This is a big, tasty cake, packed with great flavour and texture. The coffee cream filling and topping is silky smooth and delicious.
Serves: 12 – 15
Time: 75 minutes + cooling for the bake, then 20 minutes for filling, topping and assembly.
Level: Quite straight-forward.
Tins: 2 x 20cm/8” round, loose bottomed cake tins – greased, base lined and dusted lightly with flour.
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 275g/8oz plain flour
- 2½ level teaspoons baking powder
- 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of salt
- 275ml/8fl oz milk
- 100g/3½oz dark chocolate, chopped small
- 175g/6oz unsalted butter, softened
- 325g/11oz soft brown sugar or light muscovado
- 4 medium eggs
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 150g/5½oz peeled chestnuts, chopped small or whizzed
- 60g/2oz milk or dark chocolate drops
- 2 – 3 tbsp brandy (optional)
For the filling and topping
- 150g/5½oz full fat cream cheese
- 100g/3½oz unsalted butter, softened
- 175g/6oz Icing sugar
- 2 tsp Coffee essence*
- 125ml/4½fl oz double cream
- 8 – 10 chestnut halves to decorate
- Chocolate shavings or sprinkles
* If you don’t have any, then warm 20ml/¾oz of the cream and dissolve 1 or 2 tsp of instant coffee in it then add into the main mixture.
Method
1. Preheat oven to 190°C/fan 170° C/370°F/Gas 5. Grease and line two 20cm/8” round cake tins, preferably loose bottomed.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, bi-carb soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.
3. Warm the milk in the microwave and add the dark chocolate. Allow it to melt. (Put back in microwave for a few short blasts if necessary.)
4. Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy, ideally in a stand mixer.
5. One by one, add in the eggs, mixing well each time with a tsp of the flour.
6. Stir in the golden syrup, chopped chestnuts, chocolate drops and brandy (if using), mixing well.
7. Fold in the remaining flour mixture.
8. Gradually and gently, stir in the chocolate milk. Mix gently until fully incorporated.
9. Pour mixture equally into the two tins. Bake for 40 – 45 minutes.
10. Leave in tins for 5 – 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool fully.
11. For the filling, beat the soft cheese and softened butter for several minutes. Sift in the icing sugar and beat some more.
12. Add the coffee extract and double cream and beat until a thick, but spreadable, consistency is achieved.
13. Use half the mixture to combine the two cakes, use the rest on top. (If time allows, you could put the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes after combining the two halves, than add topping later.)
14. Add the reserved chestnut halves and grate some more plain chocolate over the top.
I hope you enjoy this lovely cake. If you want more cake recipes click this link, or to see more chocolate cake recipes click here. Two of my personal favourites that I’m sure you’ll love as well are my Chocolate and Orange Marbled Ring Cake and my Chocolate Lime and Orange Cake.
Also, please have a look at my site for lots of other recipes, sweet and savoury. If you’d like to comment or ask a question please do, via the contact page.
In the mean time – Happy Baking,
Ian
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 