White & dark chocolate cake
By Jane Hornby
Cooking time
Prep: 30 mins Cook: 30 minsSkill level
Moderately easyServings
Cuts into 12 slicesFor big celebrations this cake is a must, four layers of moist sponge, lashings of chocolate ganache and the crunch of Maltesers
Nutrition and extra info
Additional info
- Cake only
Nutrition per serving
- kcalories
- 565
- protein
- 7g
- carbs
- 51g
- fat
- 39g
- saturates
- 22g
- fibre
- 1g
- sugar
- 37g
- salt
- 0.62g
Ingredients
- 175g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 100g white chocolate (we like M & S or Green & Black’s with real vanilla)
- 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
- 3 eggs
- 100ml whole or semi-skimmed milk
- 175g caster sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 200g self-raising flour
- 2 tbsp very strong coffee (instant is fine)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the ganache and to decorate
- 284ml pot double cream
- 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
- 50g white chocolate, melted
- small bag white chocolate Maltesers (optional)
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Method
- Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and bottom-line 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. For the cake, break the white and dark chocolate into two small bowls, then melt in the microwave on High for 1 min or over a pan of simmering water. Put everything else, except the coffee and vanilla, into a large bowl, then beat until creamy.
- Divide the mixture in two, then add the coffee and melted dark chocolate to one bowl, and the vanilla and melted white chocolate to the other. Stir until mixed through, then tip into the tins. Bake for 20-25 mins until risen and slightly shrunk from the sides of the tins. Cool in the tins for a few mins, then turn onto a wire rack.
- For the ganache, heat the cream in a pan, then break the dark chocolate into a large bowl. Once the cream is just boiling, pour it onto the chocolate, then leave for 5 mins. Stir until smooth, then leave until thickened and cool. Split the cakes in two across the middle (a bread knife works well), layer up the pieces, alternating white and dark layers, and sandwiching, then topping them with the ganache.
- To decorate, spoon the melted white chocolate into a piping bag with a fine nozzle (or use a sandwich bag and snip off the end instead). Zig-zag the white chocolate over the cake, then finish with a scattering of white Maltesers. Serve on its own or for dessert with pouring cream. Best eaten on the day, but keeps in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2008
Comments, questions and tips
Comments
Made this for my mums birthday and it looked exactly like the picture.
Was very easy to make and put together. I did leave out the coffee as we're not a huge fan and I added 2tsp vanilla for extra flavour. Some ate it a room temp and others ate slightly warm as the ganache melted making it gooey. People liked it either way, but I preferred it warm :-)
Overall a very good cake as its easy to make, looked impressive and tasted great, would definitely recommend.
These look really lovely. Check out the chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate frosting I made yesterday http://recipesatrandom.com/2011/12/04/chocolate-cupcakes-with-white-choc...
I just made this cake a lot easier than expected. I doubled up to make a larger cake. I left in the oven for an extra 15-20 mins and was perfect. I made for someones birthday and they was very happy. was very moist and i really enjoyed it I have made two and the second one looked like a shop bought one. I found It very expensive to make and would only make for special occasions. I think I would use btter icing again.
I've just made the ganache in this recipe to use with the choc.
wedding cake. I found that the chocolate/double cream
mixture has become oily and when put in the fridge the
butterfat has set - hasn't affected the taste, just looks not very
nice. Perhaps our Australian double cream is different from the
UK variety? Any suggestions, anyone?
I made this into marbled cupcakes by putting a good spoonful of each batter into a cake/muffin case - it made 20 decent sized ones. Cooked for 25 mins at 160 (fan) but they sank a little on cooling. The 70% chocolate is a bit full-on for the ganache, as others have said. Would recommend Green & Black's "darker shade of milk" instead.
Also, microwaving on "full power" is a poor instruction. Please give an idea of wattage. After 1 min at "full power" (900W) my white chocolate was part-melted, and part-caramelised inside, as I found when I stirred it. I had to sieve out the burnt sugar! Maybe brand makes a difference?