Well, basically I want to try doing my first ever cake, as none of the ones I find in the shops here are how I like them. I'm talking thick, moist, chocolatey sponge with a layer of not-too-sickly chocolate sauce on top. I'm not bothered about any layering in the middle, it's the moistness and deep taste of nice chocolate that im craving. I have two bars of Cadburys Dairy Milk in the fridge just waiting to be unleashed on the right recipe. Do any of you baking gurus have a good reccommendation for a recipe please? I've Googled tons and although the pics of the finished results all look nice, having never baked before I dont know what to trust.

This one looks like what im after: http://thefoodguy.wordpress.com/2008...hocolate-cake/

So, to all you experienced cakemongers out there, does this look about right for creating a moist and rick cake... or would you change or improve any of it based on what you've had success with in the past?

Looks all right - that trick with the boiling water makes it what we'd call a "Screwball Cake" back home. Super-moist but not too heavy.

I'd make ganache instead of the frosting you've got there though. Milk chocolate plus sugar = way-too-sweet frosting.

Either way, let the cake cool before frosting it.

Ganache:
300g of nice baking chocolate (use Cadbury's Dairy Milk if that's what you're set on! Cailler Cremant is better though...)
1 c. of heavy cream, i.e. Vollrahm
2 tablespoons of butter.

Chop the chocolate into small pieces, put it in a medium-sized bowl and set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, just until it boils. Then pour this over the chocolate, and stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ganache becomes smooth and shiny. Frost the cake immediately, while the ganache is still warm.

If you have any ganache left over, refrigerate it and then roll it into truffles.

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Well for starters Cadbury's Milk Chocolate wouldn't be the usual for a strong choc taste. Too much competition with other ingredients. I usually use 52% cocoa dark chocolate upwards as well as going for a flourless recipe which usually gives a lovely soft mousse fudge taste.
Have no link but I'd search under Flourless cakes and you might get a better recipe. The one you have has a lot of sugar, especially in the icing. Can be complicated to make first time though. Worth checking out.

Oops dp...

Hmm, sounds lovely actually MN, will take that advice, cheers!

As for the Cadburys vs Cailler Cremnant debate, it can be settled in only one way http://www.googlebattle.com/?domain=...mant&submit=Go!

Hmm, but won't a flourless recipe take away the substantial spongey cake texture, right? I dont want it moosey. I want to bite slowly into it and do the whole Homer Simpson drool thing, not just shove chocolate liquidy goo into my gaping maw.

The fact that the raising agent used is baking soda and not baking powder, the use of sour cream and the ratios of fats-liquid-egg-flour-sugar look perfect for a good dense cake.

I have only ever used Cadbury's in cookies, so if you could, would you please be so kind and report back on your finished product? (I'm a Cadburys girl and am quite ashamed to say I have never thought of using it in cakes!)

I have a flourless chocolate cake recipe - will type it up for you if you like - but no, that's not really going to give you that cakey texture you're after. (It won't be a pile of fudgy goo either - it is a cake - but a much denser, richer cake than what it sounds like you're wanting.)
As Mabern said, flourless cakes are also a bit fussier in terms of exact measurement, overmixing, etc. so perhaps not a good bet for your first attempt.

Oh dear - I missed this - Cadbury's Dairy Milk in the cake? I wouldn't recommend it. Too sweet, not enough chocolate flavor. You really do need unsweetened chocolate, or at least very dark (70%+.)

Save your Cadbury's for the ganache, that's where it will shine.

Ok then I shall take your advice and save it for the top sauce stuff. Any advice on where to get the cocoa powerder... is there a specific brand you reccommend (not too, too dark) MN?

Ahh, another Cadburys nut, good girl.

I would never use milk choc in a cake as with the added sugar is too sweet. Try a 70-80% dark choc. For cocoa powder you can buy this in migros or if you want a higher quality globus have a good one though I sadly can't remember the name of it. For chocolate cake I've always liked nigella lawsons choc fudge cake recipe

I like Coop cocoa powder slightly better than Migros - but only slightly. Wouldn't make a special trip for it. (No experience with the fancy Globus/Jelmoli stuff... sorry!)

I've used the Cailler and the Bio unsweetened cocoas they have at Coop, both are pretty good. The Bio was a bit darker than the Cailler and from what I recall and made a fantastic chocolate frosting.

Maybe (hopefully) MN or others have other suggestions as neither were particularly dark. I miss my Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder a bit.

this one is absolutely delicious:
http://www.antroalchimista.com/2009/...llarancia.html

Richdog said he didn't want anything too dark though... and regular Coop brand cocoa powder (not the Bio) is pretty close to plain Hershey's cocoa powder back home.

Most of the time if you want something darker than that, you're better off going with dark baking chocolate (Kochschokolade). For every tablespoon of cocoa powder, substitute 10g of dark chocolate, and at the same time decrease oil/butter/shortening by 1 teaspoon. (This chocolate should be melted and added along with the eggs/oil/milk, i.e. next step after the original butter-sugar mixture and before the flour/baking powder.)

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Another fun and easy cake recipe is here:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/...akes-the-cake/

We used to call it the "wacky cake" because it used vinegar and vegetable oil and vanilla instead of eggs. And the ganache sounds lovely on top. But this is not haute couture cake but instead a simple, easy, moist and tasty one. Oh, one things is that this recipe mentions using espresso powder. I never did this in the past but you could surely substitute a little coffee for the liquid if you want.

good luck,

Delia Smith and search for "chocolate cake"

http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes

One advantage is that Delia always lists exactly what to do! Many recipes don't warn you of the dangers ahead.

Self Raising Flour: http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_...y.php?id=13031

I found it easy to buy a ready made bag from the Coop and add some baking powder and 2 eggs.

Right, just got back from Sihl City and after wandering around unable to find chocolate powder, I then for the gazillionth time debunked the whole "Swiss people are unfriendly" myth and accosted an older lady doing her shopping who looked like she'd baked a few cakes in her time. She proved a good choice, as she then took me to the isle and proceeded to tell me at length the benefits of each different type of chocolate powder, bless her. I settled on "Cailler Cuisine" which has a 43% cocoa rating (with some vanilla added inside), which recieved a sage nod from her after I told her I didn't want anything too strong to start with. We then said a teary goodbye (ok, maybe some mild embellishment there) and I went to get the rest of the stuff.

Looking forward to trying it, though I think my first attempt may prove a bit "meh" until I practise and get it right.

Im going to take this advice next time (and reduce the sugar I put into this cake), but the only 70% cocoa powder I saw in there was 15 chuffs for a pretty small pack, and id rather buy a cake at Sprungli if im going to be spending that just on the poweder! Im sure there are cheaper ones however, I just didn't see em there in that Co-Op.

Once you get the hang of doing some sweets baking, let me know, I've got a recipe or two that you might like. (Most of them you want to make if you're planning to share and have plenty of milk or coffee handy though as they can be VERY sweet.)



I believe Jemma means to use the 70+% bars if you're going to melt chocolate for use rather than using a regular candy bar you'd eat. Even so, if you use something like the Lindt bars from the candy aisle, you'll want to make the sort of adjustments MN suggested with regard to cocoa powder and fat (oil / butter).

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"Richdog's Favourite Chocolate Cakes" (posted before)


1 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 175 C. Grease and flour 1 nine inch round pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake 25 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Can be doubled and is better the next day.

For the frosting melt some cooking chocolate, add some Baileys or Amarula Cream and a little milk.

Voilà, easy-peasy and really good.

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Yo waddup dawg? Me thinks you dropped your lipstick in the handbag department of Jelmoli.

Just kidding. I hope your endeavours run smoother than mine did yesterday I made a sponge that turned into a bit more of a fondant than planned.

P.S. What time do I come over for tea and cake??