Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake

INTRODUCTION

This is, for me, the quintessential chocolate cake: melting, luscious and mood-enhancingly good. A food technologist would explain this in terms of "mouthfeel" but I don't know quite how that makes me feel. I often describe this cake as a sort of idealised chocolate cake out of a packet, which doesn't sound so very inviting either. But what I mean by this, is that the cake looks and tastes perfect and has that melting, smooth lightness - immensely chocolately but far from rich. The fact that it is scarcely harder than making one out of cake-mix (only worlds better) is an added joy. The recipe itself is an evolved version of a couple of cakes I've done before, and although the amounts and ingredients are slightly fiddled with, the real change, and an improvement in terms of ease, is that it can be made, all in one, in the processor.

INGREDIENTS

Makes: about 8 slices

FOR THE CAKE

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ⅓ cup best-quality unsweetened cocoa
• 1½ sticks soft unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup sour cream

FOR THE ICING

• ¾ stick unsalted butter
• 6 ounces best quality bittersweet chocolate (broken into small pieces)
• 2½ cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup or light corn syrup
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• sugar flowers (optional)

Instructions

1. Take everything out of the fridge so that all the ingredients can come to room temperature.
2. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line and butter two 8=inch sandwich tins with removable bases.
3. Now all you have to do is put all the cake ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder and bicarb, 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.
4. Divide this 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.
5. Remove the cakes, in their tins, to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out of their tins. Don't worry about any cracks as they will easily be covered by the icing later.
6. To make this icing, melt the butter and chocolate in a good-sized bowl either in the microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water. Go slowly either way: you don't want any burning or seizing.
7. While the chocolate and butter are cooling a little, sieve the confectioners' sugar into another bowl. Or, easier still, put the confectioners' sugar into the food processor and blitz. This is by far and away the least tedious way of removing lumps.
8. Add the golden syrup or light corn syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla and then when all this is combined whisk in the sieved confectioners' sugar. Or just pour this mixture down the funnel of the food processor on to the confectioners' sugar, with the motor running.
9. When you've done, you may need to add a little boiling water - say a teaspoon or so - or indeed some more confectioners' sugar: it depends on whether you need the icing to be runnier or thicker; or indeed it may be right as it is. It should be liquid enough to coat easily, but thick enough not to drip off.
10. Choose your cake stand or plate and cut out four strips of baking parchment to form a square outline on it (this stops the icing running on to the plate). Then sit one of the cakes, uppermost (ie slightly domed) side down.
11. Spoon about a third of the icing on to the centre of the cake half and spread with a knife or spatula
12. Spoon another third of the icing on to the top of the cake and spread it in a swirly, textured way (though you can go for a smooth finish if you prefer, and have the patience). Spread the sides of the cake with the remaining icing and leave a few minutes till set, then carefully pull away the paper strips.
13. I love to dot the top of this with sugar pansies - and you must admit, they do look enchanting - but there really is no need to make a shopping expedition out of it. Anything, or indeed nothing, will do.

Recipe courtesy of Nigella Lawson. This recipe can be found in her book "Feast" which is available here.