friends 40th turn out amazing. It was very mosit and all the guests were very impressed with how gorgeous it tasted! The only difficulty I had was with the chocolate filling and found this came through the icing on the corners of my cake. I think I just put too much on the outside of the cake so this time I will be caucious! Also putting it in the fridge once it has been filled and covered in the buttercream for about 2 hours and letting it set has been recommended and I will try it this time.

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• kiejay

  11 August 2009

  kiejay commented on this recipe

  anyone made this in a large sqaure tin (i have a 14")? just wondering how long you baked it for? any help would be great its for my sons 21st birthday

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• Lynn Cann

  24 August 2009

  Lynn Cann commented on this recipe

  How do you ice the chocolate and lemon cakes do you still use marzipan etc?

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• LouiseHJ

  24 August 2009

  LouiseHJ commented on this recipe

  Going to try this having read all the excellent reports. However, no one has replied as to how you tell when it is cooked - skewer clean or just assume after 2 1/2 hours it's ready. Is it less time for the 6"? Expensive ingedients to get it wrong! Also, any one tried it with hot chocolate instead of coffee as suggested?

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• Mrs Mom

  31 August 2009

  Mrs Mom commented on this recipe

  Where do you get bicarbonate of soda???

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• Mrs Mom

  31 August 2009

  Mrs Mom commented on this recipe

  and is soured cream the same thing as sour cream?

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• Mrs Mom

  31 August 2009

  Mrs Mom commented on this recipe

  and is soured cream the same thing as sour cream?

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• Mrs Mom

  31 August 2009

  Mrs Mom commented on this recipe

  I ordered bicarbonate of soda and here is the description.. Description: This antacid powder is to be mixed with water and provides effective relief of heartburn, acid indigestion, sour stomach and symptoms of upset stomach associated with these conditions, or overindulgence in food or drink. IS THIS RIGHT???? LOL or is there another bicarbonate of soda?

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• Alan

  02 September 2009

  Alan commented on this recipe

  Chocolate cakes collapsing.... Have made 6in, 9in, 12in. Some perfect. some not... Scratching my head as to why..fan oven new and holds temp.. Any ideas...

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• Sally

  07 September 2009

  Sally commented on this recipe

  I am planning to make this wonderful chocolate cake for my son's wedding. Will my guests be ok with a napkin and fingers, or will they need a plate and fork? Thanks in advance for your responses.

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• manbearpig

  07 September 2009

  manbearpig commented on this recipe

  I made a 9-inch version of this cake recently and used half the recipe. I baked in a fan oven for 1 hr 45 minutes at 140 degrees and it turned out perfect (skewer was clean). Make sure to line a couple of inches above the top of the tin as the cake rises a lot! The cake was really tasty and improved after a couple days. I wouldn't really rate the chocolate buttercream recipe though. It was too sweet & not much flavour. It was also a bit grainy - not sure if I did something wrong. Can anyone recommend a good buttercream recipe?

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• manbearpig

  07 September 2009

  manbearpig rated this recipe

  

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• Mrs Mom

  08 September 2009

  Mrs Mom commented on this recipe

  Ok i made it! Disappointed, it was good but i have made a better chocolate cake for less money!!! My mom said it wasn't sweet enough.

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• Mrs Mom

  08 September 2009

  Mrs Mom rated this recipe

  

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• lennyb

  24 September 2009

  lennyb commented on this recipe

  made choc cake for trial wedding cake fab best tasted yum when i added the coffee i just mixed it with vanilla essence was i supposed to make it up with water to get 100ml? please help as i have to make this cake in 2 weeks.

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Ingredients

• 650g unsalted butter
• 650g plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 100ml very strong coffee- espresso is ideal
• 3 tsp vanilla essence
• 650g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 950g light soft brown sugar
• 10 eggs
• 2 x 284ml soured cream

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Difficulty and servings

Serves 50

Preparation and cooking times

Prep 40 mins

Cook min 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• 650g unsalted butter
• 650g plain chocolate (70% cocoa)
• 100ml very strong coffee- espresso is ideal
• 3 tsp vanilla essence
• 650g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 950g light soft brown sugar
• 10 eggs
• 2 x 284ml soured cream

Per serving

274 kcalories, protein 3g, carbohydrate 30g, fat 16 g, saturated fat 9g, fibre 1g, salt 0.23 g

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