Chocolate Cake Recipe
This is a beautiful moist and delicious chocolate cake with the crunch of toasted pistachios and almonds on the side topped off with rich ganache and chocolate flowers. Perfect for Christmas or any other special gathering.
Chocolate Cake Ingredients:
Makes two 8inch (20.32 centimetres) round cakes or 24 cupcakes
200g (7.05 ounces) of 70% cocoa dark chocolate
315g (11.11 ounces) or 1 1/3 cups margarine or butter
8 large eggs
2 1/4 cups or 485g (17.11 ounces) caster sugar (super fine sugar)
1 1/4 cups or 200g (7.05 ounces) plain flour (use GF flour if coeliac, this recipe has been tested with gluten free flour and works well)
1/4 cup or 30g (1.06 ounces) cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Chocolate Cake Recipe Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180C (356 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place chocolate and margarine into a bowl.
Melt in the microwave (30seconds, stir, 30sec, stir…).
Whisk in the sugar and then the eggs.
Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together and mix into cake mixture until just combined.
Pour into two lined 20cm (7.87 inches) round cake tins.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Test if its done by inserting a skewer into the centre, if it comes out clean it is ready. If the cake is looking done on top but is not yet cooked through put an empty baking tray on the shelf above it in the oven.
For the decoration
600 mL (20.29 fluid ounces) or 2 1/3 cup cream
2 tablesppons icing sugar
dash of vanilla essence
Whip the cream, vanilla and icing sugar until just thickened. Divide your bowl into half and then one half into thirds. Use one of these smaller portions between the layers. Add a generous spoon of ganache to the larger portion and mix in, use this to cover the sides of the cake.
100g (3.53 ounces) or 1 cup flaked almonds
100g (3.53 ounces) or 3/4 cup pistachios, chopped
Roast the almonds and pistachios on a tray in the oven at 180ºC or approx 5 minutes. Leave to cool
Press the nuts onto the side of the cake as shown in the video.
Ganache Recipe
300g (10.58 ounces) milk chocolate
100 mL (3.38 fluid ounces) or 1/3 cup cream
Break the chocolate and put into a bowl. Bring the cream to a boil and then pour over the chocolate. Leave to sit for a couple of minutes and then stir until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and leave on the bench overnight to firm up.
Use the ganache to decorate the top of the cake.
Chocolate Flower Tutorial
How to temper chocolate and what chocolate to use for chocolate decorations
by Ann Reardon How To Cook That
2014
My Cookbook
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All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.
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Hi.. What kind of cocoa powder did you use for this cake? Thanks
Thanks for the great recipe it was a great success!! Keep up the great work ann 🙂
Hi Ann,
I like your website so much, I am from Dubai and I use a double cream from my ganache qnd hersheys milk chocolate chips it wasnt good I dont why can you help me please.
Huda
hi huda both of to use should be fine to use can you describe what did not work about it?
Hi Ann ,
I really enjoy your recipes 🙂 but arent 8 eggs too much ?? 🙂 can i reduce the amount or do you have another recipe with the same result ?? thank you in forward :))
hi gul, that is the correct amount for this recipe, makes a very moist and rich cake
Hi can I use butter instead of margarin and if it’s ok it will be the same amount
yes and yes
Hi,
Can this cake be used with fondant decoration? Thank you!
yes it can 😀
Hi Ann,
Love your recipes!! Here’s my attempt of the chocolate cake 🙂
Perfect Camille, You’ve done a fantastic job, I also like your photography skills, a clear background lets the cake stand out.
Thanks!
loved your recipe! I back both of the cakes and I in joyed your cake much better. thank you for your recipe!
😀
Hi Ann, Mars bar cake seems popular now. Please show us how to make?
Thanks.
yum
Hi Ann
I wrote to you the day I made. Made this cake for my son’s bday and there was not a single piece of cake remaining. Everybody enjoyed it. I am going make the car cake for my grandson. Thanks so much for your videos. And keep it coming
Nasreen
glad to hear it nasreen, it looks great too.
Heylo Ann.. I bought an 85% dark Lindt chocolate from the store.. Will my cake be too bitter if i use that?? And i was planning to use a 44% dark chocolate for the Ganache.. Will it work fine?? I’m from India and i only found 25% cream in the stores here.. Will that suffice for the chocolate ganache?? I was planning to use the ganache itself for in between the layers.. and i’m using half of all u’r quantities to make the cake.. so how much ganache would i need to make for the cake?? could u give me the appro amt of cream and choc. to use for it.. ty in advance.. 🙂
Hi Manojna the 85% chocolate is fine for the cake
and 44 for ganache will be dark but fine
yes you can use 25% cream for ganache just use a little less (you can even use milk)
Thank u for your recipe
Awesome Sue
Thank `s a lot and God bless you for your devotion at work,your elegant ideas,and hard work.
Hi Ann I want to know the temprtuer of the oven to bake the cake ,in USA we used F degree .
Yes me too cant find any recipe on Byron’s page or blog…
His music is distracting but he is cute..ha ha
He is making Lamingtons not your chocolate cake so cant compare really..
Hi rosierose his recipe should be in the description below the video 😀
Additional note: I reduce the sugar to 425 gr, and the sweetness just right for me. I can’t find Byron recipe on the video, I’d like to try his, to find out what the difference. Appreciated for the answer Ann. Thanks.
Hi Lesley I am fairly sure his recipe is in the description below his video
Hi Ann, I made this cake for my hubby bday last week. Tried to make ribbon from white choc as decoration but on the 2nd layer one of the ribbon part is broken, but I’m still happy with result as this is my first time to try to make delicate decoration, still need more practice to get better result.
Thanks for your video and tips. Love it.
Awesome Lesley I hope your hubby loved the cake, it looks amazing.
He love it and I bring some to my work too, and they like it as well.
Hello Ann… i really want to do this cake…but can i reduce the amount of eggs… does it still gonna have the same texture..
My batter is not as liquidy as yours..i think i over add flour..its my first attempt n i feel sad..:(
UR SUCH A N AMAZING LADY WITH LOTS OF TALENT.I REALLY LOVE UR ALL RECIPES THOSE R REALLY GOOD FOR NEWCOMERS LIKE ME.GOD BLESS UR HANDS TO DO THINKS WHAT U DO RITE NOW.
MADU
thanks Madu 😀