Irresistible Chocolate Cake Food

IRRESISTIBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Blend together 1 cup sugar, cocoa powder and 1/2 cup yogurt.
• In another bowl, cream butter with 1 cup sugar.
• Beat eggs, one at a time, into creamed butter.
• Then beat in cocoa mixture.
• In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda.
• Add flour to butter cocoa mixture, alternating with remaining 1/2 cup of yogurt into which the Kahlua has been blended.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Pour evenly into a buttered 10-inch springform tube pan that has been dusted with cocoa powder.
• Bake for approximately one hour or until tester comes out clean.
• Cool cake on a rack before removing from pan.
• For the Glaze---------------.
• Break chocolate into bits.
• Place double boiler over, not in, a pan of hot water.
• Add chocolate, cream, butter and Kahlua.
• Cover tightly and heat for a few minutes, stir until completely melted and smooth.
• Transfer to stainless steel bowl and cover.
• Keep at room temperature.
• Slowly pour about half the glaze over the top of the cake spreading it evenly with a metal spatula over the top, sides and in the center.
• Refrigerate until glaze is firm.
• Then repeat with remaining glaze.
• Refrigerate again to allow second layer of glaze to firm up.
• Decorate with piped buttercream chocolate frosting in an interesting shape and top each with a chocolate coffee bean or pecan or walnut half.
• Or just accent with fresh flowers in center and around the sides.
• Best served the next day.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
• Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
• Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
• Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
• Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
• Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 - 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit).
• Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
• To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
• Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
• Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.