Description
This is a seriously chocolatey cake with tender cocoa layers, espresso and a silky chocolate custard tucked between every layer. It’s covered in fine cake crumbs, then chilled until everything turns fudgy, rich and wonderfully indulgent.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Cake
- 140 g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- 140 ml buttermilk
- 100 ml strong coffee, made with 1 tsp espresso powder
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 250 g light muscovado sugar
- 250 g plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Chocolate Espresso Custard
- 250 g golden caster sugar
- 500 ml full-fat milk
- 140 g chocolate, 70% to 85% cocoa solids, broken into small cubes
- 50 g cornflour
- 2 tsp espresso powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Make the custard first because it needs plenty of time to cool and set. In a large saucepan, whisk together 250 g golden caster sugar, 500 ml full-fat milk, 50 g cornflour and 2 tsp espresso powder until the cornflour has completely dissolved.
- Add 140 g chocolate and place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk constantly as the mixture heats, making sure you scrape across the bottom and into the corners of the pan. Bring it gently to a boil and keep whisking until the chocolate has melted and the custard is thick, smooth and glossy. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes from cold, but don’t rely only on the clock. The custard should visibly thicken.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt. Scrape the hot custard into a wide, shallow bowl so it cools more quickly. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin forming. Let it cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until completely cold and set.
- When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 350⁰F (180⁰C), or 320⁰F (160⁰C) fan. Grease two 20 cm sandwich tins with a little unsalted butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
- Melt 140 g unsalted butter in a saucepan over low heat. Remove it from the heat and whisk in 100 ml vegetable oil, 140 ml buttermilk, 100 ml coffee made with 1 tsp espresso powder and 2 large room temperature eggs. Whisk in 1 tsp vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 250 g plain flour, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp baking powder, 50 g cocoa powder, 250 g light muscovado sugar and 1/4 tsp salt. If the muscovado sugar has stubborn lumps, break them up with your fingers. There’s no need to sift everything if you whisk it well.
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk just until you have a smooth batter. Don’t overmix it once the flour disappears.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared tins and gently level the tops. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes have risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Leave the cakes in their tins for 10 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a wire rack and peel away the parchment. Let them cool completely before cutting. Warm cake and custard are not a good combination here, so give them the time they need.
- Once the cakes are completely cool, use a large serrated knife to trim any domed tops so the cakes are level. Cut each cake horizontally through the middle so you have four layers.
- Choose the least neat layer, along with any cake trimmings, and pulse them in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. You want crumbs rather than a paste, so use short pulses. Tip the crumbs into a large bowl and set aside.
- Place one cake layer on a serving plate and spread with 1/4 of the chilled chocolate espresso custard. Add a second cake layer and spread with another 1/4 of the custard. Top with the third cake layer.
- Spoon the remaining 1/2 of the custard over the top and use a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it over the top and down the sides. It doesn’t have to look perfect at this stage because the cake crumbs will cover everything.
- Refrigerate the cake for about 15 minutes to firm the custard. This makes the final crumb coating much easier.
- Hold the cake over the bowl of crumbs and gently press the crumbs onto the top and sides, working around the cake until it’s completely covered. Any excess crumbs can be brushed away from the serving plate.
- Refrigerate the finished cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve it cold. Honestly, it gets even better after a longer rest because the cake softens and the chocolate custard settles into the layers.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Preshana
