As mentioned in my review of I Love to Bake by Tana Ramsay everyone needs a few reliable recipes up their sleeve for cake sales, fundraisers or parties and this recipe is just that. The added bonus is that the cake base can also be made quickly in a food processor.
Tana’s Chocolate Fudge Cake is one of the highlights of her Chocolate chapter, with a light chocolate sponge and a light filling and icing to match. As it’s not too chocolatey this one is perfect for kids and grown-ups alike.
***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED ***
To be in with a chance of winning your own copy of Tana’s book – tell me which of Tana’s chapters would entice you the most (leave your answer in the comments box below). The winner will be chosen by an online randomiser.
- Cakes & Cupcakes
- Biscuits & Traybakes
- Puddings
- Chocolate
- Sweet Pies & Tarts
- Savoury Pies & Tarts
- Meat Bakes
- Fish & Vegetable Bakes
- Bread
- Easter, Hallowe’en & Christmas
In the meantime, here’s Tana’s Chocolate Fudge Cake recipe to try for yourself - posted with permission of Octopus Publishing
Tana Ramsay’s Chocolate Fudge Cake
Print recipe
| Serves | 6-8 |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 55 minutes |
| Total time | 1 hours, 15 minutes |
| Allergy | Egg, Wheat |
| Meal type | Dessert |
| Source | Child Friendly |
| By author | Tana Ramsay |
Ingredients
- 175g Unsalted Butter, Softened, plus extra for greasing
- 150g self-raising flour, sifted
- 30g cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- 175g soft dark brown sugar
- 3 free range eggs, large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 55g plain dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids, roughly chopped)
Cake Topping
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 200g icing sugar, sifted
- 200g plain, dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids, melted)
Note
Photgraphy: Chris Terry
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Pre-heat the oven to 200C/fan180C/gas mark 6. Lightly grease a 20cm (8 inch) round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Put all the ingredients for the cake base in a food processor, or a large mixing bowl, and process or beat with a wooden spoon, until smooth and slightly pale in colour. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Pour the cake base into your tin and lightly tap on the work surface to level it out. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 55 minutes, until the sponge springs back when touched or when a scewer placed in the centre comes out clean. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Take the cake out of the oven and allow it to cool down in the tin for five minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack and leave it to cool down completely. | |
| Step 5 | |
| In the meantime, make the cake topping/fudge icing. Put the butter and icing sugar in a large mixing bowl and use a hand whisk or an electric whisk to beat it well. Add the melted chocolate and whisk until it is all mixed in together. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Slice your cooled sponge in half horizontally. Spread half the icing on the top of one cake half, place the second half on top and then spread the rest of the icing thickly over the top of the cake. Decorate however you fancy. | |
The winner will be announced in a post on Monday 3rd October.
If you make this cake, don’t forget to let me know how you get on!
Ren Behan
Ren Behan is a British-born food writer of Polish descent. She is a mum to two young children (6 and 3) and spends lots of time with them in the kitchen. Ren writes about seasonal, family-friendly food on her blog www.renbehan.com and about Polish food on her site www.mypolishkitchen.co.uk. She also contributes recipes and articles to online and print food publications. Ren holds a Diploma in Food Journalism with Distinction and has completed a Food Styling course at Leiths School of Food and Wine. Full Profile on Google+
Savoury Pies and Tarts – because I don’t make them enough! It’s all muffins and cupcakes really with me, I could do with being a bit more creative!
Hi Jo, I know what you mean, I’m the same. Good luck!
Savoury pies and tarts. Im *just* getting into pastry and my family LOVE pie! I can hide all sorts inside a pie and my kids don’t even seem to notice….
I’m slightly afraid of “getting into pies” despite what my family like! It’s bad enough with cake!! There are some yummy recipes in there though – good luck.
It’s all about the biscuits and traybakes!
Good luck! The traybakes are yummy too!
Just love food & cookbooks so would love it all but if I HAVE to choose then my sweet tooth would win & I could have fun with the girls & ‘Biscuits & Traybakes’!
Goood luck Laura! The girls would love that chapter.
Chocolate
Although it shouldn’t really – I eat far too much as it is. Then again, doing something different with it would be a skill I have never tried before apart form the usual melting and use of cocoa powder.
Good luck, I’m sure the chocolate chapter would challenge you…white chocolate profiteroles?
I’d turn straight to ‘Cakes and Cupcakes’ becuase not only are these a favourite with my family but as PTA chair, I find myself making a lot of cakes for sales and fetes and it would be great to have some new (impressive) ideas not that I’m competitive or anything…
Brave lady Janice! I’m sure the book would help your task. Good luck.
The biscuit and tray bake chapter
Mmn! Good luck x
The “Cakes and Cupckaes” chapter as would love to extend my repertoire
Savoury Pies and Tarts, esp with it getting all autumnal on us in the U.K
Chocolate. Seriously. Can you ever have too much chocolate?
I’d definitely go for the Bread chapter – I need to learn how to make some!
Thank you to everyone for entering. The winner is Shaheen – congratulations. Please contact me to arrange for the book to be sent.
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