Posh Chocolate Cake
If you fancy making something akin to a posh brownie, then this cake has your name on it. Super easy to whip up, tastes like a brownie and looks like a cake that you went to a great deal of effort to make (but guess what, you didn’t). Let’s face it, those sort of desserts are the best.
A not so secret ingredient in the cake is coffee. Just regular old instant coffee. Now if you’re not a coffee fan (seriously, who even are you?!), trust me when I tell you that you wont even taste it - it literally just makes the cake more chocolatey. So please just put it in, ok?
I wont kid you, this cake is rich……like really, really rich. A little goes a long way. I do however, like to really push the rich stakes and slather the cake with a ganache, but this is not essential. You could dust the cake with dark cocoa powder instead.
The cake will sink a little in the middle and will also crack on top - this is totally meant to happen. Don’t panic.
Best refrigerated after cooking so that it can set, otherwise, good luck plating it up (very gooey). Slice the cake with a hot knife and wipe it clean between slices. Serve with thick cream or icecream and fresh berries.
Mel xoxo
A Posh Chocolate Cake
serves 10-12
Ingredients
250g dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids), chopped
250 unsalted butter, room temperature
220g caster sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp instant coffee
50g plain flour, sifted
20g cocoa powder
pinch salt
Garnish
125g dark chocolate (55% cocoa solids), finely chopped
125g pouring cream
gold leaf (optional)
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 22cm round springform cake tin.
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is smooth and melted. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between each addition. Add the melted chocolate and instant coffee and mix well. Fold in the flour, cocoa and salt.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and smooth over the top with the back of a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. The cake should still have a wobble in the centre. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before removing the sides (but leave the cake on the base of the tin).
If you are smothering your cake with ganache, place the chocolate in a small bowl and heat the pouring cream in a small saucepan until it starts to boil. Remove the cream from the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Leave for a minute or two to melt the chocolate before stirring until smooth. Pour the ganache over the cake and smooth over with a palette knife or the back of a spoon. If you want to be really fancy, you can add some gold leaf.
Refrigerate the cake so that it can set before removing the cake tin base. Slice with a hot knife. Serve with thick cream or icecream and berries.