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Super Light and Fluffy Chocolate Cake

Published 26 March 2012 by Veronica Stillwater

For all your chocoholics out there, we have this wonderful recipe to make a super light and fluffy chocolate cake.

Its delicious and uses both milk and white chocolate - perfect for guests, a treat and elevenses.

(There is a handy measurement table at the bottom of this post).

 

 

 

You will need:
Grease proof paper- cut a circle the size of the base of your cake tin
Round 10 inch non-stick cake tin
Vegetable oil (a little to grease the cake tin)
Electric whisk
Piping bag
Chopping board  
Foil                                                                                                                                                 
Star shaped decorating nozzle

Ingredients:                                      
For the Cake
3/4 cup of corn flour
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
Heaped teaspoon of baking powder
4 Eggs
1/2 cup of sugar

For Decoration

2 teaspons Nutella
184ml double cream
300g White Cooking chocolate
200g icing sugar
2 teaspoons of Cocoa Powder                                                                                                                                   
Turn the oven on to 180°c
Into a large mixing bowl and a cup, separate the eggs, set aside the yolks
whisk the whites until firm and stiff peaks form (Hint: Add 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar to quicken the beating process)

When firm add the remaining sugar gradually, continually whisking until it has thickened
add the egg yolks, baking powder and vanilla essence, whisk around the bowl once or twice very quickly to combine

Then taking a spatula, slowly add the corn flour and cocoa powder a little at a time and lightly fold in the dry ingredients.
Gently pour the mixture into the tin, there is no need to even out the mixture
Place in the oven and bake for 30 -40 minutes until the sides of the cake shrink away from the cake tin and springy to the touch

Its really important that you do not open the oven in the early stage of the cake cooking as it will not rise if air gets into the oven. Allow to cook for 25-30 mins before opening the oven to check. To test if cooked, take a thin skewer or very thin knife and prod the cake and see if it comes out clean, if so then it is cooked, if not another 10 minutes cooking time. I have found that 40 mins is often perfect, however it will depend on your oven. Another way to test if the cake is cooked is to press the top gently with a finger, if it sinks then it needs more time.

Allow to cool, once cool, take a palette knife or thin knife and slide the knife around the sides of the tin, gently brace the cake with your hand and empty the cake out of the tin allowing gravity to let it fall naturally on your hand. Remove the grease proof paper and cut the cake in two, take the top piece of the cake and gently flip it off as though you were opening a book.

While the cake is cooling, prepare the cream. Whisk the nutella and cream together until firm enough to pipe or spread with a spatula.

Melt the chocolate gently in a bowl over a saucepan of water. Allow to cool slightly and using a dessert spoon, pour the chocolate making drops onto a chopping board covered with foil. Pour until large enough rounds of at least 2 inches are formed, you should be able to make at least 20 which is more than enough to cover the edge of the cake and also allowing for any breakages. Allow to cool completely, place in the fridge until the chocolate has become solid again.

Take the cream mixture and spread half of it on the bottom layer of the cake, then replace the top neatly and pipe a small amount of the cream to one of the white chocolate discs and then press the disc to the side of the cake, continue around the entire cake, adding each one slightly over the last one to create a fan effect. Once you have covered the outside, Mix with a little water, the icing sugar and cocoa powder and pipe a design of your choice over the top of the chocolate discs to create a frill effect. I used a star nozzle and you could choose any choice of piping, dots, stars, lines, choice is yours! Dust the cake with a little cocoa powder using a sieve and keep refrigerated.

 

 

 

American	Imperial	Metric
1 cup flour 1 cup caster/ granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup butter/margarine/lard 1 cup sultanas/raisins 1 cup currants 1 cup ground almonds 1 cup golden syrup 1 cup uncooked rice 1 cup grated cheese 1 stick butter	5oz 8oz 6oz 8oz 7oz 5oz 4oz 12oz 7oz 4oz 4oz	150g 225g 175g 225g 200g 150g 110g 350g 200g 110g 110g