Wonderful Lorraine at Not Quite Nigella is currently running a competition for the best chocolate cake recipe. How could I resist!
This recipe was given to me after I harassed my friend Penny for it over a couple of years. She finally gave it up, and though reluctant to share, share I will. It’s a very simple melt and mix cake, and it’s success is in the quality of the ingredients and careful baking. It’s rich and dense and chocolatey. Enjoy!
Penny & Fiona’s Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 200g dark chocolate (I used Lindt 70%)
- 250g butter
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 1 1/2 cups boiling water
- 1 tbs instant coffee (I used actual coffee made with my machine)
- 1 1/2 cups Self raising flour
- 3 tbs cocoa
- 2 eggs
- 1 dessert spoon vanilla essence
Melt the butter in a large saucepan – do not allow to boil.
Dissolve coffee in boiling water, and add coffee mixture, sugar and broken up chocolate to butter. Stir until dissolved, melted and mixed. Do not allow to boil.
Pour mixture into bowl & allow to cool. (You will need a large bowl as it’s a big mixture)
Sieve flour and cocoa together and add to butter/choc mixture in 3 lots, beating well between additions.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well between eggs.
Add vanilla essence and beat well.
Pour mixture into a well greased and lined tin, and bake in a slow oven (fan-forced around 160°-170°) for 1 1/2 hours.
The mixture when cooking is very moist and really only firms up at the end. It makes a very large cake. When cooked the top very often rises and cracks (high sugar content), and apparently it is very good to freeze when cold, but I’ve never tried!
11 responses so far ↓
Lorraine E // October 22, 2008 at 11:50 am |
Mmm what a fantastic looking cake! And I find it endearing that you made such an effort to get the recipe. Love the icing sugar pattern too
Y // October 22, 2008 at 11:59 am |
Great cake! And you’ve just reminded me that I need to bake one for Lorraine’s event too.
belle // October 22, 2008 at 4:40 pm |
That’s a very yummy-looking cake. May I copy the recipe (for personal use, not for Lorraine’s challenge!)
FFichiban // October 23, 2008 at 12:23 am |
Yuuummmm! Looks better than my one hahah
reemski // October 23, 2008 at 10:24 am |
Belle, please go ahead and bake to your heart’s content..it’s such a decadent cake it must be shared!
Christie@fig&cherry // October 24, 2008 at 4:00 pm |
Mmm, yummy! Going to check the details now – hope I’m not too late!
The Ultimate Chocolate Cake recipe round up! @ Not Quite Nigella // December 12, 2008 at 6:22 am |
[...] Reem from I am Obsessed with Food made a beautifully rich, dense chocolate cake. She, like all devoted bakers, cajoled the recipe from her friends Penny and Fiona. [...]
Treat // January 15, 2009 at 2:25 am |
This sounds great and I am going to attempt it this weekend, just curious if the temp. listed is in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Thanks!
reemski // January 25, 2009 at 8:45 pm |
@ Treat Hiya! Glad you’ve enjoyed! All temps are in Celsius…
fatema ali // February 25, 2009 at 8:32 am |
Hi what size cake tin did you use??????
reemski // February 25, 2009 at 9:41 am |
@ Fatema Ali it’s a 20cm springform