The perfect chocolate cake recipe

A chocolate cake is one of those basic recipes that everyone should know, but finding the best out of the hundreds of different versions available can be hard. However, there’s close to no competition when it comes to this one!

With the perfect amount of every ingredient and a super simple method, there’s nothing else quite like this classically delicious dessert. And you can top it off with whatever suits you from chocolate shavings to strawberries and cream – as most flavours go well with this tasty dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 200g butter, cubed
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 85g self-raising flour
• 85g plain flour
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200g light muscovado sugar
• 200g golden caster sugar
• 25g cocoa powder
• 3 medium eggs
• 75ml buttermilk
  Icing
• 200g dark chocolate, chopped
• 300ml double cream
• 2 tbsp golden caster sugar

Method

1. Heat oven to 160C. Butter and line 20cm round cake tin. Put dark chocolate in medium pan with butter. Mix instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into pan. Warm through over low heat just until everything is melted – without overheating
2. Mix flours, bicarbonate of soda, muscovado sugar, caster sugar and cocoa powder together until smooth. In separate bowl, beat eggs with buttermilk.
3. Pour melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
4. Pour into tin and bake for 1hr 25 to 1hr 30 mins or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in tin before turning out onto wire rack to cool completely.
5. Meanwhile, put dark chocolate in heatproof bowl. Add double cream into a pan, add caster sugar and heat until about to boil. Take off heat and pour over chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Cool until it is thicker but still pourable.
6. Cover entire cake with icing including sides. Top with ganache of your choice. Slice and serve.