Glossy Chocolate Cake Recipes

OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GLOSSY CHOCOLATE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the center.
• Spray two 8" round cake pans with nonstick spray.
• Whisk dry cake ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee granules, and vanilla in a large measuring cup.
• Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined- a few lumps are ok.
• Divide batter between the two pans (about 3 cups each), then bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (35- 40 min).
• Cool cakes for 15 minutes on a rack, then invert them onto the rack.
• Leave upside down until completely cooled before frosting them.
• To make icing, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt- the mixture will be thick/grainy.
• Combine cream, sour cream and coffee granules in a large measuring cup, mixing until smooth.
• Gradually add cream mixture to chocolate until blended and smooth.
• Cook until sugar has dissolved, and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch.
• DO NOT BOIL.
• Take mixture off the heat, and add vanilla.
• Cool at room temperature until spreadable (up to three hours).
• If it isn't getting thick enough to be spreadable, put in the refrigerator until thick enough to spread.
• If it gets too thick to spread easily, warm gently in the microwave until it's just right (20 seconds or so, repeat if necessary).
• Stir well, and ice cake, frosting first layer, then placing second layer on top, and icing the top and then the sides.

GLAZED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake: Preheat oven to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Coat two 10 1/2-by-15 1/2-inch jelly-roll baking pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper; coat with cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a bowl, whisk together flour and teaspoon salt.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, yolks, and sugar on medium-high, 2 minutes; increase speed to high and beat until pale and thick, 5 minutes. Sift flour mixture over egg mixture; with a large rubber spatula, fold together until almost blended. Pour butter down side of bowl, folding to combine. Divide batter between pans; smooth with a table knife. Immediately transfer pans to oven and bake until cakes are golden brown and springy when pressed, 6 to 7 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Let cool completely.
• Make filling: In a large bowl, stir together egg yolks, mascarpone, sugar, cocoa, orange zest (if using), and pinch of salt. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and pinch of salt until soft peaks form. With a large rubber spatula, fold one-third whites into mascarpone mixture; fold in remainder.
• Invert cakes onto a work surface and gently peel off parchment. Using a serrated knife, trim cakes to measure 10 by 15 inches, then cut each crosswise into thirds. Place 1 cake layer, golden side up, on a platter; brush with brandy and spread with 1 cup filling. Repeat with remaining cake, brandy, and filling, ending with a layer of brandy-brushed cake. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
• Make Chocolate Glaze. Pour over top of cake and spread so it drips down sides (or spread along sides). Cover and refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

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.

GLOSSY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 160c.
• Grease and flour a deep 20cm round cake tin (or 24-36 cup cake tins), set aside.
• Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, water, liqueur and coffee in a medium saucepan, stir over low heat until chocolate melts.
• Transfer to a large bowl. Sift in the flours and cocoa powder.
• Stir in the eggs, one at a time.
• Pour into pan, bake at 160c for 1 1/2 hours.
• Stand for 30 minutes and transfer onto wire racks until cooled.

GLOSSY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, sugar substitute, cocoa and cornstarch. Add water and stir until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in butter and vanilla until smooth. Spread over cupcakes or cake while frosting is still warm.