This chocolate cake is easy to make with the Dualit Hand Mixer. The chocolate icing
is made with sour cream, which gives it a wonderful gloss and makes
pretty decorations when used with a piping bag. !
Shopping List
The Cake:
- 225g (8oz) plain good quality chocolate, broken into
squares
- A little milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 225g (8oz) butter
- 175g (6oz) caster sugar
- 4 eggs, yolks & whites separated
- 55g (2oz) ground rice
- 120g (4oz) plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- A little butter
- Two 20cm (8 inch) cake tins
Chocolate Icing:
- 240g (8¾ oz) plain, good quality chocolate
- 200ml (7fl oz) sour cream or crème fraiche
Method
- Preheat oven to 175C/350F/M3.
- Grease the tins with butter and line base and sides with baking
parchment.
- Break up the chocolate and melt into the milk and vanilla in a
bowl placed over a pan of barely simmering water.
- Using the beaters, in a separate bowl cream together the butter
and sugar.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well between each
addition. At a slower speed, gently beat in the melted chocolate
mixture.
- Sieve the rice, flour and baking powder, and mix in
slowly.
- Using the balloon whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff .
Fold into the mixture and then pour into the tins.
- Bake in the centre of the oven for 1¾ hours, or until the
middle of each is spongy to the touch and a skewer comes out
clean.
- Cool on a wire rack.
- To make the icing, start by breaking up the chocolate into
pieces and placing in a heatproof bowl.
- Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir
occassionally until all of the chocolate has melted.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little. Using the
beaters on a slow speed, whisk in the sour cream, giving the
mixture time to darken and shine.
- As soon as it is firm enough to spread, smooth some over one of
the sponges and sandwich together. Smooth the remaining icing over
the cake with a knife.
- Decorate with mini eggs or a crumbled chocolate flake - or
both!