THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Makes: 1 sandwich cake

Preparation time: 35 minutes

Baking time: 35 minutes

Cooing time: 1 hour

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The BEST Chocolate cake - quick to make and moist and tender, simply decorated with a fudgy no-butter, no-icing sugar, frosting.

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Ingredients

For the Chocolate Sponge

• 250g cake flour

• 40g cocoa powder

• 2 Tbs chocolate spread (or hazelnut-chocolate spread)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 180g castor sugar

• 100g brown sugar

• ¾ tsp salt

• 2 large eggs

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• ¾ cup sour cream

• 1 tsp vanilla essence

• 1 cup hot coffee ( 1 cup hot water with 1 tsp instant coffee added)
  

For the Chocolate frosting

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped into pieces

• ½ cup fresh cream (not a cream that has a high-fat content)

• 2 Tbs honey

• 2 Tbs chocolate spread (or hazelnut-chocolate spread)

• ⅓ cup sour cream
  

Method

For the Chocolate sponge

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add in the caster sugar, brown sugar and salt. Whisk until no lumps are present.

2. Add the eggs, oil, sour cream, chocolate spread, and vanilla essence in a separate bowl. Whisk together until well combined.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and, using a hand mixer attached with beaters, mix on medium. The mixture will feel dry. Add the hot coffee in increments allowing it to be incorporated smoothly. Beat for no more than two minutes.

4. Divide batter evenly between two 20cm greased and baking paper-lined round tins and bake for 30-33 minutes in an oven preheated to 180°C.

5. Check the doneness of the cakes by inserting a toothpick into the centre of the cake-- if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

6. Allow cooling slightly for 15 minutes before removing from the tin and cooling completely on a wire rack.
   

For the Chocolate Frosting

1. In a microwavable safe, high edged bowl, warm the cream until scalding. Add the chocolate pieces, chocolate spread, and honey to the cream and whisk until incorporated and shiny. Cool to room temperature, and then add in the sour cream and whisk it through. Further cool for 15 minutes in the fridge, whisk until the consistency is light. Cool again in the fridge for 30 minutes and whisk again to ensure the texture is easy to spread.

For the assembly

1. Using a serrated knife, cut off the domes of each cake, creating two level cakes. Place one cake on a plate and spread a thin layer of the frosting on the cut surface. Place the second cake on top and, using the remaining frosting, spread over the entire cake, creating waves with the back of a spoon or butter knife.