Hello everyone! Today it's Arbie and I'm coming to you with our very first food post!
Everyone loves food. No question. Would you even be human if you didn't like food? Well you wouldn't be able to survive first of all. Actually... question of the day: Do you prefer sweet food or savoury? I think I'd have to go with sweet. Comment below which is your favourite. Ugh I love all sweet things- except for liquorice..that stuff is rotten. I love chocolate, jellies, crisps, cakes, pastries, ice-cream....the list goes on.
When I was younger I used to bake a lot..like a lot a lot. But now since I have unfortunately stopped growing I can't bake that often anymore because if you bake you can't let it go off and that then leads to everyone's most hated reoccurring friend- the muffin top (lol ironic...muffin...and we are talking about baking..lol) So during those continuous baking, worry free days I came up with a recipe for the perfect light, spongy, chocolate cake and here it is-
Ingredients:
For sponge:
8 oz butter (softened)
8 oz caster sugar
6 oz self- raising flour
2 oz cocoa powder
4 medium eggs
For chocolate sauce (you don't have to add in all these but all of them together makes it delicious):
6 oz dark chocolate
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 cup cream
1 oz butter
You will also need two 20 cm in diameter cake tins. To mix the mixture a wooden spoon is fine but will take a lot longer so I recommend a hand mixer or a food mixer.
Also. This is important. Most recipes are crap. They tell you what to do but not how to do it. These recipes are the difference between a good or bad cake. And for some reason all recipe writers think that the people attempting these have like won the bake off or something. And these terrible, non-explanatory recipes cause chocolate cakes to go wrong- they can be dry, they can be too wet, they can taste weird, they can be like cardboard or an actual washing sponge. People wonder what the hell is going wrong. Well people to prevent this, it's actually pretty simple. Just follow the recipe!! Follow it word by word and you will have a delicious cake. It's full proof for terrible bakers.
Right for the method:
1. Before you do anything you need to preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease the tins with an extra bit of butter
2. Beat the softened (if you forgot to take the butter out of the fridge, which normally happens, put it in a bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds and no longer) butter and caster sugar together until it turns paler in colour and looks really creamy. Trust me this is a very important step to do right.
3. Crack your four eggs into a separate bowl (NO SHORT CUTS. DO NOT CRACK THEM ALL INTO THE MAIN MIXTURE AT THE SAME TIME) and whisk until there are practically no little eggy bits left.
4. Add the eggs to the mixture little bit by little bit at a time. Maybe four different dollops of egg. When it gets to this stage it's really important not to over mix it or you will have a cardboard cake. So mix until the ingredients just combine and then stop. No need to mix for hours on end, ok? And I'm looking at you! Yah you! I know why your choc cake has been turning out bad.
5. Now sift the cocoa powder in bit by bit (not over mixing it).
7. Once all the cocoa is in it's time for the stressful bit. Sift in the self-raising flour in bit by bit quickly. And for goodness sake, I'll say it again- mix it until the ingredients are just combined.
8. Now quick, quick, quick. Divide the mixture evenly into the tins and put them in the oven.
9. If you just turned the oven on then shame..on..you. You have just ruined your cake that was going so well. If you turned it on when I told you then well done- you have actually read this. Anyway put the cake in the oven for 22 MINUTES. (DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOORS WHILE IT IS COOKING)
10. When the cake has been in the oven for the time I said. Not your own made up time. Take it out and leave it to cool in the tins for 10 minutes. Then proceed to put the sponges on a wire tray. This is a dangerous step. Be so careful because the cake could crack in half. But it shouldn't if you followed the recipe and if you aren't clumsy.
11. Now for the fun bit. Make the chocolate sauce!
12. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan on a very low heat and keep stirring until there are no lumps and until you just want to just dip your head into it like Augustus Gloop.
13. Since it is chocolate you can put it on the cake if the sponge is still slightly warm.
14. Put the sauce in the middle of the two sponges and then on top of the cake. The chocolate sauce sets quickly so once again....be quick!
15. Now that you have made the best chocolate cake in the world........throw it out to the birds...smash your face in it...give it to a friend...get a fork and eat the whole thing while watching a good t.v show....do what ever you want with it but mainly just enjoy it!!
Tip: If you have some left a good few days after and it's not the freshest just pop it in the microwave for 10- 20 seconds!
If you do decide to make this cake I would absolutely love to see how it turns out. Send us a picture on instagram @arbieandmooblog. Also If you would like more food posts- like this or give it a comment. (Hahhhhahahh I bet none of you noticed that I skipped step 6)
And please for the sake of your arteries and other people who might want a slice- try not and eat the whole thing.
Yours truly,
Arbie xxxxx