OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE
 NIGELLA

Photograph by James Merrell

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:
200g plain flour
200g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
40g best-quality cocoa
175g soft unsalted butter
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
150ml sour cream
FOR THE ICING:
75g unsalted butter
175g best quality dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
300g icing sugar
1 tablespoon golden syrup
125ml sour cream
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
sugar flowers, optional
Serving Size : Makes about 8 slices
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METHOD

1.Take everything out of the fridge so that all the ingredients can come to room temperature.
2.Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180°C and line and butter two 20cm sandwich tins with removable bases.
3.Now all you have to do is put all the cake ingredients – flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarb, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream – into a food processor
4.and process until you have a smooth, thick batter. If you want to go the long way around, just mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl and beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture. Now whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla and eggs and beat this into your bowl of mixture.
5.Divide this batter, using a rubber spatula to help you scrape and spread, into the prepared tins and bake until a cake tester, or a thin skewer, comes out clean, which should be about 35 minutes, but it is wise to start checking at 25. Also, it might make sense to switch the two cakes around in the oven halfway through cooking time.
6.Remove the cakes, in their tins, to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out of their tins. Don’t worry about any cracks as they will easily be covered by the icing later.
7.To make this icing, melt the butter and chocolate in a good-sized bowl either in the microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water. Go slowly either way: you don’t want any burning or seizing.
8.While the chocolate and butter are cooling a little, sieve the icing sugar into another bowl. Or, easier still, put the icing sugar into the food processor and blitz. This is by far and away the least tedious way of removing lumps.
9.Add the golden syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla and then when all this is combined whisk in the sieved icing sugar. Or just pour this mixture down the funnel of the food processor on to the icing sugar, with the motor running.
10.When you’ve done, you may need to add a little boiling water – say a teaspoon or so – or indeed some more icing sugar: it depends on whether you need the icing to be runnier or thicker; or indeed it may be right as it is. It should be liquid enough to coat easily, but thick enough not to drip off.
11.Choose your cake stand or plate and cut out four strips of baking parchment to form a square outline on it (this stops the icing running on to the plate). Then sit one of the cakes, uppermost (ie slightly domed) side down.
12.Spoon about a third of the icing on to the centre of the cake half and spread with a knife or spatula until you cover the top of it evenly. Sit the other cake on top, normal way up, pressing gently to sandwich the two together.
13.Spoon another third of the icing on to the top of the cake and spread it in a swirly, textured way (though you can go for a smooth finish if you prefer, and have the patience). Spread the sides of the cake with the remaining icing and leave a few minutes till set, then carefully pull away the paper strips.
14.I love to dot the top of this with sugar pansies – and you must admit, they do look enchanting – but there really is no need to make a shopping expedition out of it. Anything, or indeed nothing, will do.
ADDITIONAL INFO

I tend to keep my kitchen stocked with very good dark chocolate buttons (70 per cent cocoa solids) as this entirely dispenses with any need to chop chocolate before melting it (see Sources & Stockists to find these online). Do not dream of using normal confectionary ones (except just to eat, of course).

REVIEWS

Fantastic, tried it!

BAL78

I tried this recipe and the cake vanished in 20 minutes, while it was still hot. However, I didn't have sour cream so I used thick curd instead, tasted delicious nevertheless.

Choconut

I make this cake every Saturday and it gets demolished the second I finish icing it! I fill mine with fresh whipped cream. I find the sour cream makes the cake moist but not oily, and much more spongier and springy!

ccharliee

This is one of my favourite recipes from Nigella. This cake is so simple to make, it's fail-safe, it looks beautiful and it tastes absolutely delicious! If you need a stand-by chocolate cake recipe, this is definitely the one.

cremebrulee

As i'm not the greatest cook i found this really easy & it turned out great, I have now got a list of people who are wanting me to make one for them lolx

xxAJxx

Very easy to make and tastes delicious (though the icing makes it extremely rich). Made it for a friend's birthday and it went down a treat.

RanaB

I watched Nigella make this on NBites and it looked simple and failsafe! I've tried baking it twice and the mixture is so so thick it makes me think I've left a fluid ingredient out. It also baked in only 20mins and was quite dry?? What could I be doing wrong? Has anyone else had this issue? I've purchased the two correct sized tins and so would love to get it right! Thanks

omlulu

This made a fabulous birthday cake at short notice. I soured some whipping cream with a bit of lemon juice, which worked fine, and used 3 medium eggs. Also sandwiched the cake with some home made morello cherry jam with a bit of light rum, and then made half the amount of frosting for the top and sides, adding a dash of rum. This still made plenty and meant I only needed 1 bar of choc and 1 tub of cream. Looked pretty with some of the spare choc flaked on top with a potato peeler. Very pleased and will make again.

n16annie
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