Matilda Chocolate Cake
Matilda Chocolate Cake
1 hr plus chilling, 180°C, three 20cm tins
Ingredients
Cake plain flour 260g baking powder 1.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1.5 tsp caster sugar 200g light brown sugar 135g salt 1 tsp eggs 3 vegetable oil 135g buttermilk 80g soured cream 240g Dutch cocoa 75g instant coffee 2 tsp boiling water 180g Fudge frosting dark chocolate 300g, 70% golden syrup 3 tbsp cream cheese 225g cocoa powder 33g icing sugar 100g salt 1/4 tsp double cream 300ml, chilled
Weigh the flour, too much makes it dry. Dutch cocoa and 70% dark chocolate (bars, not chips) give the deepest colour and the glossy fudge shine.
Recipe
1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line three 20cm tins.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, both sugars and salt in one bowl. In another, whisk the eggs, oil, buttermilk and soured cream until smooth.
3. Mix the cocoa and coffee into the boiling water to a smooth paste.
4. Fold the dry mix into the wet in two goes, then fold in the cocoa paste.
Stop the moment it comes together. Overmixing makes it tough.
5. Divide between the tins and bake 22 to 24 minutes, until a skewer comes out with moist crumbs.
Pull it at moist crumbs, not clean. An overbaked chocolate cake goes dry.
6. Cool in the tins 20 minutes, turn out, then chill 1 hour.
Cold layers are firmer and far easier to frost neatly.
7. Melt the chocolate with the golden syrup over low heat, stirring, then set aside.
8. In the stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, cocoa, icing sugar and salt until creamy. Add the cream and whisk to fluffy, then pour in the warm chocolate and whisk to a glossy, spreadable fudge.
If it firms up too much, warm a spoonful and beat it back through.
9. Stack the layers with frosting between, then coat the top and sides in a thick, glossy layer.
Source: Bake with Zoha.