The perfect chocolate cake

Now that I have caught your attention with the title of this post, I realise that is quite a statement but honestly this is the tastiest cake I have ever tried. It's that perfect kind of not too sweet chocolate that makes you keep returning hourly to cut off slices; Pretty straight forward to make and a total crowd pleaser! Last week I spent a busy evening baking two of these for an office birthday and thought they would make a great post for anyone looking to gain a few brownie points at parties/picnics/events where you have a lot of grovelling to do.

Ingredients:

400g plain flour, sifted

250g of golden caster sugar

100g of light muscovado sugar

50g of cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp of salt

142ml sour cream

3 large eggs

175g unsalted and melted butter

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

125ml corn or olive oil

300ml cold water

Icing:

175g dark chocolate (I recommend minimum 70% cocoa solids so it’s not too sweet or bitter either)

275g icing sugar, sifted

250g butter, unsalted and softened

3 drops of vanilla extract

Before you begin, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4/350ºF and butter and line the bottom of two 20cm / 8 inch sandwich tins.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Now beat together the melted butter, water and oil until blended. Add the dry ingredients all at once and continue to mix it. Add the egg mixture, and continue to mix until everything is blended. While beating the mixture you want to aim to beat as much air into it as possible. Now pour the mixture into the lined tins.

Put in the oven for 50-55 minutes, but I recommend checking after 45 minutes. Stick a cake tester or even a chopstick into the sponge and if it comes out clean then it has properly cooked inside. Transfer the tins on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

For the icing:

Melt the chocolate by either microwaving it for a couple of minutes, or placing it in a bowl which is being steamed on the hob. In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy before adding the sieved icing sugar. Add the vanilla extract drops and the chocolate, and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth. Now the cake is ready to ice.

Make sure you’re generous with the icing and cover the middle, top and sides of the cake using either a rubber spatula or big butter knife. Place in the fridge from an hour and voila, your cake is perfect.

Bon appetite!