Ultimate Chocolate Celebration Cake

This is a recipe I've inherited from my Gran, which she has adapted from a Mary Berry recipe. It's my 'go to' chocolate cake for birthdays or special occasions, it's often requested! The plain chocolate in the ganache means this cake is rich, but not overly sweet, it's a more grown up flavour; a very popular one!

Ultimate Chocolate Celebration Cake

This makes a big cake, but it’s perfect for birthdays or other celebrations; it’ll easily cut into 20 generous helpings.

Ingredients:

4oz cocoa powder
12tbsp boiling water
6 large eggs
4fl oz milk
12oz self raising flour
2tsp baking powder
8oz marg/butter
20oz caster sugar

500g plain chocolate, chopped (good quality)
500ml double cream
(6 tablespoons apricot jam – optional)
Variety of chocolate sprinkles to decorate (optional)

160oC fan oven/180oC other ovens

2 x 8x10in rectangular baking tins (at least 3in deep) greased and lined

Method:

1. In a large mixing bowl make a paste using the cocoa powder and water; add the water gradually and beat well after each addition until the cocoa comes together into a thick, smooth paste that looks like melted chocolate.
2. Add the remaining cake ingredients and mix well – it’ll form a thick batter. Divide the batter equally between your two cake tins and make a slight indent in the middle of the batter so they’ll rise level.
3. Bake the cakes in the middle of a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the cakes are coming away from the edge of the tin and a sharp knife or knitting needle comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each cake. (Check on them halfway through baking it check they’re not getting too brown).
4. Once they’re cooked turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely; don’t be tempted to ice them too early or your icing will melt and ruin your cake.
5. Once the cakes are cooled you can make the ganache for filling and topping your cake. If you like apricot jam you can heat the jam in a pan over a low heat until it melts and then brush over each cake, it makes the ganache stick better, but I don’t like it so I don’t bother – it makes little difference.
6. To make the ganache put the cream and chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir constantly as it melts. Do not let the mixture boil.
7. Once all the chocolate has melted take the bowl off the heat and leave it to cool until it’s tepid, approx 10 minutes – then you can assemble the cake!
8. Begin by covering one cake in ganache, put onto a cake board/large plate, put the other cake on top and cover in ganache. Start in one corner and fill in the gap between the two cakes with ganache, as well as covering the sides of the cake at the same time. Use a flat bladed palette knife to smooth the ganache.
9. Once you’ve covered the whole cake cover the top with sprinkles if you're going to and leave it for at least two hours in a cool place to let the ganache set. The cake will keep for at least a week in an airtight container, it’s great served with cream for a real treat!

This really is a crowd pleaser, the ganache icing gives it a real wow factor, and you can have fun with extra decorations too!

Happy Baking,


The Baking Ginger xx