Chocolate frosted cake,
SERVES 8-10
“This rich, moist chocolate cake makes an impressive birthday centrepiece – especially if, like my children, you are of the opinion that a birthday cake must always feature chocolate, and plenty of it. Chocolate is abundantly represented in this creation, both in the cake batter and in the luscious frosting. A light scattering of crimson berries lifts it to an elegant, timeless dessert. If you want to plan ahead, you can make the cake the day before and keep it well wrapped until you are ready to frost it.”
180g dark-chocolate chips 200g unsalted butter,
plus extra for greasing 4 eggs 250g brown sugar 21/ 2 cups (350g) self-raising flour, sifted
1/4 cup (25g) Dutch cocoa powder, sifted 200ml buttermilk 125g raspberries
GANACHE FROSTING
300ml thickened cream 300g milk-chocolate chips 100g dark-chocolate chips Preheat your oven to 160°C and grease and line a 22cm round cake tin.
Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (make sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water). Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the flour, cocoa powder, buttermilk and cooled melted chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour 5 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely, then cut the cake in half horizontally using a serrated knife.
To make the ganache, pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, then add the chocolate chips and leave to melt into the warm cream. Whisk until smooth and combined, then place in the fridge for 30- 45 minutes to cool and set to a spreadable consistency.
Place the bottom of the cake on a stand or platter, cut-side up. Spread one-third of the frosting onto it, then scatter with half the raspberries. Top with the other half of cake, spread remaining frosting over the top and around the side, and scatter over the remaining raspberries.