Best ever chocolate cake recipes

[karmakameleon]

I'm in search of the perfect chocolate cake recipe and made yet another one yesterday and yet again, it was ok, but nothing special and didn't really hit the spot. I'm looking for a dense layer type cake with a chocolatey fudgy icing. Anyone got any tried and tested recipes that they would recommend?

[AFingerofFudge]

am drooling in anticipation of someone who can bake coming along with a decent recipe for a chocolate cake. I can do a mean icing with melted chocolate and cream, but my sponge is like some dried stale tastless bread. The kids only eat the icing

[tkband3]

this Nigella one is amazing.

Or this one by Jamie Oliver is also fantastic:

Jamie's Party Cake recipe from his book " The Return of the Naked Chef"

3 rounded tablespoons cocoa powder
200gr/7oz caster sugar
200gr/7oz butter
3 large eggs
200gr/7oz self raising flour, sifted
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
1 handful of flaked almonds
200ml/7fl oz double cream (heavy cream)
1 large handful of raspberries
1 large handful of strawberries

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.

Line the bases of 2 x 20cm/8 inch cake tins with greased greaseproof paper.

Mix the cocoa powder with 4 tablespoons of boiling water until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, add the cocoa mixture, eggs, flour and baking powder. Mix well, fold in the nuts. Divide the mixture between the tins. Bake for about 25 minutes. When cooked, allow to cool then remove from the tins.

Chocolate Topping -

100gr/4oz butter
100gr/4oz best cooking chocolate
100gr/4oz icing sugar
3 tablespoons milk

Melt the chocolate topping ingredients in a bowl over some slightly simmering water. Stir until blended well and allow to cool.

Whip the double cream to soft peaks and sweeten with a little sugar.

To assemble the cake, remove the greaseproof paper from both sponges. Drizzle each one with a little sherry, if you like. Spread the cream over one of the sponges, then sprinkle the fruit on top. Sandwich the second sponge on top and press down. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to smooth it off and drizzle over the chocolate topping.

[bigTillyMint]

Yes this is my steadfast standby! I is never, ever dry


Melt gently:
4oz marg
4oz light brown sugar
4oz syrup

sift into a bowl:
6oz plain flour
2 1/2oz cocoa
1tsp bicarb

mix melted stuff into dry stuff with:
1 beaten egg
1/4pt milk

You get a runny batter.
Cook in 2 8" cake tins (grease and line with circle of greaseproof) at Mk4 for 15-20mins (till tops bounce back when gently pressed)
Cool in tins for 15mins, then on wire cake tray
Sandwich with squidgy chocolatey icing.

[Xiaoxiong]

Try this one which uses sour cream and stout. Truly amazing and stays moist forever. I make it at least twice a term and the boys always love it.

If you want me to convert it to metric for you, let me know!

[Xiaoxiong]

PS the pictures show it made in a ring cake tin but I usually make it in a springform cake tin. Even better is to double the recipe, make it in two cake tins and then stack them for a towering american-style monster cake (amazing with raspberry or sour cherry jam in the middle and chocolate icing).

[thestringcheeseincident]

tillymint - that sounds amazing. will try that

[Deanna1977]

This recipe is great & is really eeasy. Never fails to impress...

[karmakameleon]

Ooh, thank you all. A few more for me to try!

Do keep posting people, any more suggestions are welcome.

[ColonelBrandonsBiggestGroupie]

Nigella's chocolate Guiness cake.

Or I do one with chilli in it which is v good - I add yoghurt or creme fraiche to keep it moist.

[titferbrains]

a non-layer cake with no icing, but a favourite nonetheless:

Nigella's chocolate raspberry pudding cake here

[midori1999]

A friend gave me this recipe a few weeks ago and with chocolate fudge type icing it tastes like 'proper' choc fudge cake.

175g self raising flour
150g caster sugar
3 heaped tbsp of cocoa powder
1 tsp of bicarb
2 tbsp golden syrup
150ml of vegetable oil
150ml of semi skimmed milk
2 eggs

mix the dry ingredients, then whisk eggs, oil, syrup and milk together and combine to make a batter. Bake at 180C for about half an hour.

Icing I just make up as I go, but icing sugar, plenty of cocoa and golden syrup until the right consistency.

[couldbeanyone]

www.hub-uk.com/tallyrecip03/recipe0120.htm

this one is amazing! Ice with chocolate ganache.

[bacon]

Its got to the BBC Goodfood Ultimate chocolate cake www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3092/ultimate-chocolate-cake. IMO a truley delicious cake has to contain melted chocolate. I read the one above (also from goodfood) thought is was revolting as the veg oil made a terrible aroma and it had no taste at all. The icing for a fudge cake has to contain condensed milk I'm afraid and icing sugar and butter is just far to sickily and is not proper fudge.

A chocolate cake has to taste of chocolate and not be overly sweet. Any cake that contain yogurt/cream keeps it mosit and lovely.

[cerealqueen]

This looks divine:

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/nov/24/foodanddrink.baking3
Very interested in what is said about Tapioca flour - I got some off ebay and plan to try it this weekend!

[loobylou13]

I have the best choc cake recipe in the world!!!

www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/european/english/chocolate-beer-cake.html

Use a cheap version of baileys instead of the beer and decorate with some baileys choc truffles, normally half price in superdrug

Ive made 2 this week for my mums birthday and my boyfriends

BEST EVER CAKE!!!

[cerealqueen]

mmm, that link didn't work, try

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/nov/24/foodanddrink.baking31

Left the 1 off.....

[cerealqueen]

or

www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2007/nov/24/foodanddrink.baking31

[karmakameleon]

Cerealqueen, that sounds amazing. Especially with the treacle chocolate fudge frosting in the link! Let me know how you get on.

Work will be seeing lots of chocolate cakes over the coming weeks as I try all these, I think they will be very happy

[peachybums]

Another vote for the ultimate choclate cake here too! Was going to post the link but saw one above. Stays moist for days and EVERYone loves this cake even DP and hes not a cakey person normally. here it is again if you missed it :)

[LordOfTheFlies]

I'll be checking out these recipies.My DD wants a chocolate birthday cake so we'll need a few practice runs.Nom Nom Nom.

[LordOfTheFlies]

BigTillyMint i have just made your chocolate cake as an 8" square cake with glace icing.DD and DS have tucked into a slice each.It's delic-ious.
I'm going to save some for tomorrow because most cakes mature to perfection.
Will try again with chocolate buttercream.

[Taffeta]

I made this last week for DH's birthday. He is a true chocolate cake connoisseur. I've previously made 2 different ones from Leith's Baking Bible, and Nigella's Old Fashioned Choc cake. He said without a shadow of a doubt, this one was the best. Not overly sweet but very chocolatey.

I read the tips and adapted the recipe as follows:

I added an extra tbspn of cocoa to the cake mix, reducing the flour slightly, replaced the honey with a tablespoon of icing sugar in the icing, and with the icing, followed Julie's tips on reviews p2, didn't boil cream but whipped it to soft peaks and added it to melted chocolate and butter. I kept the icing in the fridge for 30 minutes before using it and then stored the cake in the fridge.

Before the icing set, I crumbled some crushed hazelnuts over it.

It was divine, I will def make it again.

[lolalotta]

bigTillyMint I just made you cake tonight, it was YUM so thanks for that!!! :)

[Gigondas]

I will try and post the tamarisk day Lewis one for her daughters birthday cake. Dead easy (it's quite rich and lifted by egg white) but the easy ganache icing .
Will look out recipe

[Greedypiggy]

I"ll also try your recipe BigTillyMint. I find that Jamie Oliver's cake recipes usually turn out well.