The Recipe Room

If there’s one thing I’m completely ‘over-the-top passionate’ about, it’s chocolate.  And you can’t get much more chocolaty than this!  This melt-in-your mouth chocolate fudge cake with cream cheese frosting is like a little piece of heaven on your tongue.  Other versions have a hint of Earl grey, although the cake itself is very, very rich, the tanginess of the cream cheese frosting offsets that richness in just the right way, making this the perfect dessert for any occasion. A spot of tea is a nice complement for my recipe or try this Earl Grey chocolate fudge cake.

If you want to go all the way over the top, try adding around a half-cup of cocoa powder to the icing mixture for a true chocolate lover’s delight.

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

• 45g (½ cup) of pure cocoa powder
• 235ml (1 cup) of boiling water
• 8 tbsp. butter, softened
• 250g (2 cups) of sifted all-purpose flour
• 400g (2 cups) of granulated white sugar
• 1 ½ tsp. of baking soda
• 1 tsp. of salt
• 2 eggs
• 120ml (½ cup) of sour cream or Greek yoghurt
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 200g of cream cheese
• 320g (2 ½ cups) of icing sugar
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract

Instructions:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Mix the cocoa powder, the boiling water and the butter in a large bowl.  Make sure the cocoa powder is completely dissolved and the butter is completely liquiefied.
3. Let the mixture cool.
4. In a different bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.
5. Mix the dry ingredients into the cooled cocoa mixture a little at a time.
6. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
7. Add the sour cream (or Greek yoghurt) and the vanilla extract and stir well.
8. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured tube pan.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a knife can be inserted into the centre and comes out clean.
10. Cool the cake on a wire cake rack.

For the frosting:

1. Combine all the ingredients and blend very well, either by hand or with an electric mixer.
2. Cool the icing in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and serve.

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves:  10

Difficulty: Medium

Birthdays! Love ‘em or hate ‘em, they come around every year!  And although I adore cheesecake, there is just no better way to celebrate than with my white birthday cake with Nutella frosting!  I admit it’s not the healthiest thing in the world, but that’s why birthdays are only once a year.

This hearty and delicious white birthday cake recipe was a staple around my house at birthday time when I was growing up.  It was handed down to me by my mother, who got it from my grandma, who got it from her mother, who supposedly invented it – although I make no claims as to the authenticity of this fact!  Either way, the cake is absolutely scrumptious and the Nutella frosting (my own addition) provides a great nutty/chocolaty contrast to the spongy white cake base.

If you’re feeling adventurous, try cutting the cake into two layers (after cooking and cooling, of course).  You can fill the middle layer with more Nutella, or strawberry jam, or any other flavour of jam, or whatever else tickles your fancy.  You could also garnish it with sliced almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, or whatever other nut you prefer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of butter, softened
• 2 cups of white sugar
• 3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup of boiling water
• ½ cup of whole milk
• 2 tsp. of baking powder
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 400g jar of Nutella

Instructions:

1. Cream together the butter and sugar until they’re light and fluffy.
2. Add the boiling water and the milk a little at a time, stirring continuously.
3. Add the vanilla and stir well.
4. Add the baking powder and stir it in to the mix.
5. Add 1 cup of flour and 1 egg, mixing vigorously.
6. Repeat step 5 until all the flour and eggs have been added.
7. Pour the mixture into an approx. 23cm round tube cake pan.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 160ºC for one hour or until a toothpick inserted at the top comes out clean.
9. Turn out onto a cake rack and let it cool.
10. Spread the Nutella over the outside of the cake and serve.

Prep Time:  20 minutes

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Serves:  10

Difficulty:  Medium