can I have your best chocolate cake recipe please

[justtired]

Im making a chocolate cake for my DS birthday so need a really nice chocolate cake recipe, for one that I can decorate if that makes any difference.

Im thinking to do a thin buttercream on the top before adding the icing. It also needs to have some height so two or three layers.

Thanks

My favourite chocolate cake, which I bake for my DC on their birthdays (just turned 21 and 18 tomorrow!) is a Nigella recipe, from How to Eat. It's really easy and very yummy.

It makes two layers, but you could easily increase the quantities and make three layers (which would become a pretty substantial cake).

I think she calls it birthday cake, by the way.

Here's a link to the recipe

Great thanks for that BIWI will have a look now.

Do you decorate the cake afterwards? Do you know if it would work well for that?

Thanks again

I've done various different things!

The one I made for DS1 last week, I put Cadbury Caramel buttons all around the edge, then in the middle of the cake I sprinkled white chocolate drops and Smarties.

Im going to put a piece of ready roll icing over the entire cake and then other decorations on top do you think that will work?

I'm not really a fan of ready roll icing, personally - and the ganache for this cake is really easy to make - I would stick with that.

I use a Mary Berry recipe for my chocolate cake.
50g cocoa powder
6tbsp boiling water (to mix the cocoa powder)
3 large eggs
50ml milk
175g self raising flour
1 rounded tsp baking powder
100g butter
275g caster sugar
Fudgy icing-
150g plain chocolate
150ml double cream
This makes a decent sized 7 inch cake. I haven't covered this cake before, I just usually cover the top with the fudgy icing but I assume it would be ok to use buttercream then cover with fondant icing. I'll be trying it that way for ds's birthday anyway!

Thanks for that stopthenoise, Cant beat a Mary Berry recipe!
When is your DS's birthday?

The sponge from the Mary Berry recipe posted above is lovely.

My top tip for chocolate cake is to use a little coffee in the batter and in the icing/ganache/truffle, because it keeps it bitter and rich. So much chocolate cake is tooth-achingly sweet, which is fine for children but not for adults.

How early can I make the cake and decorate it and then keep in a cake tin? I would like to make in advance as it's my first attempt and I don't want to rush.
Thanks

Thankyou so much for the recipe stopthenoise made it yesterday for a trial run and everyone loved it (including me) a definite winner!

Stopthenoise, is that a 7inch sandwhich cake?

Its 2x 20cm sandwich tins you use lolalotta not sure what that is in inches though

Thanks justtired!

Not sure if you still need this... This is made with Snickers but you could replace with chocolate chips!

Snickers Bundt Cake