Chocolate Fudge Cake
Ingredients
- 200 gr. (8 oz.) dark chocolate
- 200 gr. (8 oz.) butter, cut into pieces
- 1 tbsp. instant coffee granules
- 85 gr. (3 oz.) self raising flour
- 85 gr. (3 oz.) plain flour
- ¼ tsp. bicarbonate of soda
- 200 gr. (7 oz.) light muscovado sugar
- 200 gr. (7 oz.) golden caster sugar
- 25 gr. (1 oz.) cocoa powder
- 3 medium eggs
- 75 ml (3 fl. oz.) buttermilk (5 tbsp.)
- For the ganache:
- 100 gr. (4 oz.) dark chocolate
- Small carton double cream, pouring
- approx. 150 ml (5 fl. oz.)
- 1 tbsp. golden caster sugar
- This is the smaller sized cake*
- Preheat the oven to 140°C
- Butter a 20 cm. (8") round cake tin (7.5 cm/3") deep and line the base with parchment paper.
- * (This can make two smaller cakes: use 2 x 20 cm. (8") round sponge tins, bake at 160°C / 50 minutes). Use one & freeze one.
Method
Break the chocolate in pieces into a glass bowl, tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 125 ml (4 fl. oz.) cold water and pour into the bowl. Melt in the microwave for approx. 3 minutes, stirring halfway through.
While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a large bowl, getting rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a jug and stir in the buttermilk.
Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency.
Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr. 25 minutes-1hr. 30 minutes. A cake tester (or skewer) should come out clean when you push it in the centre, the top should feel firm (don’t worry of it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don’t worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into two.
Make the ganache: chop the chocolate into small pieces and tip into a bowl. Pour the cream into a pan, add the sugar, and heat until it is about to boil. Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides, smoothing with a palette knife. Decorate with grated chocolate or a pile of chocolate curls.
Freezes well with or without icing.
