Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

275g unsalted butter
125ml strong coffee (I just used a splash of Irel coffee)
275g dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids)
110g self-raising flour
110g plain flour
¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
225g dark brown sugar
225g light brown sugar
30g cocoa powder
100ml buttermilk
4 medium-sized eggs, beaten

Icing:

350g dark chocolate (40% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
425ml double cream
1.5tsp light brown sugar

Making the cake
(1) Preheat the oven to 150°C.
(2) Melt Butter Slowly over hot water over simmering water.

(3) Add 275g dark chocolate (60% cocoa solids).

(4) Sift flour (self raising & plain) into a large bowl and add the bicarbonate of soda, brown sugar (light & dark), cocoa powder, beaten eggs and buttermilk. Note: I didn't have buttermilk so I just used Milk.

(5) Add the melted butter & chocolate to the bowl and mix thoroughly.

(6) Line a 20 x 10cm loose-bottomed round cake tin with greaseproof paper/baking parchment.

(7) Add mix to tin and put into over for 70mins. Note: After 70mins use a knife to see if the centre of the cake is cooked. If the knife comes out with moist/wet mix on it, place back in the oven for 20 more mins.

(8) Once cooked, leave the cake on a wire rack to cool.

Icing the cake

(1) Melt the chocolate (350g dark chocolate (40% cocoa solids) broken into pieces over simmering water. Once melted add the double cream (425ml) and the light brown sugar (1.5tsp) and mix. Leave the mix to cool until it is thick enough work with.

(2) Cut the cake horizontally and cover the bottom half of the cake with the icing mix. Put the top of the cake back on and continue to ice the top and side of the cake. When finished the cake should look something like this.