Hans Sloane Chocolate Cake
Thanks so much to the lovely people at Hans Sloane Chocolate for sending me their delicious chocolate beads to bake with! Here is what I made – an indulgent chocolate cake!
Ingredients for the cake:
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon boiling water
200g caster sugar
50g light brown sugar
200g butter
4 large eggs
40g cocoa
Pinch of salt
240g self-raising flour
100ml sour cream
Ingredients for the frosting:
300g icing sugar (sifted)
50ml sour cream
50ml milk
Optional to decorate – more Hans Sloane Chocolate Beads
You will need 2 x 20cm round loose bottomed cake tins
Method:
1) Preheat your oven to 170 degrees.
2) Grease and line both of your cake tins.
3) Set your Rich Dark Hans Sloane Chocolate Beads to melt in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
4) In a mug, dissolve the coffee in the water and set aside.
5) Using an electric mixer, beat together the butter and two sugars until light and fluffy.
6) Add in an egg at a time, beating well after each addition.
7) In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, cocoa and salt.
8) Into the mixer bowl, sift in half of the flour, cocoa and salt bowl and mix carefully.
9) Add in half of the sour cream and mix.
10) Add in the final half of the flour, cocoa and salt, and mix.
11) Add in the final half of the sour cream and mix until you have a thick batter.
12) Pour the coffee and melted chocolate into the bowl and fold them into the mixture, making sure that they are fully incorporated.
13) Once you have a thick chocolatey batter, pour it into the prepared cake tins, making sure you have the same amount in each. (I weigh the tins to be sure!)
14) Make sure the surface of the batter is smooth and tap the tins on your work surface to remove any air bubbles.
15) Put the tins into the oven for 25-35 minutes, until the tops are springy and a cake tester/dry piece of spaghetti inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. (Don’t worry if the tops are slightly cracked as this is common in chocolate cakes!)
16) Leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes before removing them, and placing them on a wire rack.
17) Whilst you are waiting for the cakes to cool, melt the Rich Dark Hans Sloane Chocolate Beads & Smooth Milk Hans Sloane Chocolate Beads (required for the frosting) in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Once melted, set aside and wait for the cakes to cool.
18) Once the cakes are cool, pour the melted chocolate, sifted icing sugar, sour cream and milk into a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk until you have a thick frosting.
19) Spread half of the frosting over the top of the cake that will be your bottom layer.
20) Carefully place the other cake on top and push down slightly. Cover the top of this cake with the frosting (you may find it easier to spread the frosting by using a palette knife that has been dipped in warm water and then wiped).
21) Decorate the cake with more Hans Sloane Chocolate Beads!
