The ultimate chocolate cake
Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
Recipe from the pocket bakery by Rose Prince (W&N, £18.99) Recipe photograph: Laura Hynd
The ultimate chocolate cake
Recipe by Rose Prince
Serves: 10-12
Prep time: 45 minsTotal time: 
See more recipes
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
477Kcal
Fat
31gr
Saturates
18gr
Carbs
45gr
Sugars
33gr
Fibre
2gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
1.1gr
Rose Prince
Rose Prince is a professional chef turned writer and author. She writes for The Daily Telegraph and has published numerous cookery books.
See more of Rose Prince’s recipes
Rose Prince
Rose Prince is a professional chef turned writer and author. She writes for The Daily Telegraph and has published numerous cookery books.
See more of Rose Prince’s recipes
Ingredients
- 225g butter at room temperature, diced, plus extra for greasing
- 225g golden caster sugar
- 175g self-raising flour, sifted
- 50g cocoa powder, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder, sifted
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 medium eggs
- 100ml milk
For the buttercream:
- 100g soft butter
- 100g icing sugar, sifted
- 2 tsp cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 egg yolk (optional)
For the icing:
- 100g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
- 15g butter
- 30g cocoa powder
- 50ml coffee or water
- 1 tbsp golden syrup
Step by step
Get ahead
Make the cakes up to a day ahead, cool, then store in an airtight container. Assemble with the buttercream and icing when ready to serve. The uniced cakes can be frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4, and prepare two 18cm sandwich tins – line the bases with baking paper, then lightly butter.
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Place all the cake ingredients in a food processor or a stand mixer and cream together for about 2 minutes – you will need to scrape the sides down from time to time. Divide the mixture equally between the cake tins, smooth the surface with a palette knife and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge and leave to cool completely in the tins.
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To make the buttercream, blend the butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder together in a medium-sized bowl, then whisk with an electric whisk on high speed for 2 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolk, if using, and whisk for a minute longer.TipNeed a birthday cake? Add bright candles, or scatter with unsprayed rose petals or Smarties.
- Remove the cakes from the tins and put one on a stand or plate. Spread the bottom half with the buttercream, then sandwich with the top half.
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To make the icing, put all the icing ingredients in a pan and whisk together over a very low heat until melted and glossy. Be careful not to burn this mixture. Remove from the heat, leave to cool for 15 minutes (it will thicken), then smooth all over the top of the cake and leave the icing to drip down the sides.
Note: this recipe contains raw eggs.
