Easy Chocolate Dream Cake

Ingredients

• 175 g Self-raising flour
• 175 g Caster sugar
• 40 g Cocoa powder
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 3 Eggs (large)
• 175 g Unsalted butter (softened)
• 2 tbsp Whole milk
• 150 g Caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
• 300 ml Double cream (softly whipped)
• 150 g Dark chocolate (chopped, for ganache)
• 150 ml Double cream (for ganache)
• 100 g Milk chocolate (melted, for the shell)
• 1 tsp Coconut oil (melted with the chocolate shell to make it crackable)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F). Grease a deep 8-inch round cake tin or a similar deep container suitable for baking.

2. 2

   In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy.

3. 3

   Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with each to prevent curdling.

4. 4

   Sift in the remaining self-raising flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Fold gently until just combined.

5. 5

   Stir in the milk to loosen the batter to a dropping consistency.

6. 6

   Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely in the tin.

7. 7

   Once the cake is cool, spread a layer of caramel sauce evenly over the top of the cake while it is still in the tin.

8. 8

   Whip the 300ml of double cream until soft peaks form, then spread this over the caramel layer.

9. 9

   To make the ganache, heat 150ml of double cream in a small saucepan until just simmering. Pour the hot cream over the chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Let it sit for a minute, then stir until smooth and glossy.

10. 10

    Pour the chocolate ganache over the whipped cream layer and spread it to the edges. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to set the ganache.

11. 11

    Melt the milk chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil. Pour this over the chilled ganache layer, tilting the tin to ensure an even, thin coating.

12. 12

    Return to the fridge for 10-15 minutes until the top chocolate shell is firm and crackable. Serve by cracking the top layer with a spoon to reveal the layers beneath.

Notes

This cake is designed to be served directly from the baking tin. For the best 'crack', ensure the top chocolate layer is thin and mixed with a little oil. If you don't have a deep enough tin, you can bake the cake in a standard tin and assemble it in a high-sided dish.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• chocolate
• cake
• baking
• party food
• sweet