Rich Chocolate Cake

The only chocolate cake recipe you need. This isn't a fudge cake, or a mud cake, or flourless version - this is a true chocolate cake for when that is exactly what you want. Recipe provided by Yolanda Derham.

 
Pictured: Rich Chocolate Cake

1 cup boiling water
90g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa
125g unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ cup sour cream
2 cups plain flour, less flour needed for dusting cake tin
1 tsp baking powder

Chocolate icing –
30g unsalted butter
¼ cup chocolate, chopped/ chocolate bits – dark or milk
1/3 cup thickened cream
1 ¼ cups sifted icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 26cm cake tin and dust with flour shaking out excess – take a spoonful from the 2 cups as noted in ingredient list.

Place finely chopped chocolate and chopped butter into a large bowl – all ingredients will eventually be combined into this bowl - pour the boiling water over and let sit for 5 minutes to melt, and stir until smooth.
Add vanilla essence to the mix, then the sugar, mixing well.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, combining well after each.

Mix the sour cream and bicarbonate of soda together, then whisk into the chocolate mix.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the chocolate mix, using a whisk gradually beat until smooth – this will take a few minutes to incorporate.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until just stiff, then add a spoonful to the chocolate mix to loosen, then add remaining egg whites and fold in gently to maintain as much air in the whites as possible – once just mixed in pour into the prepared cake tin. Should be a slightly aerated wet mixture.

Bake 40 – 50 minutes, in the centre of the oven. To test when ready, the cake will have pulled away from the sides slightly, and a cake tester will come out clean.

Let cool 10 minutes in the tin to settle before turning out to cool completely before icing.

Chocolate icing – Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over low heat and whisk til smooth. Cool for a few minutes to let thicken enough to spread onto cake; add more sugar or butter depending how thick you like it.

Serves 12 

TasteTip - Chocolate initially was a drink which only the rich could afford. It reached Europe in the 16th century. In France 1698 Martin Lister, the English naturalist and physician, believed Parisian ladies were growing obese due to their weakness for this delicacy. The Marquis de Sade even had chocolate-coated snacks delivered to him in prison.