Chocolate Velvet Cake

Yes, another recipe. I don't know about you, but I've tried many different chocolate cake recipes and they don't often work out very well. They're either dry, flat, bland or anaemic looking. So here's my newly found, no-fail recipe that had my boys begging for more. This recipe is from the Women's Weekly 'Cakes' cook book and although I'II copy it word for word, I used low fat ingredients where I could and it worked a treat.


Chocolate Velvet Cake

125g butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup caster sugar
3 eggs
2 cups plain flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (never use Nestle - they chop down forests for their cocoa beans)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water

Chocolate Glaze

100g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
60g butter, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup sour cream

1.     Preheat oven to 180/160 (fan forced) degrees celsius. Grease deep 22cm x 32cm rectangular cake pan
2.     Beat ingredients in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until ingredients are combined. Increase speed to medium; beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and paler in colour

It looks pale - but don't worry - it'll taste great

3.     Spread mixture into pan; bake about 45 minutes.

4.     Stand cake in pan for 10 minutes and then remove and put on wire rack

Don't worry if it cracks a bit - the glaze will cover it

Chocolate Glaze

5.     Stir ingredient in small saucepan over low heat until smooth; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to small bowl; cool 10 minutes. Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until glaze is spreadable.
6.     Decorate with sprinkles or mini M&Ms

This is a seriously good cake that even the fussiest people will love.

Happy Cooking!