Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 1.5hrs | Serves: 10
Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Sponge:
300g plain flour
80g cocoa powder
10g baking powder
2g bicarbonate of soda
3g sea salt
350g caster sugar
4 medium eggs (approx. 220g without shells)
240g whole milk
120g vegetable oil
10g vanilla extract
200g boiling water
For the Chocolate Buttercream:
300g unsalted butter, softened
600g icing sugar
80g cocoa powder
80g double cream
5g vanilla extract
2g sea salt
Method:
Preheat your oven to 170°C (fan 150°C). Grease and line three 20cm round cake tins with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, sift together the plain flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt.
Stir in the caster sugar until evenly combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until combined. The batter will be thick.
Carefully pour in the boiling water and whisk gently until smooth. The mixture will loosen — this gives a beautifully moist sponge.
Divide the batter evenly between the three tins.
Bake for 22–28 minutes until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the buttercream, beat the softened butter for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Sift in the icing sugar and cocoa powder in stages, mixing slowly at first to avoid clouds of sugar.
Add the double cream, vanilla extract and sea salt. Beat for 3–4 minutes until light, smooth and spreadable.
If needed, adjust consistency with a small splash of cream.
To assemble, place the first sponge on a cake board and spread a generous layer of buttercream over the top.
Repeat with the second sponge, then place the final layer on top.
Cover the entire cake with a thin crumb coat and chill for 20 minutes.
Finish with a final thick layer of buttercream, smoothing with a palette knife.
Taste and adjust next time if needed — a pinch more salt deepens the chocolate beautifully.
Storage:
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Suitable for freezing (without buttercream) for up to 1 month.
