Chocolate Fudge Cake
This is the sort of cake you'd want to eat the whole of when you'd been chucked. But even the sight of it, proud and tall and thickly iced on its stand, comforts.
For the Cake
400 grams plain flour
250 grams golden caster sugar
100 grams light brown muscovado sugar
50 grams best-quality cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
142 millilitres sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
175 grams unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
125 millilitres corn oil
300 millilitres chilled water
For the Fudge Icing
175 grams dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
250 grams unsalted butter (softened)
275 grams icing sugar (sifted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Cake
2⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups golden granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup best-quality unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
½ cup corn oil
1¼ cups chilled water
For the Fudge Icing
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
18 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
2¾ cups confectioners' sugar (sifted)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/gas mark 4/350ºF.
Butter and line the bottom of two 20cm / 8 inch sandwich tins.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugars, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb and salt. In another bowl or wide-necked measuring jug whisk together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla until blended. Using a freestanding or handheld electric mixer, beat together the melted butter and corn oil until just blended (you'll need another large bowl for this if using the hand whisk; the freestanding mixer comes with its own bowl), then beat in the water. Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix together on a slow speed. Add the egg mixture, and mix again until everything is blended and then pour into the prepared tins. And actually, you could easily do this manually; I just like my toys and find the KitchenAid a comforting presence in itself.
Bake the cakes for 50-55 minutes, or until a cake-tester comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their tins on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, melt the chocolate in the microwave — 2-3 minutes on medium should do it — or in a bowl sitting over a pan of simmering water, and let cool slightly.
In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy (again, I use the KitchenAid here) and then add the sieved icing sugar and beat again until everything's light and fluffy. I know sieving is a pain, the one job in the kitchen I really hate, but you have to do it or the icing will be unsoothingly lumpy. Then gently add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth.
Cover one of the cake halves with about a quarter of the icing. Top with the second cake layer, and using the rest of the icing for the top and sides of the sandwiched cake, spreading and smoothing with a rubber spatula.
In another bowl beat the butter until it's soft and creamy (again, I use the KitchenAid here) and then add the sieved confectioners' sugar and beat again until everything's light and fluffy. I know sieving is a pain, the one job in the kitchen I really hate, but you have to do it or the icing will be unsoothingly lumpy. Then gently add the vanilla and chocolate and mix together until everything is glossy and smooth.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE: Make and ice the cake up to 1 day ahead. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The un-iced sponge layers can be frozen. Wrap each layer in a double layer of food wrap and a layer of foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours before sandwiching and coating with the icing.
