Ultimate Chocolate Cake (V) from Baking Imperfect

By Erin Brown
Related Categories: Cookbook Confidential

“This cake does not travel well by post. Structural integrity was not top of the list, but the intensely indulgent chocolate hit was. This means it’s delicious but also that as many slices as possible should be served in one go, because once the first slice is removed the custard will ooze out and then the cake will probably collapse. Ideally this cake should be made up of four sponges, but you can do it with just two. If you do decide to do all four, there is no need to double the custard or icing quantities – there will be enough either way.” Lottie Bedlow, author of Baking Imperfect

Kit list

2 (or even better, 4) x 20cm (8-inch) round cake tins

Hand whisk

Electric whisk

Food processor

Round cookie cutter, about 10cm (4 inches)

Cake board (optional)

Small palette knife

Piping bag and nozzle (optional)

For the sponges (this makes 2, but you’ll want to double it to make 4)

400g (14oz) plain flour

250g (9oz) golden caster sugar

100g (3½oz) light brown soft sugar

50g (1¾oz) high-quality cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

½ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

150ml (5fl oz) soured cream

1 shot of freshly brewed espresso coffee, cooled

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

175g (6oz) unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing

125ml (4fl oz) corn oil

300ml (10fl oz) ice-cold water

For the custard

5 large egg yolks

150g (5½oz) caster sugar

2 tablespoons cornflour

250ml (9fl oz) milk

250ml (9fl oz) double cream

100g (3½oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids minimum), broken into pieces

For the icing

180g (6¼oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids minimum), broken into pieces

250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened

300g (10½oz) icing sugar

2 tablespoons chocolate liqueur (optional)

To decorate

Chocolate treats (I like Maltesers, Buttons, Ferrero Rocher…), white chocolate chips and candy sprinkles, to decorate

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease the cake tins and line the bases with nonstick baking paper.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a hand whisk until evenly combined.

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, soured cream, cooled coffee and vanilla.

Pour the melted butter and oil into YET ANOTHER bowl and beat together well with an electric whisk. Dribble the measured water into the bowl while continuing to whisk – this will emulsify the mixture (I don’t understand it – ask Nigella). Now combine this oil mixture with the egg mixture and beat again. Finally, add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined (make sure to include the pesky bits of flour hiding at the bottom of the bowl).

Divide the batter equally between the lined tins and bake for 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. If you are doubling this sponge recipe (which I recommend), then get cracking weighing out your ingredients to repeat the process. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins.

To make the custard

While your sponges are baking, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and cornflour together in a bowl with a hand whisk until you have a pale paste. Heat the milk, cream and chocolate in a medium saucepan over a low heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is steaming but not boiling. Pour a little of the hot milk mixture on to the egg yolk mixture and whisk vigorously to combine, then gradually add half of the remaining hot milk mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly until it is all incorporated. Add the egg yolk mixture to the pan, place over a medium heat and bring to the boil, whisking constantly until thickened to a custard consistency that you are happy with.

Pour the custard through a sieve over a bowl, cover the surface with clingfilm to stop a skin from forming and leave to cool.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in the microwave using the heat, stir, repeat method until smooth, then set aside to cool. Once cooled, put into a food processor with the other icing ingredients and blitz until creamy. If you don’t have a food processor, do it the old-fashioned way, creaming the butter, sifting in the icing sugar and then adding the chocolate (and liqueur if using) before beating together.

To assemble

Remove your cooled sponges from their tins and peel ff the lining paper. Using the cookie cutter, stamp out a circle from the centre of one sponge if you’ve made 2, or from 2 sponges if you’ve made 4. Crumble up the sponge circle/s you’ve cut out and set aside.

Place a complete sponge (no hole), base-side up, on a cake board or serving plate. Spread over a layer of icing with a small palette knife and stick a holey sponge, base-side up again, on top. Then fill the hole with custard and some of the crumbled up sponge. Pop some chocolate treats in, too, if you like. If you’ve made 4 sponges, spread another layer of icing on the ring of sponge around the hole, then top with a complete sponge before repeating the process so that you finish with a custard-filled hole as the top layer. Fill with more treats and crumbs.

Decorate the cake with any icing you have left over (use a piping bag and fancy nozzle if you have one) and even more of your favourite treats.