Annabel Langbein's ultimate chocolate cake recipe

CLICK TO RATE
(727 ratings)

TV chef Annabel Langbein's recipe for a simple chocolate cake is just delicious. Top with fresh raspberries for a summery touch or your favourite seasonal berries

Serves12–16
SkillEasy
Preparation Time5 mins
Cooking Time1 hours
Total Time1 hours 5 mins
Cost RangeCheap

TV chef Annabel Langbein's recipe for a simple chocolate cake is just delicious. Top with fresh raspberries for a summery touch or your favourite seasonal berries. Annabel says: "The same recipe even makes wonderful little chocolate cupcakes - make the batter the same way and pour into cupcake cases, then top with a cream cheese frosting."

Ingredients

  • 3 cups self-raising flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda, sifted
  • 200g butter, softened
  • 1 cup milk or unsweetened yoghurt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup boiling hot coffee

Chocolate ganache, to ice

  • 500 ml cream
  • 500 g best quality dark chocolate, (70% cocoa solids), roughly chopped
  • fresh raspberries

WEIGHT CONVERTER

to

Method

  1. Heat oven to 160°C/325°F. Grease the sides and line the base of a 30cm round cake tin or 2 x 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.
  2. Place all ingredients except Chocolate Ganache and raspberries in a bowl or food processor and mix or blitz until the ingredients are combined and the butter is fully incorporated.
  3. Pour mixture into prepared tin or tins and smooth the top.
  4. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the cake tin.*
  5. Pour the cream into a medium saucepan and heat until it is very hot, and almost but not boiling. You'll know it's ready when bubbles start to form around the edge of the pan. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stand for 2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is fully melted into the cream.
  6. Whisk this chocolate ganache until it is smooth and glossy, then chill.
  7. Slather the chilled chocolate ganache over the top of the cake. Top with fresh raspberries and serve.

You might also like...

Mary Berry's classic chocolate cake

Chocolate chip cake

Chocolate drip cake

Annabel Karmel
Contributor

Annabel Karmel MBE is a chef and author of over 40 cookbooks based on nutrition, and cooking for babies, children and families. With her career spanning over 25 years she has pioneered the way families feed their babies and children all the world over.