Farmhouse Chocolate Cake Recipes

THE BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans and line the base with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Add both sugars and salt and whisk to blend well, pressing out any lumps of brown sugar.
• Combine eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla in a medium bowl and whisk to blend well. Pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with an electric hand mixer on medium-low until blended. It will be thick and somewhat dry. Add the hot coffee gradually in two stages to minimize clumps forming and beat until evenly combined and the batter smooth.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30-33 minutes until cakes spring back when pressed gently and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer pans to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto the rack to cool completely.
• Once cakes are cooled, cover them with my BEST Chocolate Fudge Frosting! The recipe is here.

FARMHOUSE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Lightly butter an 8 inch springform pan.
• In a double broiler, melt 4 oz. of the chocolate and 1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces.
• In a medium bowl, blend the flour and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add eggs and mix well.
• Add the melted chocolate and butter to the bowl and with an electic mixer, beat at high speed for about 5 minutes, until the batter is smooth and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
• Unmold the cake onto a rack and let cool; it will fall to about half its original height.
• Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the remaining 3 oz. chocolate and 1 tsp butter.
• In a small heavy saucepan, bring the reduced cream to a boil, then whisk it vigorously into the chocolate.
• Continue whisking until smooth and glossy.
• Place sheets of waxed paper under the cake and cooling rack.
• Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, using a metal spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides.
• After the frosting has hardened slightly, about 5 minutes, use a long straight knife to mark the top in a criss-cross pattern,.
• Mix the cocoa with the remaining 1 T. sugar and sprinkle it decoratively over the cake before serving.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
• Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
• Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
• Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
• Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
• Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 - 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit).
• Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
• To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
• Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
• Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.