We are back !!!!!!!!!!!!! Chocolate Fudge Cake

After a very long time off from the blog we are BACK !

Well what can I say, many of you have asked WHY ??  the absence, wondering if I have stopped cooking ???? Never, it has just been a tricky few years and my editor (husband) was very busy, so there have not been any new posts, however hopefully you will see more regular entries. So as a peace offering I am going to share a chocolate fudge cake recipe 😉

This chocolate fudge cake recipe I saw on a TV show some years ago and since have made it several times of course with my modifications. When I saw Phil Vickery make the cake, I thought to myself I had to try it, as I love the simple desserts that he makes and shows on various TV shows. One of the other reasons I wanted to try it was to see how it would turn out when using very little condensed milk, and much to my surprise the cake is moist, spongy and has a very nice chocolatey taste. It is such a simple recipe that this time, as can be seen in the picture, it is made by my son. He measured all the ingredients, mixed, and poured the batter into the tin, which he prepared by placing the grease proof paper before hand. I only assisted by placing the cake in the oven for baking, once cooled he cut the shape he wanted and decorated it to how he wanted it.

Oh I cannot tell you how proud it makes me feel to see him make the cake all by himself – he has grown up so much that he is using all of his skills and learning more at the same time as making the cake. Of course the most obvious being maths – weighing and measuring the ingredients, then the other bit of learning, which you would not normally associate with cooking is science. When mixing the oil & milk, and the effect of mixing the two ingredients to emulsify them together. He even said as he was mixing it, lets see what happens when we mix the light (oil) liquid with the heavy (milk). As he whisked the two ingredients together, he noticed the change from being separate layers to big bubbles and then eventually coming together. It is only when we think about these things do we realise how everything is connected and how we use core subjects like maths and science in everyday life without thinking about it. In effect we are enforcing what is being taught at school in a fun practical way, and of course the most important skill/ lesson learnt is cooking – being able to make something. I urge you to try this recipe, it is a very rich, moist cake. Each time I have made it, the cake is eaten on the day and there hardly ever is anything left over. Everyone who has tried it loves it and I have taught two other people how to make it already.

 

Chocolate Fudge Cake

As always I have tweaked the original recipe, as we don’t eat eggs, and also added a little more cocoa powder to make it more rich and chocolatey 😉 In order to have the rich velvety taste for the topping, make sure that you use the 70% cocoa chocolate as it just a much better taste (and I am not a fan of dark chocolate). I have not as yet added any other flavours to the batter, however would like to try either coffee or orange, so watch this space ….

Ingredients

Preparation time : 15 to 20 mins            Cooking time : 20 to 25 mins            Serves : 8 to 12

175g (6oz) self-rasing flour

3 heaped tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp each of baking powder & soda bi-carbonate

150g (5oz) caster sugar

150ml (1/4 pint) sunflower oil

150ml (1/4 pint) milk (full fat)

3tbsp yoghurt (I use natural home made )

3 tsp vanilla essence extract

125g (5oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids)

397g can caramel carnation condensed milk

1 tbsp icing sugar

 

Method

1) Line your baking tin with grease proof paper. I use a 8″ round or 10″ square tin. Pre heat oven to 180’C or 350’F (gas mark 4). Even though the original recipe asks to use 2 of the same sized tins, I pour the entire mixture in the one tin as I don’t have two of the same size and then cut it to layer if I want to do the sandwich. Normally I just cover the cake without cutting it in half.

2) Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, mix and stir in the sugar and mix.

3) In a jug (I use the measuring jug), measure and mix the oil and milk with a fork or whisk. After they are a little combined add the yoghurt and vanilla essence extract, and mix together until combined. Beat in 2 tbsp of the caramel condensed milk until the mixture is smooth.

4) Combine the wet and dry mixture and mix well, the mixture will be quite wet compare to other cake batters. This is fine, pour the mixture into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for 20 to 25 mins until springy to touch or the toothpick comes out clean.

5) Cool the cake in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack, remove the grease proof paper and leave to cool completely. Mean while prepare the topping 🙂

6) Melt the chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl, by cutting the chocolate into pieces. Melt in short bursts of 1 minute at a time and stir until smooth. Add the remaining caramel condense milk and the vanilla essence to the chocolate and beat well, until smooth and glossy. You will have to work quickly as it will thicken very fast. sift the icing and combine thoroughly.

7) Place the cake on the serving plate and spread the frosting on top to cover the cake completely. Leave to set in the fridge and soon you will be ready to serve.   If you don’t want it to be a thick layer then some of the frosting will remain and this keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks. However if you are sandwiching the cake then it will all be used up. For sandwiching, first place the cake on to the plate and cut horizontally in half (if not baked in 2 of the same size tins), spread a generous dollop onto the bottom layer, place the other half of the cake on top of this. As above spread the remaining frosting on to the top and sides of the cake, completely covering the cake and as before leave to set and you are ready to serve when you want to. As can be seen I have used strawberries, white chocolate and the red glitter icing on top of the frosting.