Well, it had to be done. Lots of people have been asking for a chocolate cake. This one is a little bit more dense and moist like a mud cake, but it still has a nice light texture. The key to this cake, is to cook it on a lower temperature for longer. You can definitely cook it on a higher heat, but it may burn and not cook as evenly. I have been making this chocolate cake forever, but I have to say (You know I’m a Thermomix Consultant) since my Thermi, it has made it so much easier, 1 bowl, no mess, everything goes in the same bowl to mix then pour in the tin and done…(boast over). If you don’t have a Thermomix IT’S OK 🙂 I have included the way I made it for 10 years… and it still turns out fantastic 🙂
This is a great size for a birthday cake and will feed 18 – 20 people easily as you only need small slices. I have doubled it and used a large (hired) tin, but it took so long to cook. If you need bigger one, just make 2 the same. I find that the cake is better if made the day before, put into an airtight container in the fridge, then dressed the day you want to use it.
This recipe does contain Frangelico (the alcohol burns off in cooking), but you can easily substitute it for another liquor like Cointreau or Galliano or you could just leave it out altogether and use coffee or even just water, if you don’t like any of these options.
Don’t worry about the cracking…I have tried cooking it all sorts of different temperatures and times to get it to stop, but I think it adds a bit of character and definitely doesn’t change the taste. You can cover it up if you are icing it, but I prefer to serve it dusted with icing sugar, topped with strawberries and served with whipped cream!
Ingredients
200g Dark Chocolate
250g Unsalted Butter (softened)
100g Coffee (use 100g hot water and instant coffee or I use a Nespresso pod and add extra water)
100g Frangelico (or just 200g Coffee)
2 Cups (400g) Sugar
2 Cups (360g) Self Raising Flour
50g Cocoa
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Bicarb of Soda
3 Tablespoons of Oil (I use EVOO)
1/2 cup (125g) Buttermilk (you can definitely use milk, butter buttermilk is better)
2 Teaspoons Vanilla
4 Large Eggs
Method
1. Preheat oven to 150°C and prepare a 24 cm spring form tin (place baking paper on the bottom of the tin and fairly high up the side.
2. Place sugar, broken chocolate, softened butter, coffee and liquor into a saucepan and cook on a low heat until chocolate is melted and sugar is dissolved. Make sure it is a very low heat and you are stirring constantly.
3. Place all other ingredients into mixing bowl (except eggs) and whisk until well combined.
4. Place egg into mixture one at a time, making sure they are beaten in before adding the next.
5. Pour mixture into a prepared tin and cook in the preheated oven 150°C for 90 minutes (sometimes a bit more depending on your oven). Don’t worry about cracking, it is normal and the cake will rise in the centre and drop back down after cooling.* Make sure if you have a fan forced that the oven doesn’t get too hot. It must be at 150°C or it will burn around the edge and not cook in the centre.
6. Remove from the oven (see tip), and leave in the tin for 20 minutes until cooled down.
7. Remove from tin and when completely cool, cover with icing sugar, ganache, butter cream, fruit, how ever you would like to dress your cake!
*TIP: If you turn off your oven and leave your cake to cool in the oven it tends to stop it from collapsing in the middle.
THERMOMIX METHOD TM31, TM5, TM6 Compatable
1. Preheat oven to 150°C and prepare a 24 cm spring form tin (I place baking paper on the bottom and grease the sides)
NB I have discovered that if you put paper high up the sides of the cake tine it cooks higher and has less cracking, but it may take a little bit longer to cook!
2. Measure sugar in the mixing bowl and mill 10 seconds/speed 10.
3. Add Chocolate broken into pieces and mill 10 seconds/speed 8.
4. Add softened butter, coffee and liquor and cook 3 minutes/50°/speed 2. Scrape down the bowl and make sure that all the chocolate has melted, if not pop it on again for another 1 minute/50°/speed 2.
5. Place all other ingredients into mixing bowl (except eggs) and mix 20 seconds/Reverse/speed 4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. Place all the eggs into the mixing bowl and mix 30 seconds/Reverse/speed 4.
7. Pour mixture into a prepared tin and cook in the preheated oven 150°C for 90 minutes (sometimes a bit more depending on your oven). Don’t worry about cracking, it is normal and the cake will rise in the centre and drop back down after cooling.* Make sure if you have a fan forced that the oven doesn’t get too hot. It must be at 150°C or it will burn around the edge and not cook in the centre.
8. Remove from the oven (see tip), and leave in the tin for 20 minutes until cooled down.
9. Remove from tin and when completely cool, cover with icing sugar, ganache, butter cream, fruit, how ever you would like to dress your cake!
*TIP: If you turn off your oven and leave your cake to cool in the oven it tends to stop it from collapsing in the middle.
Don’t forget that if you make it the day before and put it an an airtight container when cooled and refrigerate it will be even better and that way, you are not worrying about a cake on the day you need it!
I hope you like my Chocolate Mud Cake… it is an easy one to make and it tastes delicious!
Enjoy Irresponsibly and Happy Cooking!
Liz x
Liz xx
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Hi Elizabeth, this looks like a lovely cake. I was wondering if you could bake this in a square tin and if so what size would you recommend?
Hi Dayne,
Yes absolutely you could do it in a 20 cm square tin, just still make sure you still line the baking paper right up the sides of the tin!
Liz xx
Hi I’m using a 24cm tin and it still Oliver flows, is it meant to be self raising flour? Never used self raising with bi carb and baking powder, I’m wondering it that’s why it’s over flowing.
Hi Jenny… Yes it will always over flow…. that is why it is important to always line the sides of the tine with baking paper… it is just the mixture of the small amount of 3 railings agents that makes it light but still “mud cake” like… and yes SR Flour…Sorry it has taken so long to reply, but this has only just come up on my feed! Liz xx
I love this cake but i need to use a bigger tin! Every time i cool it, it spills over and oozes everywhere.
yes it should be a large 23cm tin and do make sure that you line it with paper as it says at the top 🙂
Liz xx
There is a note after step 1. in both methods about line the tin with baking paper 🙂 this will help with the spillage it won’t happen even if you have a smaller tin. xx
Great cake but both times I have made them the drop in the centre , what am I doing wrong ?
Hi Peaches,
That generally means that it isn’t cooked enough, I would turn off the oven, but leave the cake in to let it continue to cook without extra heat… it could be your oven, you just never know… also line the sides of the tine with baking paper will help as well!
Let me know how you go, as I ahvn’t had any problem with her recipe Liz xx
well you can’t go wrong with chocolate cake. especially slathered in ganache and cream etc:) I read somewhere that the alcohol doesn’t actually cook off when heated. well maybe a bit of it does:) great cake!
Hi Sherry, wow I’m not sure about the alcohol thing, I thought that over 100 degrees it cooks off, ah well… The kids ate it on the weekend and they were fine 🙂 thanks for stopping by! Liz xx