Basic chocolate cake
A simply lovely choccie cake should be in everyone’s repertoire, and this one doesn’t disappoint! The luscious sponge
is the perfect partner for afternoon tea but is also brilliant served with freshly whipped cream for an after-dinner thrill.
250g unsalted butter
1½ cups CSR Raw Caster Sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
¹/³ cup dark cocoa powder
²/³ cup hot water
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ cup almond meal
Icing sugar, for dusting
Fresh berries, to serve
Ingredients
200g dark chocolate, chopped250g unsalted butter
1½ cups CSR Raw Caster Sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
¹/³ cup dark cocoa powder
²/³ cup hot water
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ cup almond meal
Icing sugar, for dusting
Fresh berries, to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper. Put chocolate and 75g of the butter in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat until melted. Set aside to cool.
2. Put remaining butter and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 5 minutes or until light and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
3. Put cocoa and water in a small bowl and stir until dissolved. Sift flour, baking powder and bicarb into a medium bowl. Fold into butter mixture with almond meal and cocoa mixture. Spoon into prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Cool in tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. Dust cake with icing sugar and top with berries to serve.
Notes
Raw caster sugar gives this cake a richer caramel flavour, but you can use the regular variety instead.
- Author:
- Stylist:
- Benito Martin, Andre Martin
- Photographer:
- Stephanie Souvlis
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