0
0

Your Cart is Empty

  • Login
Chateau Rouge Gourmet Fine Foods UK_Great Taste Awards winners_chocolate honey and organic tea
Home / Blog - Gourmet Discoveries
Previous  / Next

October 29, 2017 3 min read

Chocolate


The best dark chocolate cake you’ve ever tasted

There’s nothing quite like a moist, fluffy and deeply chocolately cake as an instant mood lifter. Whether you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing dessert for guests this weekend, celebrating a special occasion – or just enjoying a tempting treat (because honestly, who really needs an excuse for some cake?).

This decadently rich dark chocolate cake is sure to hit the spot and have the compliments rolling in. Soft and fluffy sponge layers are paired with a fudgy and sumptuous chocolate frosting, layered in between and slathered generously on top.

Finished off with a dusting of chocolate flakes, savour each morsel with a rich and luxurious cup of hot chocolate, for the ultimate chocolate indulgence.

Dark Chocolate Cake Recipe

[For the sponge cake]

  • 220g dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids, or higher for a more intense flavour)
  • 200g salted butter
  • 90g self-raising flour
  • 80g plain white flour
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 300g dark muscovado sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 75ml buttercream
  • ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee or 1 single shot fresh Italian espresso
  • Freshly grated chocolate flakes to finish

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 deg.C Butter and coat two or three round cake tins (use a single larger tin if you prefer not to make a layer cake - although this may take slightly longer to bake).
  2. In a large bowl placed over hot water, melt dark chocolate and butter slowly. Remove from water when molten.
  3. Combine espresso powder with 100ml cold water and add to chocolate, stirring in.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder, sifting to remove any lumps.
  5. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, gradually adding buttercream.
  6. Combine egg, chocolate and flour mix gradually, until smooth and liquid, ensuring no lumps are remaining in the mixture.
  7. Pour into separate tins and bake for 1hr 20 mins or so, checking with a knife to ensure cake is ready.
  8. Allow each layer to cool completely before assembling the cake and adding icing.
  9. Finish off with chocolate flakes to decorate.

To make the best chocolate icing ever:

  • 110g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 70g dark chocolate (minimum 60% cocoa solids, or higher for a more intense flavour)
  • 200g icing sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • a splash of full-fat milk

The key to what makes this the best chocolate icing you’ll ever come across is using the choicest dark chocolate available. While darker chocolates have a slightly bittersweet flavour, this is balanced perfectly with the sweetness of icing sugar.

Opt for a higher cocoa solids percentage – this will give the truly deep and intense hit of chocolate flavour that makes every last morsel of this cake to enjoy.

Method

  1. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large glass bowl. Melt the chocolate by placing the bowel over a pan of hot water (not kept on the stove). Stir gradually, until the chocolate is smooth.
  2. In a separate bowl, begin to beat the butter with icing sugar and vanilla extract, adding sugar gradually.
  3. Gently fold in molten chocolate into butter and sugar mixture, until icing is at the right consistency. If it feels a little stiff, and a few splashes of cold full-fat milk to the mix.

Leftover icing can be kept in the fridge for several days and even used for a variety of purposes, like cake pops. We suggest you serve a slice of cake with a steaming cup of rich dark hot chocolate and savour!

After all, everyone loves chocolate... we know we do!

 

Chateau Rouge Fine Foods UK_Dark chocolate cake recipe ingredients checklist

 


Please leave your comments

Please let us know how we are doing. Have you enjoyed reading this article and what would you like to see more about? When we're not busy in the kitchen: discovering and making new gourmet foods, we're very busy with running a small artisan food business. So to ensure we keep on providing excellent value to you, we'd appreciate if let us know.

Also in Blog - Gourmet Discoveries

bee friendly garden uk
Make Your Garden Bee Friendly

October 10, 2019 5 min read

Honey
It’s a sad state of affairs, but with global warming at an all-time high, studies show that bees are on the verge of extinction. Because of the importance of pollination, bees actually aid our existence on planet earth. It goes without saying that bees are essential species both for our planet as well as food crops – they are a vital part of the ecosystem and losing them entirely would have devastating effects not only if you're a natural honey lover but for all food production...
Read More
organic blackberries
Best Blackberry Pie Recipe

September 06, 2019 2 min read

Recipes
It's summer blackberry season! This recipe is great because you can throw in any fruits that are in season or even use frozen fruit in the winter. Traditional rhubarb is great as well as peaches. Another alternative to consider is adding in a spoonful of organic fruit jam - instead of sugar to the fruit. We tried this with our peach and apricot jam and it worked out a treat...
Read More
perfect picnic food
Top Tips for Best Summer Picnic

August 23, 2019 4 min read

afternoon tea
A real summer tradition - Over the years, picnics have grown in popularity and for many, are commonplace. A good picnic usually consists of a delightful picnic basket to house the goodies, sandwiches, refreshing drinks and tasty treats for an afternoon tea. Some picnics may even take the form of a BBQ and food can be enjoyed hot or cold. Whether you like classic picnics or something more contemporary, there is something for everyone to enjoy...
Read More

JOIN OUR 'CR FOODIE' NEWSLETTER