Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake is a favourite the world over, and a worthy topic for our very first bake. Here’s the link to our “chocolate cake” episode. See below the link for our podcast recipes.
Rich Chocolate Cake
Makes 4 8” sandwich tins, serves 20-25
Ingredients:
510 grams of caster sugar
510 grams of unsalted butter
8 large eggs
340 g of flour
170 g of cocoa powder
1/4 cup full fat milk
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp vanilla essence
2 tsp baking powder
Frosting Ingredients:
1.5 kg of icing sugar
100g of cocoa powder
375g SOFTENED butter
3/4 cup water
Method:
1) Cream butter and sugar on high for 10 minutes, or until fluffy and light in colour.
2) Add eggs to creamed butter and sugar, mix for a further 5 minutes until eggs are fully incorporated.
3) Add flour, cocoa, milk, oil, and vanilla, and mix on a medium speed, then high, until fully incorporated into the existing mix.
4) Add baking powder, and gently mix in.
5) Pour into greased/lined pans.
6) Bake at 140 C for 70 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
7) Let cakes cool thoroughly before frosting (about 4 hours unless refrigerated).
Frosting Method:
1) Mix all ingredients together until you achieve a fluffy frosting. Add additional teaspoons full of water if needed, until you achieve your ideal frosting consistency.
Decorating:
1) Spread a small amount of frosting on your cake board or cake stand.
2) Place first cake layer on board /stand to cover frosting.
3) Place a full dollop of frosting on top of cake layer and spread evenly, leaving about a half an inch from the edges of the cake free from frosting all around.
4) Continue the stacking process.
5) Leave the top and sides free from frosting, and place the cake in your refrigerator for 45 minutes. This allows the frosting to set, and means that the cake layers will stay put as you frost the sides.
6) After 45 minutes, remove the cake from the refrigerator, and frost the sides and top of the cake.
7) Decorate the top with sprinkles, sweets, etc., slice, eat, and enjoy :)
Roux Frosting (Ermine Frosting)
makes enough to frost the cake above
Ingredients:
595g granulated sugar
127g all purpose (plain) flour
680g whole milk
680g softened unsalted butter
4tsp vanilla essence
1/4tsp salt
Method:
1) Place sugar and flour in a medium sized, heavy bottomed, pan. Mix together over a medium heat , until the flour is lightly toasted. Be careful not to burn the flour, as it toasts quickly.
2) Add the milk slowly and whisk constantly to avoid lumps. Let the mixture simmer, whisking constantly. Keep whisking until the mixture thickens, and it feels like a thick smooth custard.
3) Pour the mixture into a bowl, and cover with cling film. As with custard / creme patissiere, ensure that the cling film touches the top of the whole mixture to stop a skin forming on the surface.
4)Let the mixture cool in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, ideally 6-8 hours.
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5) Tip the butter into your cake mixer, and whisk on high until light and fluffy.
6) Turn the mixer to a slow speed, and slowly add the cooled flour mixture into the butter.
7) Whisk at a medium speed for a further 2 minutes when all of the flour mix has been incorporated.
8) Add vanilla, and salt (if you prefer), and whisk to incorporate.
9) Use immediately.
German Chocolate Cake Frosting
makes enough frosting for the cake above
Ingredients:
780g condensed milk
6 egg yolks
1 cup salted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups desiccated coconut
2 cups chopped pecans
Method:
1) With a spatula or spoon, mix condensed milk, egg yolks, and butter in a medium saucepan.
2) Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thickened.
3) Remove from heat, and stir in desiccated coconut, pecans and vanilla.
4) Let cool until at room temperature (about an hour), and frost cake.
