A Friend visited a few days ago and it happened to be their birthday. This cake is quite indulgent and just right for a special occasion. I have made it several times and it has always worked perfectly.

The recipe is taken from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson.

 

Ingredients for cake

400 g plain flour

250 g golden castor sugar

100 g light muscovado sugar

50 g good quality cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

½ tsp salt

3 eggs at room temperature

142 ml sour cream

1 tbls vanilla extract

175 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

125 ml corn oil

300 ml chilled water

 

Ingredients for fudge icing

175 g dark (70%) chocolate

250 g unsalted butter, softened

275 g icing sugar, sifted

1 tbls vanilla extract

 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (less for a fan forced oven). Brush 2 round 20 cm spring-form or loose bottomed cake pan with melted butter and line the base  and sides with baking paper.
2. Combine the dry ingredients – flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarb soda and salt – set aside.
3. In another bowl or wide necked jug, whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended
4. Using electric beaters, beat the melted butter and the corn oil until just blended before slowly beating in the chilled water.
5. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix together on a slow speed.
6. Add the egg mixture and mix again until everything is blended and then pour into the prepared tins.
7. Bake for 50 – 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins for 15 minutes before out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water and let cool slightly.
9. In another bowl beat the softened butter with the sifted icing sugar until light and fluffy. Gently add the chocolate and vanilla and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth.
10. If the tops of the cakes are slightly domed cut the domed part off so they will sit flat together. Smooth about a quarter of the icing on top of one of the cakes and then place the other cake on top. Cover the whole cake with the remaining icing and decorate with favourite treats – in this case Toblerone and strawberries.

Tips

I used large sized eggs

I used metric cup and spoon measurements; 1 cup = 250 ml, 1 tbls = 20 ml

To ensure the cakes are even, weigh the same amount of mixture into each cake pan.