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Chocolate birthday cake recipe

Chocolate birthday cake recipe

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A chocolate cake to get excited about. Cooked in the oven using the 'bain-marie', or water bath, method and using minimal flour, the end result is a cake as rich as can be but with the delicate texture of a pudding. Add a spoonful of brandy for grown-up decadence. See method

  • Serves 8
  • 15 mins to prepare and 1 hr to cook
  • 350 calories / serving
  • Freezable

Ingredients

  • 200g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 100g unsalted butter, cubed
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 1tbsp brandy (optional)
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 1tbsp self-raising flour
  • 50g icing sugar, for dusting
  • birthday candles, to decorate
No self-raising flour? Add 2 tsp baking powder for every 150g plain flour

Each serving contains

  • Energy

    1455kj
    350kcal     18%

  • Fat

    24g 34%

  • Saturates

    13g 66%

  • Sugars

    24g 27%

  • Salt

    0.1g 2%

of the reference intake
Carbohydrate 27.3g Protein 5.9g Fibre 2.5g

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 7 inch springform cake tin with nonstick baking paper. Melt together the sugar, chocolate and butter in a saucepan until smooth. Remove from the heat, allow to cool slightly, then stir in the brandy if using.

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  2. Beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl until smooth, then beat in the flour. Slowly beat the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and flour until smooth. Sit the lined cake tin in a large roasting tin and wrap a double layer of tin foil around the outside of the cake tin so that it comes up past the rim of the tin. Pour the chocolate batter into the tin and tap lightly on the side to release any trapped air bubbles.
  3. Pour boiling water into the roasting tin so that it comes about halfway up the side of the cake tin. Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes until just set; the tip of a knife will come out just clean when inserted about 3 inches from the edge of the cake. Remove from the oven and carefully lift out of the roasting tin. Allow to cool before turning out from the springform tin. Carefully lift onto a presentation plate. Dust the cake liberally with the icing sugar and decorate with birthday candles before serving.

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Freezing and defrosting guidelines

Bake according to the recipe but stop before adding decoration or icing if called for. Allow to cool completely. Wrap well in clingfilm and tin foil (to prevent freezer burn) and freeze for up to 3 months.

Loosen the tin foil and clingfilm but leave to defrost in packaging at room temperature for several hours before serving. If you wish to serve the baked goods warm, place them on a baking sheet for 10 minutes in a moderate oven.

If you wish to add icing or decoration, add them after the baked goods have fully defrosted and are at room temperature.

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