Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

I have always expressed great enthusiasm and optimism for Nigella Lawson’s recipes, and I continue to do so.  This chocolate cake, simple as it is, is one of the reasons why.  Not only does it taste good, the recipe is also fail-proof.

I brought the cake to the office, and everyone loved it.  A fellow colleague even enquired whether I accept orders :).  Although I am very pleased with the response and equally flattered with the order enquiry, I don’t think I am ready for a bake sale.  Let’s just say practice makes perfect, and my QC (quality control) at this point in time is still a bit quirky.

You will need:

200 g plain flour

200 g caster sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

40 g best-quality cocoa

175 g soft unsalted butter

2 large eggs

2 tsp real vanilla extract

150 ml sour cream (or plain yoghurt)

Preparation:

Take everything out of the fridge so that all the ingredients can come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180 deg Celsius and line and butter two 20 cm sandwich tins.

Now all you have to do is put all the cake ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream - into a food processor and process until you have a smooth, thick batter.  If you want to go the long way around, just mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl and beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture.  Now whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla and eggs and beat this into your bowl of mixture. Note: I applied the 2nd technique as I was too lazy to hunt for my food processor.  But if you have a food processor handy, try the 1st method, and let me know how it works.

Divide the batter, using a rubber spatula to help you scrape and spread, into the prepared tins and bake until a cake tester, or a thin skewer, comes out clean, which should be about 35 minutes, but it is wise to start checking at 25.  Also, it might make sense to switch the two cakes around in the oven halfway through cooking time.

Remove the cakes, in their tins, to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out of their tins.

Frost with your favourite chocolate icing.  Although the recipe came with frosting, I substituted with my usual chocolate ganache as I didn’t want anything too insanely sweet.  One hyperactive child is already havoc enough; we really don’t need a hyper mom running wild in the house.

See the cake dome on the picture above? It was a birthday gift from my friend, E.  Isn't it pretty?