White & dark chocolate cake

White & dark chocolate cake

For big celebrations this cake is a must, four layers of moist sponge, lashings of chocolate ganache and the crunch of Maltesers

Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Cuts into 12 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Cake only

Method

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
Try

Make it for Easter

If you want to give this cake a special Easter touch, you could arrange eleven Maltesers around the top in a ring to make a simnel cake of sorts

Per serving

565 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 51g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 1g, sugar 37g, salt 0.62 g

Recipe from Good Food magazine, April 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

Results 41-60

  • Binder photo alison

    16 March 2009

    alison commented on this recipe

    Just made this for my son's birthday. Easy to make and timings were fine. Quite dense and beautifully chocolatey. If I made it again however I would add some alcohol sprinkled over the layers (tia maria or kahlua probably) - it was very rich. Ended up by leaving out the white chocolate icing, had terrible trouble melting the white chocolate in the microwave, it went too thick and gloopy and split the piping bag! Any suggestions folks? Ganache thickened up wonderfully with twenty minutes in the freezer once cool, followed by a quick stir! Looked beautiful once adorned with long gold and silver candles. Will definitely make again (especially an alcoholic version for grown ups to serve with pouring cream).

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  • Binder photo Sapna

    04 April 2009

    Sapna commented on this recipe

    This recipe looks good but the egg size is not mentioned. Those of you who have tried this out pl. let me know the egg size-medium /large. thanks

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  • Binder photo Laura

    05 April 2009

    Laura rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I've made this a few times since last Easter, and have been asked to make it for lots of people's birthdays. I leave out the coffee and it still tastes great. I find it's easier to cook the cakes as four seperate ones. This means they take less time to cook and there's no danger of them breaking when you split them.

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  • Binder photo Dee Smith

    05 April 2009

    Dee Smith rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    I made this for my grandson's birthday party this weekend. I cooked it an extra 5 minutes as I had ready previous comments. It turned out beautifully, will definitely make it again. It was a big hit. Thank you Jane.

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  • Binder photo mother*ship

    08 April 2009

    mother*ship rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Delicious cake, great combination of sweet white and slightly bitter dark chocolate. Definitely needs longer cooking than stated and I have to say I didn't have the nerve to slice the layers in half, I was too worried about them breaking up. Also the ganache took *ages* to thicken up so it might be worth doing this first.

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  • Binder photo George

    12 April 2009

    George rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Nice cake but I used dark choc that was too strong in taste (100%!!) so it was quite bitter (even when mixed with milk choc). I loved the white choc cake though and would prob make that again as a cake in its own right - lovely looking cake for easter though, everyone seemed to enjoy.

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  • Binder photo Deborah

    19 April 2009

    Deborah rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    since making this for the first time i now always have one in the freezer as stand by , freezing does not alter the enjoyment of the cake . My work colleages insist we have this cake once a month they call it debs teaser cake

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  • Binder photo Claire C C

    03 May 2009

    Claire C C rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Fiddly to make with lots of washing up - however the finished cake did look and taste great (dark layer too strong/bitter for the kids though).

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  • Binder photo PinkPrincess

    27 May 2009

    PinkPrincess commented on this recipe

    Can anyone please advise how much I would need to adjust the quantities in order to make the cake in 25cm pans? I'd like to make this cake for my daughters birthday, and need to make it larger in order to feed a large, extended family!

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  • Binder photo sally

    30 May 2009

    sally rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really easy to make, nice light sponge, only one little niggle.... I couldn't really taste the white chocolate in the sponge, but I will probably make it again.

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  • Binder photo Dr_Wizard

    16 July 2009

    Dr_Wizard rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Left the coffee out and made this for a family celebration - went down an absolute treat - looks really impressive and tastes fantastic!

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  • Binder photo Ermintrude75

    19 July 2009

    Ermintrude75 rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    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?

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  • Binder photo bessie

    30 August 2009

    bessie commented on this recipe

    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?

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  • Binder photo Shamrock

    28 September 2009

    Shamrock rated and commented on this recipe

    1 stars

    I don't know where I screwed but it was dry and crumble, the white chocolate wasn't tasty... I'm disappointed but I think it comes from me because all the comments are good!

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  • Binder photo Vicki

    01 October 2009

    Vicki commented on this recipe

    I used the white chocolate part of this cake as the recipe for my daughter's wedding cake. I made three square tiers 7" , 9" and 11" and everyone loved it.

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  • Binder photo Hellie

    09 January 2010

    Hellie rated this recipe

    4 stars

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  • Binder photo Natalie

    04 March 2010

    Natalie rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Steph<3Chocolate

    23 March 2010

    Steph<3Chocolate rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • Binder photo Rikkeharders

    03 April 2011

    Rikkeharders rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Really good cake. Esay to make..

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  • Binder photo Julie Bahrain

    11 April 2011

    Julie Bahrain rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Made this for a friend's birthday. I had to cook it for an extra 10 mins. It's a lovely light cake and not too sweet but I didn't have enough ganache to sandwich all the layers together.

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Difficulty and servings

Moderately easy

Cuts into 12 slices

Preparation and cooking times

Preparation time

Prep 30 mins

Cook time

Cook 30 mins

Freezable

Cake only

Gorgeous centrepiece

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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Per serving

565 kcalories, protein 7g, carbohydrate 51g, fat 39 g, saturated fat 22g, fibre 1g, sugar 37g, salt 0.62 g

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