Rich Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe


This is my most requested chocolate cake recipe. It has an intense chocolate flavour and is deliciously gooey. It is based on recipes used during the war when certain ingredients were hard to come by. It also happens to be vegan – don’t let that put you off – it definitely doesn’t taste vegan.

For a cupcake version bake at 160C (fan) for 15-20 mins. This gives a lighter cake. Swirl some Gooey Chocolate Topping on them.

Sponge Dry Ingredients -sieve and mix together in one bowl

2 1/2 cups self raising flour
2 cups castor sugar
2/3 cup of bournville cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Sponge Wet Ingredients -mix together in second larger bowl

2/3 cup rape seed oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 cup luke warm water
You need to keep the vinegar and baking powder away from each other until the oven has reached temperature (160 deg C – fan oven) and your cake pans have been greased.  For a square cake use 2 x 23cm pans, for round cake 2 x 26cm.  I tend to use silicone moulds greased with ‘Easy Bake’.

Method

Add the sponge dry ingredients into the larger second bowl containing the sponge wet ingredients and mix together quickly but thoroughly. This can be done by hand, using a stick blender or with a stand mixer (it is a runny mixture so don’t worry if it appears thin).

As soon as the mixture is smooth quickly divide between 2 cake pans and pop in the oven. The mixture will be about 1cm deep in the pan.
Bake for 20-25 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  The cake is meant to be moist so be careful not to over cook it – if you do it still tastes good – just not as good!
 Cooked to Perfection  Slightly Overcooked
   
 Top slightly shiny – even rise  Cake starts to crack
 Allow the cakes to cool before carefully turning them out.  Sandwich together and cover with my Gooey Chocolate Topping.
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For a taller round cake use two 20cm cake pans and cook at 150 deg C (fan) for 35 mins.