food hits and misses

Generally speaking, I'm not all that into Mothers' Day. Still, it's a day worthy of a cake, and a fine chocolate cake at that. This recipe makes something in between a chocolate sponge and a mud cake. It's worth making a day or two in advance to let the flavours develop. I covered it in dark chocolate ganache and topped it with chilli chocolate leaves, but it would be equally delicious with whipped cream or custard.
It's also firm enough to use as a tiered cake. I used it to make this topsy turvy for a one year old. The icing is Swiss meringue butter cream, but the cake would definitely hold up under sugar paste or royal icing.

Awesome chocolate cake

200g dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup caster sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tspn lemon juice
3 eggs
1 3/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tspn bicarbonate of soda

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 Celsius. Grease a 23cm deep pan, or two 15cm deep pans. Melt the chocolate and butter together over low heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar and eggs. Add the lemon juice to the milk and stir thoroughly. Add to the chocolate mixture, mixing well. Sift together the flour, cocoa and bicarb soda. Whisk in to the chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan/s and bake for 75 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Serve with chocolate ganache or whipped cream.