It’s rich, it’s chocolaty, it’s colourful, it’s fruity, it’s actually a bit of a showstopper. Bake it to share, bake it to impress, or simply bake it to eat.
Makes: 10 – 12 slices
Time: 50 mins to make and bake the cakes; about 30 mins for the chocolate triangles; about 40 minutes to ice and decorate.
Level: The cake is quite easy, the chocolate triangles a little more challenging
Need: 2 x 20cm/8” loose bottomed round cake tins + acetate strip, if making chocolate triangles. (See below for an estimate of the size needed.)
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 50g/1.75oz cocoa powder
- 30g/1oz instant coffee granules
- 100ml/3.5fl oz boiling water
- 3 eggs
- 60ml/2oz milk
- 175g/6oz self-raising flour
- 1tsp baking powder
- 100g/3.5oz softened butter or baking spread
- 200g/7oz caster sugar
For the icing & filling
- 150g/5.5oz dark chocolate
- 200ml/7fl oz double cream
- 400g/14oz icing sugar + extra for dusting later
- 300g/10oz fresh raspberries
For the Chocolate triangles (if using)
- 150g/5.5oz tempered dark chocolate
- Sprinkles and/or colour spray (Gold or red would work well.)
- Any small broken pieces of chocolate from making the triangles
- 2g – 3g freeze dried raspberries (optional)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C / Fan 160C / 350F / Gas 4. Butter & line the base of the baking tins.
2. In a large bowl, or the bowl from a stand mixer, mix together the cocoa powder, coffee granules and boiling water to make a paste. Put all the other cake ingredients into the bowl and whisk together until light and smooth.
3. Pour equal amounts into each tin and bake for 20 – 25 minutes, until risen and pulling away from the side of the tins, or insert a skewer into the middle of each cake. If it comes out clean then they’re done.
4. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 – 10 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack to cool fully.
5. This would be a good time to make the chocolate triangles if using. First set out the sprinkles and spray so that they’re handy. Go straight to step 9 if not making chocolate triangles (no need to throw a six!)
6. Now we need to do a bit of maths (or Math in US). The circumference of a 20cm/8″ cake tin is around 63cm/25″, so cut a piece long enough to create enough triangles to encircle the cake plus some smaller broken bits for the top of the cake, 80cm/31″ – 90cm/35″ will be plenty. The width of the acetate strip should be about the same as the height of your finished cake, so measure the two cakes and add about 15mm/0.5″ for the filling – probably around 12cm/5″ in total. Lay the strip out on your work surface so that it stays flat. Use a small bit of tape at each end if necessary.
7. Melt the chocolate and pour or brush it evenly and fairly thickly over the flat strip. As it cools, drizzle on your chosen sprinkles then use a knife or a metal scraper to press straight lines in a pattern to create triangles. (Try not to press too hard, there’s no need to cut into the acetate.)
8. You can either spray these now or later. When the chocolate has almost set, gently break the strips into the marked triangles and set aside in a cool place to firm up.
9. To make the icing, chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat proof bowl. Gently heat the cream to almost boiling and pour it over the chocolate. Leave for a few minutes then stir to mix and melt the chocolate.
10. Sift in the icing sugar. Stir to mix, then beat rapidly until it’s thick but spreadable.
11. Put a blob of filling onto a cake board and place one cake on this. Put the board onto a cake decorating turntable, using another blob to keep it in place. Cover this cake with about a third of the icing. Add a layer of raspberries, pressing them in a little. (If they stand too high then use halves.)
12. Place the second cake on top, flatter side up. Cover this with most of the remaining filling. (Reserve enough to help attach the triangles.) Add the remaining raspberries in any way that looks attractive to you.
13. Fasten the chocolate triangles around the base of the cake, using the reserved filling as glue if needed. Add on any broken pieces of chocolate and/or any other adornments such as sprinkles or freeze dried raspberries. Dust the top with icing sugar before serving.
I hope you make and enjoy this lovely cake. If so I’d love to hear from you and maybe see any photos you take. Please feel free to get in touch via the contact page. https://retiredblokeonfoodnstuff.com/contact/
You may have come to this recipe page directly, so here’s a link to the recipe section of my website, so you can have a browse at leisure. Hope you find other cakes and bakes that take your fancy. https://retiredblokeonfoodnstuff.com/my-bakes/
Retired Bloke on Food n stuff 