2paw: Friday Food: Chocolate cake

The recipe blurb opines that this is a Favourite Chocolate Cake, and I have to agree. I have made it twice and it has had very good reviews. I am also chuffed that it actually took an hour to bake, the time the recipe suggests, and was perfectly cooked. I used Dutch cocoa and made a ganache topping, but otherwise I followed the recipe. Quite unusual for me!! I also used my new very tall 20cm/8" round cake tin with a removable base and it was perfect as well. It was a bit of a puzzle to line, but I persevered.

This is from the October Coles Magazine.

Chocolate Cake serves 8-12

1/2 cup cocoa (60g)
3/4 cup boiling water (185ml)
3/4 cup butter (180g), softened
1 cup caster sugar (220g)
1 tspn vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 3/4 cups (260g) self raising flour
1/2 tspn bicarbonate of soda
7/8 cup (200g) sour cream

For the ganache topping

200g good dark or milk chocolate ( 70%)
1/2 cup (125ml) pouring cream

Preheat the oven to 180*C or 160*C fan-forced. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin. Mine has high sides and this is better I think.

Mix the cocoa and the boiling water until it is smooth and set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar until it is pale and light, about 5 minutes, and then add the vanilla and the eggs. Beat briefly so they are well combined.

Sift the flour and bicarb soda together and add to the creamed mixture along with the cocoa and water and finally the sour cream. Fold together carefully and gently until combined.

Spoon into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 1 hour. I turned the cake half way through. It is cooked when the top springs back to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The top of my cake cracked slightly, but it will be covered with the topping and really, I think it doesn't matter. It just shows that the cake is home made, with love and care!!!

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes and then remove and place on a rack until cold. Then top with ganache, or your favourite chocolate icing.

To make the ganache heat the cream in a pan or the microwave until it comes to the boil. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and pour the cream over. Stir until smooth and cool to room temperate. Then spread over cake.