Easy Chocolate Cake

Step by step: Easy Chocolate Cake

• Step1

  Make the chocolate sponge: Sift 180 grams (6.5 oz) of flour and 40 grams (1.5 oz) of cocoa powder into a bowl.

• Step2

  Place 4 eggs, 4 egg yolks and 220 grams (8 oz) of sugar in a bowl, and set over simmering water. Whisking constantly, bring the egg mixture to 43 ° C (110 ° F).

• Step3

  Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer; add a pinch of salt and two teaspoons of vanilla sugar. Whip on high speed until increased in volume and stiff.

• Step4

  Add the sifted flour and cocoa powder into the egg mixture, in 3 batches, folding gently after each addition.

• Step5

  Mix some of the cake batter with 70 grams (2.5 oz) of melted butter, and fold into the cake batter until incorporated.

• Step6

  Transfer to a 26 cm (10 inch) cake pan, greased with butter and lined with parchment paper.

• Step7

  Bake at 190°C (375°F) for about 30 minutes. Test for doneness – an inserted skewer should come out clean.

• Step8

  Cool slightly, invert onto a rack, unmold, and cool completely for a few hours.

• Step9

  Make the rum simple syrup: Place 100 grams (4 oz) of sugar and 100 ml (4 fl oz) of water in a sauce-pot. Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature. Add 20 ml (1 oz) of rum and stir. Visit our website to find other flavored simple syrup recipes, like caramel simple syrup.

• Step10

  Trim any uneven parts from the sides and top of the cake. Slice into three slices.

• Step11

  Make the condensed milk & cocoa frosting: Mix together 200 grams (7 oz) of condensed milk and 30 grams (1 oz) of cocoa powder until smooth. Add 500 ml (1 pint) of heavy cream and whip on high speed until stiff. Make homemade condensed milk!

• Step12

  Assemble the cake: Brush the first layer of cake with ⅓ of the rum syrup, and spread ⅓ of the chocolate frosting. Repeat with 2 more layers of cake.

• Step13

  Smooth the sides and top of the cake using a long metal spatula, and refrigerate the cake for a few hours.

• Step14

  Make the chocolate glaze (ganache): Bring 250 ml (9 fl oz) of heavy cream to simmer. Pour over 250 grams (9 oz) of chopped dark chocolate, and stir until melted and smooth. The glaze should be at room temperature, and runny enough to pour over the cake. You could cover the cake with a different glaze, like chocolate mirror glaze recipe, or shiny caramel glaze.

• Step15

  To glaze a cake, place it on a rack set over a sheet tray. Pour the glaze over the cake, and use a long spatula to spread the glaze over the entire cake. Transfer to a serving plate, and refrigerate the cake. Pass leftover glaze through a sieve, cover and refrigerate for a few hours.

• Step16

  To decorate the cake, fill a parchment paper cone with 20 grams (0.7 oz) of melted chocolate. Remove the cake from the refrigerator, and pipe stems. Remove the ganache (chocolate glaze) from the refrigerator and whip until stiff. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip, and pipe flowers. Fill a parchment paper cone with 10 grams of melted white chocolate, and pipe a dot inside each chocolate flower. The cake is ready to serve! Enjoy!