Quick chocolate fudge cake

Cook: 45 mins
Quick chocolate fudge cake
All the chopping and mixing here is done quickly and effortlessly in a food-processor. You just need to have everything weighed and ready before you start – the tin prepared, flour sifted, coffee made (in a cafetière or using instant coffee) and eggs beaten. During baking the mixture turns into a very moist, brownie-like sponge that is not too sweet. The topping is simple too – just melt and mix.
 

For the sponge

100g pecan halves

100g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

75g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

200g light brown muscovado sugar

100ml hot black coffee

2 large free-range eggs, at room temperature, beaten

175g unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces

125ml soured cream

For the icing

75g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken up

25g unsalted butter

3 tablespoons icing sugar

2 tablespoons black coffee

1 traybake tin or cake tin, 25.5 x 20.5 x 5cm, greased and the base lined with greased paper

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/gas 3. Arrange the pecans in the base of the prepared tin, pressing them onto the greased paper.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda; set aside.

Put the chocolate into the bowl of a food-processor with the cocoa and 100g of the sugar. Process until the mixture looks sandy-textured. With the machine running pour in the hot coffee through the feed tube and process until the chocolate has melted. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the eggs and the rest of the sugar, and process for 30 seconds.

Scrape down the bowl again, then add the butter and run the machine for a minute. Scrape down the bowl once more. Add the soured cream and the flour mixture, and process just until the mixture becomes a smooth, streak-free batter.

Spoon the mixture into the tin on top of the nuts. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the sponge has started to shrink away from the sides of the tin, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. The top will have a crust but will be only just firm.

Remove from the oven. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tin to loosen the sponge, then leave to cool completely in the tin. When cold, set a board on top of the tin and invert. Lift off the tin and the lining paper – the nutty base of the cake is now the top.

To make the icing put the chocolate into a small, heavy-based pan with the butter, icing sugar and coffee. Set on the lowest possible heat and stir gently until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and leave until thick enough to spread. Cover the top of the cake with the icing and leave to set before cutting. Store in an airtight container and eat within 4 days.

This recipe is brought to you from 'The Great British Bake Off' by Linda Collister published by Random House

Serves
Makes 1 large cake

Cooking Time
45 minutes

Main ingredients
Flour, Chocolate

Recipe Type
Party Food, Cakes & Baking, Dessert, Entertaining

Level of Difficulty
Easy

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