Moist Chocolate Cake
This is a must have, must bake chocolate cake recipe! It's plenty chocolatey and super moist! Topped with dark chocolate ganache, it's a decadent dessert fit for any occasion!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 220 g plain or all-purpose flour
- 60 g naturally unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp instant coffee granules
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 g caster sugar
- 110 g brown sugar
- 2 large eggs 55 - 60 g each
- 240 g buttermilk
- 110 g oil
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 240 g boiling hot water
For the ganache:
- 200 g dark chocolate bitter-sweet or semi-sweet chocolate buttons
- 200 g whipping cream
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 170°C (350°F). Grease the base and sides of a square 8 x 8 x 1½-inch (20 x 20 x 4 cm) cake pan. Line the base with baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, instant coffee granules, salt, brown sugar and white sugar. Stir with a whisk or wooden spoon until well mixed.
- Add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Stir until you get a smooth, even batter. The batter will be quite thick.
- Slowly pour in the hot boiling water. Stir the mixture as you tip in the water. The batter will be runny, and this is normal for this cake batter.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake on a rack set just below the centre of the oven, for 45 minutes, or until the cake is just done. Do not over-bake. When a metal or bamboo skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out mostly clean with just a little bit of sticky (but not wet) batter, the cake is done.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges to release it from the pan.
- Set the cake on a metal rack to cool completely.
Make the ganache:
- Finely chop or thinly slice chocolate and place into a heatproof bowl.
- In a small saucepan set, heat the cream over mow heat until it barely starts to simmer. Do not let it boil. Once little bubbles appear at the edges of the cream, it's hot enough.
- Pour the cream over the chocolate, making sure to cover all of the chocolate. Let it sit for 3 minutes.
- Slowly stir the mixture with a whisk, until the ganache becomes smooth and even. Set it aside to cool. It will thicken as it cools.
- Once the ganache reaches a firm and spreadable consistency, like smooth peanut butter, use an offset spatula to spread the ganache over the cooled chocolate cake. Make beautiful swirls, as desired.
Notes
- It is absolutely vital when preparing the ganache, that not a single drop of water is allowed to come into contact with the chocolate mixture. Otherwise, the chocolate will seize, thicken or harden, rendering it useless in its purpose as a frosting.
- For a thicker consistency or fudgy ganache, change the proportions of cream to chocolate in the recipe. Reduce the amount of cream for a thicker ganache, while retaining the proportion of chocolate.
- If your ganache has started to set before you've completely frosted your cake, return the saucepan with the ganache to the heat. Warm up over low heat, until it softens to spreading consistency. Allow to cool slightly again before frosting.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 457kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g, Cholesterol: 52mg, Sodium: 475mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 40g
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a rating and a review in the section below, and tag @foodelicacy on Instagram and hashtag it #foodelicacy so I can see!
