Best Ever Chocolate Cake

I must admit, chocolate cake is a weakness of mine! Made even bigger by the fact that there’s so many different kinds floating about on the internet - so many pictures of so many cakes! Whether they’re filled with ganache, cream cheese, or heaps and heaps of chocolate, I’ll eat them all - but this cake is the one that we save for special occasions. It’s the cake that’s asked for on every birthday, every holiday and just…. whenever, really! It’s so moist, sweet and positively sinful. You won’t believe it until you try it and then you won’t ever be able to put it down!

Ingredients

450g plain flour

600g sugar

185g cocoa powder

1 ½  tsp baking powder

1 ½ tsp salt 

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda 

4 large eggs

345 ml milk

1tsp white vinegar

345 ml warm water

125 ml vegetable oil 

2 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Icing

340g butter - room temp (soft)

225g soft cream cheese - full fat

180g cocoa powder

900g icing sugar

60ml milk

Method

1. Grease and flour three 9” round cake tins. 

2. Mix the milk and the white vinegar together in a jug and leave for 15 minutes. 

3. In a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and then set aside.

4. Mix the milk and vinegar mixture, eggs, warm water, oil and vanilla together and add to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly with a hand held food mixer until everything is combined and smooth. The mix will be the consistency of double cream.

5. Divide the cake mixture equally between the three cake tins.

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°c for 30-35 minutes - test to see if it’s baked by inserting a cocktail stick into the centre. It will come out clean when the cake is cooked. Note - if the cake seems to be cooking too quick on the outside, lay some parchment paper on the top to prevent burning, if needed. 

7. Leave to cool in the tin before turning out onto cooling racks.

Chocolate Icing 

1. Whisk together the soft butter and the cream cheese in a large bowl, using a hand held mixer until it is light and fluffy. 

2. Sift the cocoa powder into the butter and cream cheese and mix well until completely combined. 

3. Add the icing sugar 2 tablespoons at a time - mix well each time. You can add milk if it’s needed to loosen the icing to make it a thick, spreadable consistency. 

4. Sandwich the three sponges together using the chocolate icing then spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the cake. 

5. We piped some of the chocolate icing around the top and bottom of the cake for decoration - this is optional.