No collection of cake recipes would be complete without some delicious chocolate bakes, and these fab creations will make every chocoholic’s heart sing!
Mocha & hazelnut cake
Chocolate, coffee and hazelnut combined in one cake is our idea of bliss.
SERVES 10 PREP 25 mins plus cooling COOK 50 mins MORE EFFORT V
55g butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for the tins 125g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 115g plain chocolate, broken up 5 tsp instant espresso powder 100g blanched hazelnuts, toasted 375g light brown soft sugar ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 115g soured cream 3 tsp vanilla extract 50ml hazelnut oil
For the buttercream filling
1 tbsp instant espresso powder 100g butter 150g icing sugar, sifted
For the topping
75ml double cream ¾ tbsp instant espresso powder 3 tbsp light brown soft sugar 50g dark chocolate, broken up 30g blanched hazelnuts
1 Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the bases of two 20cm round cake tins, then dust well with flour and tap out the excess. Put the chocolate in a small bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Stir until melted, then set aside to cool.
2 Mix the espresso powder with 250ml boiling water, then leave to cool. Blitz the hazelnuts in a food processor until finely ground.
3 Combine the ground hazelnuts, sugar, flour, a good pinch of salt and the bicarb in a stand mixer. Mix the eggs, soured cream, vanilla, butter, hazelnut oil and the cooled espresso in a jug. With the mixer running on a low speed, gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine until smooth. Add the chocolate and beat for 15 seconds.
4 Divide the batter between the tins (it’ll be quite thin at this stage) and bake for 35-40 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 mins, then run a knife around the edge and turn the cakes out onto a wire rack. Leave to cool completely.
5 For the buttercream filling, dissolve the espresso powder in 1 tbsp boiling water and leave to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a stand mixer or by hand in a bowl, gradually adding the cooled coffee. Use a palette knife to spread the buttercream over the top of one sponge.
6 To make the topping, gently heat the cream, espresso powder and sugar in a pan, stirring to help the sugar and coffee dissolve. Take off the heat and add the chocolate. Stir to melt until smooth and glossy, then leave to cool until thickened. Toast the whole hazelnuts in a dry frying pan, leave to cool, then chop very roughly (you’ll want some halves in the mixture).
7 Place the top layer of cake onto the bottom lay
