It's World Chocolate Cake Day, and do we have the recipe for you!

This dark chocolate cake is super rich, moist, not too sweet, and will get compliments every time. The buttercream is deliciously decadent and complements the cake perfectly.

Lucy has been testing and tweaking this recipe in her kitchen, and we all love the result (too much). This is a great go-to for celebrations and dinner parties.

We have prepared both a single-layer and double-layer version below, so you can choose what suits your occasion best. Our image shows the double layer.

Happy baking, and happy World Chocolate Cake Day!

2-layer Cake

Ingredients:

• 200g dark chocolate (Bennetto 70% cocoa works beautifully)
• 200g butter cut into cubes
• 1 cup strong hot coffee (intensifies the chocolate flavour)
• 2 loose and level cups plain flour (do not pack or heap) (260g)
• 1 loose cup of baking cocoa powder (90g)
• 2 cups sugar (440g)
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 4 medium-sized eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tbsp vinegar) (or Greek yoghurt/coconut yoghurt/cream also all work well)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line two 25cm cake tins.

2. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler first. Next, add butter together with the hot coffee, stirring until smooth. Let it cool slightly.

3. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the sugar.

4. In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.

5. Pour the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients, then add the egg mixture. Whisk until just combined - don't overmix.

6. Divide between tins and bake 35-40 minutes until a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

7. Cool in tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.

Dark Chocolate Whipped Buttercream

• 100g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 250g butter, softened to room temperature
• 500g icing sugar, sifted
• 3-4 tbsp milk or cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Beat the butter until pale and fluffy (3-4 minutes with an electric mixer).

2. Gradually add the icing sugar, beating well between additions. It’ll look dry at first

3. Add the cooled melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt. Beat until combined.

4. Add milk or cream a tablespoon at a time until smooth and spreadable

5. Beat for another 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

This makes enough to fill and cover a two-layer cake. If you want it less sweet, you can reduce the icing sugar to 400g - it’ll be a bit softer but still perfectly spreadable.

The trick is making sure your butter is properly softened (should leave an indent when you press it) and that the melted chocolate isn’t too hot or it’ll melt the butter and make everything greasy.

Single Layer Tea Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

• 100g dark chocolate (Bennetto 70% cocoa works beautifully)
• 100g butter cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup strong hot coffee (intensifies the chocolate flavour)(1tsp instant +hot water)
• 130g plain flour
• 45g baking cocoa powder
• 220g sugar
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 medium size eggs
• ½ cup buttermilk (or milk with 1 tbsp vinegar) (or Greek yoghurt/coconut yoghurt/cream also all work well)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Dark Chocolate Whipped Buttercream

• 50g dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 125g butter, softened to room temperature
• 250g icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tbsp milk or cream
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Enjoy! And make sure to tag us in any of your baking on Facebook & Instagram @BennettoNaturalFoods and use the hashtag #BakingwithBennetto