Top chocolate cakes

You don't need dark evenings and cold weather to enjoy chocolate cake. A rich, gooey, sumptuous confection is the one thing that’s guaranteed to perk you up at any time of year. Terry Farris picks out her favourites

A homemade chocolate cake is a glorious thing. A freshly baked one, or a really special recipe, can double up as pudding for a dinner party – my Mexican chocolate soufflés, below, are ideal. But it’s important to use top quality ingredients if the finished product is going to live up to your expectations. Try and use the best chocolate you can find, one with at least 54% cocoa solids. Seventy per cent would be even better. You can find this information on the back of the label. Here are my top three recipes – all of them easy, all of them absolutely delicious. Make one for your friends, your family, your loved ones (if they aren’t all one and the same), or just treat yourself.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Cake with Summer Fruits
100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
500g bag frozen summer fruits
100g plain chocolate, broken into chunks
3 eggs, separated
75g caster sugar
5 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted
4 tbsp plain flour, sifted
50g roasted, chopped hazelnuts
icing sugar, to dust
double cream or crème fraîche, to serve

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Butter the base and sides of a 20-23cm/8-9in cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper.
  2. Heat the summer fruits in a saucepan or microwave until soft. Press through a sieve with a wooden spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids, reserving the juice.
  3. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring. (Or you can do this in a microwave, but be careful not to overheat it.)
  4. Using a balloon whisk, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and creamy. Sift in the cocoa powder and flour, followed by the melted chocolate and butter and mix together using a large metal spoon. Pour in HALF of the summer fruit juice then mix in the chopped hazelnuts.
  5. Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, fold into the chocolate mixture and spoon into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 25–35 minutes or until a skewer or cocktail stick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  6. Allow to cool in the tin then turn out onto a serving plate. Dust with icing sugar, cut into slices and serve with the rest of the summer fruit juice and double cream or crème fraîche, if desired.
  7. For an even fancier presentation, use mint sprigs and fresh raspberries on the individual slices.

Mexican Chocolate Soufflé Cakes
Serves 6

75g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
225g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
1½ tsp instant espresso powder (or rich instant coffee granules)
pinch of salt
6 egg yolks
85g caster sugar
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 egg whites

  1. Butter 6 individual soufflé dishes or ramekins (about 200ml capacity) and place on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6.
  2. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water or melt carefully in a microwave. Add the coffee powder and salt and stir to blend.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks and all but 1 tbsp of the sugar with the chilli powder and cinnamon in a large bowl until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Fold in the chocolate mixture.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then whisk in the reserved tbsp sugar. Continue to whisk until firm, then fold into the chocolate mixture.
  5. Divide between the ramekins and bake for 8–10 minutes until the edges are set and the centres are soft. Dust with a little icing sugar and serve immediately.

Next page: Chocolate Maple Cake

Chocolate Maple Cake
150g unsalted butter, softened
150g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
50g plain chocolate
150g soft light brown sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
25g (3tbsp) cocoa powder
pinch of salt
3 tbsp maple syrup

For the icing
200g plain chocolate
100g icing sugar
100g unsalted butter
3 tbsp maple syrup

  1. Butter and flour a 20–23cm/8–9in cake tin. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/ gas mark 4. Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water or carefully in a microwave.
  2. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten eggs, whisking to incorporate.
  3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt and quickly whisk into the butter mixture along with the maple syrup and melted chocolate. Spoon into the tin and bake for 25–30 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack while you make the icing.
  4. To make the icing place all the ingredients in a glass bowl and melt over a pan of simmering water (or carefully in a microwave), stirring every minute or so until smooth and well combined. Allow to cool slightly. When the cake is cool remove it from the tin and ice the top and sides. Serve with single or double cream if desired.

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