How to cook the perfect chocolate cake (today in the Guardian)

[ssaw2012]

An interesting article today in the Guardian about chocolate cakes:
www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/nov/21/how-to-cook-the-perfect-chocolate-cake

I would also love to try a chocolate-beetroot cake. Many people say it tastes delicious. Also, ages ago I read someone here on mumsnet baking a chocolate cake with Guiness. The woman posted a recipe on her blog but I lost the link.

[AndMiffyWentToSleep]

Ooh I put a chocolate guiness recipe on here somewhere (but not on a blog) - I think it was called chocolate malt cake if you wanted to search for it...

[EdgarAllanPond]

i did a chocolate ginger cherry cake recently that was very nice.

but then it goes 'use lots of sugar and fat' which usually results in a nice cake

[EdgarAllanPond]

i quite like cakes that use melted chocolate rather than cocoa also. yes. they are denser. so what? have a smaller slice. they taste chocolatey rather than cocoa-y.

if you make a fat free cake (by whipping egg white) then using melted chocolate still produces a very light cake (though one done in a baking sheet in order to roll..)

[Wallace]

I love chocolate beetroot cake :)

[EdgarAllanPond]

i quite like Delias chocolate cake with soft fruits too. someone else baked it for a party. ave no idea about ingredients

and for the sugar, i always use molasses as it gives the right colour - really dark. sometimes i chuck in treacle also.

basically i don't agree with much of this article - i doubt very much those lovely dark cakes pictured were made with light muscovado and cocoa.

[Greensleeves]

oreo cookies???

bollocks

[EdgarAllanPond]

indeed. and having said he thinks cocoa is best as the means of chocolate provision, he goes for a half-and-half recipe saying

'Most importantly, it actually tastes of chocolate ? and that's rarer than you might think'

not if you use melted chocolate it isn't!

[Taffeta]

I love cake. Heck I love making cakes too.

I love chocolate.

But chocolate cake? Meh, never had a good one. Closest to good are Nigel Slater's brownies, IMO.

[ssaw2012]

AndMiffyWentToSleep, that was definitely on the blog but it does not matter. I have found your recipe.
I have checked images for the chocolate malt cakes online and also with Guinness and they all look dark, moist and delicious. I just do not know whether they are suitable for the kids because of the alchohol or does it evaporates?

I am planning to bake a chocolate cake with beetroot. Is it all righ to use raw beetroot?
Thanks!

[mrsvilliers]

You definitely need to cook the beetroot! Nigel Slater does good choc and beetroot brownies, he probably has a cake recipe online too. I finely grate the beetroot rather than pureeing, works just as well.

[Catsmamma]

I am ALWAYS making chocolate cakes

I love the beetroot type, very moist

I have a FABULOUS recipe with mayo in it, can be made and in the tin in under five minutes if you are quick

I recently discovered kladkakka, utterly gorgeous

Also made flourless types

A chocolate cola cake

Whisked sponges with cocoa

Chocolate victoria sponge styles


suddenly has revelations about fat arse

[notnowImreading]

This was a formative childhood read for me and has led to me always using a white glacé icing on the top.
m.youtube.com/%23/watch?v=7BxQLITdOOc&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7BxQLITdOOc&gl=GB

[GambasAndCava]

EdgarAllenPond

What recipe did you use for your chocolate cherry ginger cake please - sounds divine.

[tb]

Make a 'normal' cake with plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder for each egg using say 3 eggs, 180g plain flour, 3tsp baking powder, 180g castor sugar and 180g of melted plain chocolate.

First you separate the eggs and whisk the whites until stiff and reserve.
You then mix the butter and sugar and add the melted chocolate.
Add the eggs yolks and then fold in the flour/baking poweder sifted together and the whisked egg whites.

Cooks at whatever temperature you use for standard Victoria sponge.

Normally you add 3/4 tsp baking powder for each egg, but because chocolate makes the mixture heavier you need 1tsp - that's why you can't really use self-raising flour.

You can fill it with home-made lemon curd, lemon curd or raspberry jam and whipped cream, choc truffle layer with Cointreau soaked raspberries and a whipped cream layer. Just depends on what you fancy.

Choc truffle - melt 200g ie large bar of good plain choc, add a slosh of double cream and whip with a balloon whisk until it's the colour of dark milk choc. Slather over cake with or without alcoholic raspberries.

Optional icing - proportions given, but may need double quantity for a larger cake
Melt 150g plain chocolate with 65g butter. Mix well and allow to cool a little. Then either pour over cake to form a shiny coating, or whisk with a balloon whisk until paler in colour, and trowel on with a palette knife - forms a sort of frosting.

Dd picked at this on a cake when she was about 7 - it's known as picky-cake icing for obvious reasons.

[snowtunesgirl]

I'd like to highly recommend this cake recipe: Chocolate Lime and Rum cake.

It is moist and delicious and surprisingly, is also vegan. The great thing about it is that because you eliminate the use of eggs and butter, it's much cheaper to make!

[posyplum]

The chocolate cake I make just has cocoa in and is lush, and very easy to make! It's just a Victoria sponge with cocoa in it, and a cocoa buttercream. It's a good housekeeping recipe. I have made it with orange too. I don't have much experience making other chocolate cakes though, so am not an expert.

[wannabedomesticgoddess]

Guinness cake is lovely and moist but doesnt taste of the guinness really so I am sure the alcohol wouldnt be a problem!