Description
Soft Chocolate Layer Cake is the kind of simple homemade cake that looks a little fancy once it’s filled and covered in chocolate icing. The hot milk and butter go straight into the batter, giving the sponge a soft, tender crumb without making a fuss.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Hot Milk Sponge
- 3 eggs, preferably at room temperature
- 250 ml (200 g) sugar
- 5 ml - 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 400 ml (230 g) cake flour
- 2.5 ml - 1/2 tsp salt
- 12.5 ml - 1 tbsp baking powder
- 40 ml butter
- 150 ml milk
Chocolate Icing
- 150 g butter, softened
- 250 ml - 2 cups icing sugar
- 25 g - 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 25ml - 37.5 ml - 2 to 3 tbsp milk, plus more if needed
- 2.5 ml - 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Instructions
Sponge
- Preheat the oven to 400⁰F (200⁰C).
- Grease two 20 cm cake tins well and line the bases with baking paper. This makes turning the cakes out much easier.
- Beat 3 eggs, 250 ml (200 g) sugar and 1 tsp vanilla essence together until the mixture is noticeably lighter and a little thickened. Give it a good few minutes rather than stopping as soon as everything is combined.
- Sift 400 ml (230 g) cake flour, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tbsp baking powder together.
- Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix gently until just combined. Don’t overmix here or the sponge can lose some of its lightness.
- Put 40 ml butter and 150 ml milk into a heavy-based saucepan. Heat gently until the butter has melted and the milk is hot, but don’t let it boil.
- Slowly pour the hot butter and milk mixture into the batter while mixing gently. Make sure there are no pockets of dry flour hiding at the bottom of the bowl.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 20 cm cake tins.
- Bake at 400⁰F (200⁰C) for about 20 minutes, or until the cakes are lightly golden and spring back when gently pressed in the centre. A skewer should also come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cakes cool in their tins for about 10 minutes, then turn them onto a wire rack to cool completely. Don’t ice them while they’re still warm or the chocolate icing will soften and slide.
Chocolate Icing
- Beat 150 g softened butter until pale, smooth and fluffy.
- Add 1/2 tsp vanilla essence and beat briefly to combine.
- Gradually beat in 2 cups icing sugar, about 1 cup at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed because the icing has a habit of hiding around the edges.
- Sift in 1/4 cup cocoa powder and beat until evenly mixed.
- Add 2 tbsp milk gradually and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the remaining 1 tbsp milk, a little at a time, only if the icing needs loosening.
- Place one cooled sponge on a serving plate. Spread with some of the chocolate icing, place the second sponge on top, then cover the top and sides with the remaining icing.
- Let the finished Soft Chocolate Layer Cake sit for a little while before slicing. The icing will settle and the layers will be easier to cut neatly.
Notes
Prepared, tried, and tested by Reshika
