Chocolate Sesame Loaf Cake Food

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray. Dust the bottom and sides of each pan with Dutch-process cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
• Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed to combine. Add the eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, sour cream, oil, vanilla, salt and 1 cup of hot water. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• Trim the domes of the cake rounds with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat.
• For the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over simmering water in a medium saucepan. Remove from the simmering water and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, drizzle in the chocolate and beat until completely blended. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with 3/4 cup of the frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling decoratively.

CHOCOLATE & SESAME LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease two 900g loaf tins (8.5cm deep) and line with baking parchment.
• First, make the chocolate cake mixture. Put the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally. Put all the other ingredients in a large mixing bowl and, when the chocolate and butter have melted, pour over and mix with an electric whisk until smooth and well combined. Set aside and rinse the beaters.
• In another large bowl, add all the sesame cake ingredients, then combine with an electric whisk until smooth.
• Alternating with dollops of each mixture, divide between the two tins. Level the top, then swirl a skewer through the mixture to create a marbled effect. Bake in the middle of the oven for 45-50 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack while you make the topping (there's enough for both cakes but the topping recipe is easily halved if you want to freeze one and ice it later)
• Heat the double cream and butter together gently in a small pan until just simmering, then remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the mixture is smooth, then place in the fridge for 20 mins to firm up.
• Beat well with a wooden spoon, then transfer to a disposable piping bag. Snip the end off to make a wide opening, then pipe thick, overlapping zigzags across the cakes. Cut the sesame snaps into shards and arrange on top, scattering over any crumbs, then serve.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb/900g loaf tin with a long strip of baking parchment. To make the loaf cake batter, beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, flour, almonds, baking powder, milk and cocoa until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips, then scrape into the tin. Bake for 45-50 mins until golden, risen and a skewer poked in the centre comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin, then lift out onto a wire rack over some kitchen paper. Melt the extra chocolate chunks separately in pans over barely simmering water, or in bowls in the microwave, then use a spoon to drizzle each in turn over the cake. Leave to set before slicing.