How to make chocolate cake

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No-one can resist a slice of chocolate cake. Made with rich, dark chocolate, this deliciously moist version will be a favourite.

Serves 12

What you will need
125g butter, chopped
2 tsp instant coffee powder
¾ cup (185ml) water
100g good-quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped
1 cup (200g) brown sugar
½ cup (75g) self-raising flour
½ cup (75g) plain flour
¼ cup (30g) cocoa powder
¼ cup (30g) almond meal
1 egg, lightly whisked
Pink and silver cachous, to decorate

Chocolate ganache icing
200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup (125g) crème fraîche

Baked to perfection

• It is important to cool the warm chocolate mixture before adding the remaining dry ingredients and egg. Adding egg to a hot mixture can cook it before it has been mixed through – the result is a cake containing scrambled egg.
• It is best to use a bamboo skewer to check if a cake is ready – the mixture will easily stick to the bamboo if the cake is not yet cooked, or slip off if ready. A metal skewer can be too slippery for raw cake mix to stick to, so you won’t be able to tell if the cake is cooked through.
• This cake is best left in its pan to cool before turning on to a rack. Densely textured cakes, such as this, are more delicate when hot and can easily split if turned out too early.
• Make sure the cake is completely cooled before splitting. Use a ruler to mark an even line at regular points around the middle of the cake, then use toothpicks or kitchen string to mark this line. Use a large, serrated knife to split in half, using the toothpicks or string as a guide.

Photography: Ben Dearnley. Styling: Amber Keller.