Great Chocolate Cakes

For 1 round tin - 26cm diameter

Ingredients
225g plain dark chocolate
225g unsalted butter
345g caster sugar
6 eggs, separated into yolks and whites
120g ground almonds
145g soft white breadcrumbs
30g plain flour
 2tbsp vanilla essence

Icing
85gr cocoa powder
255gr icing sugar
130gr butter
170gr caster sugar
6 tablespoons water

Method

• Firstly, preheat the oven to 160ºc / gas 3. To make the cake, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, or in a bowl placed over a pan of boiling water. I a separate bowl, cream together the butter and the sugar until white and soft. Add the egg yolks gradually, one by one, then add the almonds and beat them in. After this, gently fold in the chocolate with a spoon, then add the bread crumbs, flour and vanilla essence and mix together. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites, along with a pinch of sugar, until stiff - but do not over beat. Fold the egg whites into the cake mixture and then pour the mixture into you buttered cake tin (lined with paper). Place in the oven and cook for 1 hour.
• During this time make the icing. Place the cocoa powder and the icing sugar in a mixing bowl. Then warm together the butter, sugar and water until dissolved. Add the liquid into the dry mixture and mix together for a thick but ‘pourable’ consistency. Once the cake has cooked and cooled, pour over the cake.

Top tip
Always use dark chocolate, as opposed to milk, when cooking and baking because it provides the desired taste and texture for a recipe.


Chilli-Chocolate Orange Birthday Cake by Sam Stern

Putting this cake together has been a labour of love. It’s been through a load of variations and I’m thinking this one is pretty much perfect – which makes it special enough for a birthday. Customise the cake to suit tastes – add more chilli if you like more heat. Go for the fudge icing for a sweeter tooth or the bitter chocolate for a sophisticated taste and finish. 

Ingredients

Base
150g plain Chocolate
½ teaspoon coffee granules
1 tsp chilli flakes (increase if wish), crushed with pestle & mortar/ bash with end of a rolling pin
125g butter
125g caster sugar
5 eggs, separated
75g self raising flour
1 pinch bicarbonate of soda
1 ½ tspn baking powder
2 tablespoons Divine cocoa powder
1 tablespoon rum or orange juice or water
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon water
Peel of half a medium orange, finely grated

Glaze:
2 tablespoons of good orange marmalade

Fudge icing:
300g icing sugar
25g divine cocoa powder
125g butter
4 tablespoons of water

Bitter chocolate icing:
180 g Dark chocolate
125 g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon golden syrup

Method:
Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Line and grease a 20-22 cm tin (spring form or loose based).

Melt chocolate in a bain marie by placing the pieces in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, not allowing the bowl to touch the water. Add the coffee granules and chilli. Let the mix melt then stir with a wooden spoon. Remove bowl and leave to cool.

Meanwhile cream the softened butter with the caster sugar in a food mixer or the proper way, with a wooden spoon, until light and white. Gently stir in the cooled chocolate and 4 egg yolks.

Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into the bowl and then add the grated orange rind. Fold the mix gently together with a metal spoon using big scooping movements. Add the rum, vanilla and water.

Whisk 5 egg whites until stiff (don’t over whisk). Add to the mixture by beating in the first tablespoon to loosen the consistency. Then fold the rest in very gently using a metal spoon. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect as it can be hard to combine the two.

Pour the mix into the tin and bang it into the oven for 45-50 minutes (check after 35 – ovens vary!). To test it, prick with a cocktail stick. It should come out clean. Don’t worry if the top of the cake has cracked a bit – you’ll be icing it up. Remove and place on a cooling rack. Take out of the tin after 5 minutes. Leave to cool. Brush the glaze on while still a bit warm.

To make the glaze, put the marmalade into a saucepan and melt over a low heat until it’s runny. Brush this onto the cooling cake base with a pastry brush.

To make the fudge icing: combine the sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl. Melt the butter and water and pour into the icing sugar mix. Beat until combined.

It should be easily spreadable but not runny so you might not need all the liquid. Cover the top of the cake and sides generously with the icing, tip it then finish using a spatula. Go for a smooth or a rough finish. You can decorate with cherries, grated chocolate, crumbled flake or chocolate curls (peel from a bar of Divine with a potato peeler). Don’t forget the candles.

For the bitter chocolate icing: melt chocolate pieces in a bain marie with butter and golden syrup (see above). Pour it over the cake for a smooth finish. Let it set. Pipe messages on top or decorate with cherries and candles.