How to make the perfect chocolate cake and the common mistakes to avoid

Birthdays, celebrations and when you need a pick-me-up, sometimes only chocolate cake will do

A chocolate cake is hard to beat.

Preheat

If you want to achieve an evenly risen chocolate cake with no cracks in the surface, then make sure to preheat the oven. This will allow the cake to rise evenly and in an unchanging temperature, ensuring a fluffy, even result. 

Not too sweet

You want your cake to be sweet but not too sweet. Light brown sugar adds a caramel tone to the flavour that balances out the sweetness of the cake and is always preferential if you have it in your baking press. 

Use the good chocolate

But not the 'too good' chocolate. Use chocolate that varies between 52% and 72% cocoa solids, depending on how 'grown up' you want the cake to taste. Chocolate with higher cocoa solids will result in a bitter cake that is too rich in flavour. 

Learn the difference between cocoa and drinking chocolate

When baking with chocolate, never reach for drinking chocolate in place of cocoa. This is cocoa with added powdered milk and sugar, so using it in place of cocoa in your recipe will result in a weaker chocolate flavour. In a pinch, use the same quantity of melted dark chocolate in place of cocoa. 

Don't open the oven door

Every time you open the oven door during a bake, you can reduce the temperature by 50°C. If you are extremely worried about your cake, make like a Bake Off contestant and pull up a stool at the oven door. 

Spend time on the icing

By their nature, chocolate cakes are rich. Counteract this, by spending time on the buttercream, incorporating as much air as possible in order to make it light. Whisk your buttercream for five extra minutes and reap the dividends. 

Add some flavour accents

When you are confident that your chocolate cake is perfected, it's time to start experimenting. Coffee, orange, vanilla and brandy all bring out the flavour of cocoa, so why not add a little to your next cake? 

Serve with a side 

Serve your cake with some cream whipped with vanilla and some tart berries like raspberries. 

Blaithnaid's Chocolate Cake by Darina Allen

This is our absolute favourite chocolate cake from 30 years at Ballymaloe.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

• 225g plain white flour
• Pinch salt
• ½ tsp bread soda
• 2 level tsp baking power
• 225ml milk
• 75g plain chocolate — we use 52%
• 150g butter
• 275g soft light brown sugar
• 3 eggs, organic and free-range
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling

• 200g plain chocolate — we use 52%
• 250g butter
• 4 egg yolks
• 150g icing sugar, sifted

For the chocolate ganache

• 150g plain chocolate, chopped — we use 52%
• 300ml cream

Equipment you need

• 2 x 9 inch (23cm) tins

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease the tins with melted butter, dust with flour, and line the base of each with a round of greaseproof paper. Put the milk and chopped chocolate into a saucepan, warm gently until the chocolate melts, and allow to cool. Sieve the flour, salt, bread soda and baking powder into a bowl. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract, and add to the creamed mixture bit by bit, alternating with the flour. Add the cool milk and chocolate and fold in the remaining flour. Divide between the two prepared tins. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, approximately. Allow to cool for a few minutes. Turn out carefully and cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, make the filling. Melt the chocolate in a Pyrex bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Allow to cool slightly.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter in a bowl for at least ten minutes, at the highest setting, until it is white and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and icing sugar. Beat vigorously for a further five minutes.

When the butter mixture is thoroughly mixed, take two tablespoons of it and add slowly to the melted chocolate. Then, slowly pour the melted chocolate down the side of the mixing bowl and fold in quickly, and gently, until fully combined and smooth.

To make the chocolate ganache: Put the chocolate in a large bowl. Bring the cream to the boil, pour over the chocolate and leave for 8-10 minutes, or until cool. Then, whisk the chocolate and cream gently, until it reaches soft peaks — careful not to over-whisk, or it will be too stiff to spread and may turn into chocolate butter. (Use as soon as possible, otherwise it will become too stiff to spread).

To assemble the cake, split the cakes in half with a sharp, serrated knife. Spread a little of the chocolate filling onto each cake, and sandwich the base of the cakes together. Ice the cake with the soft, chocolate ganache and decorate as desired. We use chocolate curls and dredge them with unsweetened cocoa and icing sugar.