World's Best Chocolate Fudge Cake

This cake is DIVINE and the chocolate frosting is my new BEST EVER frosting recipe.

This frosting does take a little time to cool and get right sometimes, and I was wondering if we should come on Instagram early, but I think for our small amount, we might just about do it and perhaps we can have a little break at the end if we need to get the frosting cooling a bit, so let's go for it! I love using the Guittard baking chips (here’s a JBC short link for Guittard stuff - https://bit.ly/jbc-guittard)

Equipment

Bowls (ideally a ceramic or metal one is good for making the frosting so it cools quicker, if you have one)
Spoons
2 x 8” round cake tins base and side lined
Cooling rack
Electric hand whisk or balloon whisk
Cake stand or plate
Palette knives, I use a medium and small crank handled /stepped one
Turntable is useful but not essential

Ingredients - Sponge

250g Guittard dark chocolate baking chips (the 63% ones)
250g salted butter
300g light brown muscadavo sugar
4 medium eggs, plus 1 yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
70ml sour cream
225g self raising flour
45g cocoa powder
Décor – 1 x glace cherry with stem (optional or feel free to jazz yours up anyway you like)

Ingredients - Frosting

375g Guittard dark chocolate baking chips
275g double cream
100g butter
150g icing sugar, sifted

Methods

1. Grease, base and side line 2 x 8” round cake tins

2. Preheat the oven to 170C (fan)

We’ll make a start on the frosting first and make the ganache

3. Boil the cream, pour over the chocolate chips and place a large plate over the bowl to trap the heat

4. After a few minutes, use a wooden spoon in the centre of the bowl and stir in one direction to bring the cream and chocolate together. Leave to cool.

Then we will begin making the sponges (but keep our eye on the ganache)

5. Melt the chocolate, sugar and butter together in the microwave on a medium heat or on a bain-marie until all melted together and smooth.
6. Whisk the eggs, vanilla and sour cream together in a bowl.
7. Using a whisk or a fork, mix together the flour and cocoa powder making sure it is completely distributed.
8. Add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture and mix well.
9. Fold in the flour and cocoa mixture gently until combined.
10. Divide equally into the 2 base and side lined 8” round tins and bake for approximately 20-25mins until just firm but still has a little wobble, don’t over bake (if you stick a knife in there should still be a little mixture sticking to it so it is a little fudgy). Then cool in tin for 5 mins before turning onto a cooling rack and removing the paper.
11. If the ganache is cooled enough, we will now melt the butter and beat in the icing sugar to the ganache, then add the melted butter to complete the frosting.
12. Wait for the sponges to cool down… then fill and ice the cake - and don’t forget to pop your cherry on top!

Tagged: