Nigella's chocolate fudge cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake
Serves 10 (or 1 with a broken heart). Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Bites - Chapter Two: Comfort Food page 47

For the cake:

• 400 grams plain flour


• 250 grams castor sugar


• 100 grams brown sugar


• 50 grams best quality cocoa powder


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda


• 1/2 teaspoon salt


• 3 eggs


• 142 milliliters/small tub sour cream


• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract


• 175 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled


• 125 milliliters corn oil


• 300 milliliters chilled water

Preheat oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.

Butter and line the bottom of two 20cm sandwich tins.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb and salt. In another bowl or wide-necked measuring jug whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Using a freestanding or handheld electric mixer, beat together the melted butter and corn oil until just blended (you'll need another large bowl for this if using the hand whisk), then beat in the water. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix together on a slow speed. Add the egg mixture, and mix again until everything is blended and then pour into the prepared tins.

Bake the cakes for 50-55 minutes or until a cake-tester (toothpick or satay sticks) comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

For the fudge icing:

• 175 grams dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids


• 250 grams unsalted butter, softened


• 275 grams icing sugar, sifted


• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate in the microwave - 2-3 minutes on medium should do it - or in a bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, and let cool slightly.

In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy and then add the sieved icing sugar and beat again until everything is light and fluffy. Gently add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth.

Sandwich the middle of the cake with about a quarter of the icing, and then ice the top and sides too, spreading and smoothing with a rubber spatula.

Flop proof chocolate cake

1 cup sugar
4 eggs - seperated
1 cup flour
3 tsp baking.powder
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon Nescafe coffee
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup boiling water

Beat egg whites till stiff, gradually add sugar, beat well. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, add vanilla. Sift flour & baking powder 3 times and add to egg mixture, beating on very low or using a spatula. Mix together oil, cocoa,coffee & boiling water. Add to batter, using a spatula to mix well. Spray and cook ring pan . Bake for 30 to 35 min on 180 in a well greased pan. Until done.Remove from oven, keep in cake tin for 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely

Sjokolade koek

1 K Koekmeel
1 K Strooisuiker (½ K vir die meelmengsel en ½ K vir die sous)
¼ K Kakao
4 T Bakpoeier (2 T vir die meelmengsel en 2 T vir die eiermengsel)
¼ T Sout
4 Eiers (eierwitte en eiergele geskei)
½ K Olie
½ K Kookwater
1 T Vanielje
1 Blik Idealmelk (vir sous)
1 Blok gewone sjokolade (vir sous)

Metode - Meelmengsel:
1. Gooi die koekmeel, kakao, ½ K strooisuiker, 2 T bakpoeier en sout bymekaar.
2. Meng apart die olie en kookwater saam. Meng dit dan by die droë bestanddele.
3. Klits die 4 eierwitte en 2 T bakpoeier apart.
4. Meng apart die 4 eiergele en vanielje saam.
5. Meng nou die eiergeelmengsel en die eierwitmengsel saam.
6. Meng nou alles saam.
7. Bak in 'n gesmeerde oondvaste bak teen 180 grade vir ongeveer 25 - 30 minute.

Sousmengsel:
Doen solank die volgende terwyl die koek bak:

1. Smelt ½ van die blik Idealmelk saam met die ander ½ K strooisuiker in 'n kastrol.
2. Gooi hierdie mengsel egalig oor die warm koek sodra dit uit die oond kom.
3. Laat koek nou afkoel.
4. Smelt dan die blok sjokolade en die res van die blik Idealmelk saam en gooi egalig oor die afgekoelde koek. (Heerlik ook as 'n nagereg opgedien saam met room / roomys.)

Huletts Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

4 eggs, separated
170g Huletts White Sugar
60ml (4 Tablespoons) cocoa
60ml warm water
75g butter (brick margarine), melted
2ml vanilla essence
160g flour
10ml (2 teaspoons) baking powder
30g (± 5 teaspoons) Huletts White Sugar

ICING FOR DECORATION:
150g butter (brick margarine)
280g Huletts Icing Sugar
A few drops vanilla essence
12.5ml hot water
45ml (3 Tablespoons) cocoa, sifted
Chocolate vermicelli
Strawberries (optional)

Method


Prepare moderately hot oven (190ºC).
Grease two 20cm baking pans.
Blend the egg yolks and the 170g sugar till thick and smooth.
Blend the cocoa with the water and add the butter (margarine) and vanilla essence separately.
Pour into the egg mixture and continue beating till well blended.
Fold in sifted flour and baking powder.
Separately whisk the egg whites and add the 30g of sugar and beat until soft peaks form.
Fold into the cake mixture.
Pour into baking pans, bake for approximately 35 minutes.
Turn out on cooling rack to cool.
ICING:
Cream butter (margarine), sugar and essence together, then slowly beat in the water and cocoa.
Sandwich the cooled cakes with a little of this and spread the remainder over the top and sides. Press vermicelli onto the sides and sprinkle on top of the cake. Add chocolate truffles or fruit (strawberries or black cherries are nice) if desired.

Coffee and chocolate cake

Ingredients
2 cups (8oz) self raising (cake) flour
8oz softened butter
1 cup (8oz) castor (fine grained) sugar
4 large eggs
4 level tbs cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt

Filling
3oz softened butter
1-1/2 cups (6oz) confectioners (icing) sugar
2 tsp instant coffee powder
2 tbs hot water

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C). Grease and line two 8 inch cake pans with non-stick paper.

2. Sift the flour and sugar. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and when completely soft, beat in the sugar.

3. Beat the eggs together in a jug then beat into the butter and sugar a little at a time. If the mixture starts to curdle add a little of the flour.

4. Blend the cocoa powder with a very little cold water in a small dish or jug until it forms a soft but not runny paste.

5. Alternately beat the flour and cocoa paste into the butter, egg and sugar mixture until well combined. Evenly divide the mixture between the two prepared cake pans and level the surfaces. Bake for about 30 minutes or until a thin knife or skewer comes out clean.

6. When cooked, turn out on to wire racks and remove the paper.

Filling
6. Dissolve the coffee powder in the hot water and put aside to cool.

7. Beat the butter until soft then add the sugar a little at a time until pale and fluffy.

7. Beat in the cooled coffee mixture.

8. When the cake is comletely cold, spread the filling on one half and then sandwich the two pieces together. Dust the top with a little confectioners (icing) sugar.