Chocolate Sponge Cake Mary Berry Food

VERY BEST CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Fan 160°C/Gas 4. Grease two 20cm (8in) deep sandwich tins then line the base of each tin with baking parchment. Blend the cocoa and boiling water in a large bowl then add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until the mixture has become a smooth, thickish batter. Divide the cake mix equally between the prepared tins and level the surface. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until well risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed with a finger. Leave to cool in the tins for a few minutes then turn out, peel off the parchment and finish cooling on a wire rack. To make the icing, warm the apricot jam in a very small pan, then spread a little over the base of one cake and the top of the other. Break the chocolate into pieces and gently heat with the cream in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water for about 10 minutes or just until the chocolate has melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir the chocolate mixture to make sure it has completely melted. Leave to cool until it is on the point of setting then spread on top of the apricot on both cakes. Sandwich the cakes together and use a small palette knife to smooth the icing on the top. Keep in a cool place until ready to serve. Tip: The cake can be frozen (iced or un-iced) for up to 1 month. Store in a round freezer-proof container about 2.5cm (1in) bigger than the diameter of the cake. Sit the cake on the inside of the lid and place the container over the top. Seal, label and freeze. If the cake is frozen iced, the icing will not be quite as shiny once thawed. To defrost, release the lid but leave in position and thaw for 4 hours at room temperature.

MARY BERRY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C, gas 4. Beat together the eggs, flour, caster sugar, butter, and baking powder until smooth in a large mixing bowl.
• Put the cocoa powder in a separate mixing bowl, and add the water a little at a time to make a stiff paste. Add to the cake mixture.
• Turn into the prepared tins, level the top, and bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 mins, or until shrinking away from the sides of the tin and springy to the touch.
• Leave to cool in the tin, then turn on to a wire rack to become completely cold before icing.
• To make the icing: measure the cream and chocolate into a bowl and carefully melt over a pan of hot water over a low heat, or gently in the microwave for 1 min (600w microwave). Stir until melted, then set aside to cool a little and to thicken up.
• To ice the cake: spread the apricot jam on the top of each cake. Spread half of the ganache icing on the top of the jam on one of the cakes, then lay the other cake on top, sandwiching them together.
• Use the remaining ganache icing to ice the top of the cake in a swirl pattern. Dust with icing sugar to serve.

MARY BERRY'S EASY VICTORIA SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins. Use a piece of baking paper to rub a little butter around the inside of the tins until the sides and base are lightly coated, then line the bottom with a circle of baking paper.
• Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar, flour, baking powder and butter. Mix together until well combined with an electric hand mixer (you can also use a wooden spoon), but be careful not to over mix. Put a damp cloth under your bowl when you're mixing to stop it moving around. The finished mixture should fall off a spoon easily.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins: this doesn't need to be exact, but you can weigh the filled tins if you want to check. Use a spatula to remove all of the mixture from the bowl and gently smooth the surface of the cakes.
• Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes. Check them after 20 minutes. The cakes are done when they're golden-brown and coming away from the edge of the tins. Press them gently to check - they should be springy to the touch. Set aside to cool in their tins for 5 minutes. Run a palette or rounded butter knife around the inside edge of the tins and carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
• To assemble the cake, place one cake upside down onto a plate and spread it with plenty of jam. If you want to, you can spread over whipped cream too. Top with the second cake, top-side up. Sprinkle over the caster sugar.

MARY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Lightly butter two loose-bottomed 20cm/8in sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper.
• Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and cocoa in a large bowl and beat for 2 minutes, or until just blended. (An electric mixer is best for this, but you can also beat by hand using a wooden spoon.)
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Level the surface using a spatula or the back of a spoon.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes. The tops of the cakes should spring back when pressed lightly with a finger. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Run a small palette knife around the edge of the tins, then carefully turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Peel off the paper and leave to cool completely.
• Choose the cake with the best top, then put the other cake top-down onto a serving plate. Spread with the jam and whipped cream, put the other cake on top (top upwards) and sprinkle with caster sugar to serve.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Butter and line two 20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment.
• Use a handheld electric whisk or a freestanding mixer to beat 175g softened unsalted butter and 175g golden caster sugar together in a bowl until creamy and light in colour. Then add 1 large egg, still mixing.
• Sieve 50g cocoa powder, 100g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt into another bowl and add a third of that to your wet ingredients.
• Once combined, add 1 more large egg and another third of the flour mixture and work that in.
• Then add 1 more large egg and the remaining flour and beat until you have a smooth thick batter. If the batter is stiff, stir in a splash of milk to loosen it.
• Divide the mixture between the tins and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
• Bake for 20-25 mins until springy to the touch. Take out of the oven and leave in the tins for 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the buttercream by melting 50g dark or milk chocolate in the microwave, or in a bowl over just simmering water, making sure the base doesn't touch the water. Leave to cool.
• Beat 85g softened unsalted butter and half of the 175g sieved icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the remaining icing sugar and melted chocolate and mix together. If the icing is runny, chill in the fridge until it is firm but still spreadable.
• To assemble the cake, put a small dollop of icing onto a plate and put one of the cakes on top. Spread the top of the cake with half the icing, leaving a 1cm border around the edge.
• Put the second cake on top and push down very gently. Spread the remaining icing over the top.

BEST EVER CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Stir butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a bowl; add vanilla extract and mix well. Stir eggs, 1 at a time, into butter mixture until smooth.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, into butter mixture until batter is smooth, adding more buttermilk if needed to thin out batter. Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup each sugar and water over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove simple syrup from heat; let cool.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs and remaining 1 cup sugar. Whisk on medium speed until quadrupled in volume and mixture holds a 3-second ribbon, about 10 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.
• In a bowl, combine cocoa and flour. Sift over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold into egg mixture, cutting through center and lifting gently over sides. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is springy to touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven. Run a small knife around sides of pan. Invert onto rack; remove parchment, and re-invert onto rack to cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes horizontally to level surface. Halve each cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter; generously brush with simple syrup and spread 3/4 cup frosting on top. Set another cake layer on top, and repeat process with remaining simple syrup, frosting, and cake layers. Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE FAIRY CAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line a 12-hole bun tin with paper cases. Put the sugar and butter in a bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually mix in the eggs and vanilla until combined.
• Add the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder to the bowl and mix to make a smooth batter. Fold the milk through to loosen. Divide the mixture between the cases using a spoon. Bake for 20 mins, or until a cocktail stick poked into the centre of one of the cakes in the middle row comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5-10 mins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely
• While the cakes are cooling, make the icing. Beat together the butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder in a bowl for 5-10 mins, until you have a smooth, creamy consistency. Add the milk to loosen if needed. Pipe or spread on top of the cooled cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Let eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in orange juice and vanilla until combined. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar on low speed, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat on high until mixture thickens and nearly doubles in volume. Combine the flour and cocoa. Fold a fourth of the flour mixture into the yolk mixture. Repeat with remaining flour mixture; set aside., In a large bowl and with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold a fourth of the egg whites into the yolk mixture; fold in remaining whites., Pour into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Bake at 325° for 55-60 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely. Run a knife around sides and center tube of pan; remove cake.