Classic Moist Chocolate Cake With Rich Chocolate Icing

Full measurements and instructions below ⬇
Full printable recipe here: https://baking.recipes/classic-moist-and-rich-chocolate-cake/

A dense, soft rich, moist, big and tall chocolate cake with a rich and creamy chocolate frosting. The addition of hot water into the batter makes this cake super moist. This cake is best made the day before to allow the flavours to ripen.

I make and eat a lot of chocolate cakes (my favourite thing to bake and eat 😍) This cake in particular has a really intensely pleasant chocolate flavour in the sponge and it has to do with the addition of hot water to the batter at the end of mixing. I find the chocolate flavour much more prominent in this cake versus my recipes where the cocoa is bloomed in hot water or coffee. If you’re a chocoholic like me then this cake will really satisfy the chocolate cravings. Because of the sour cream, the cake itself is very moist, soft and really melts in the mouth. I actually found the flavour and texture of the cake sponge a quite addictive and I had to exercise self control around this cake as it was so delicious.

Equipment
– 3 x 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins – greased and lined

Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
– 480 g plain flour – all purpose flour
– 2 teaspoons baking soda
– ½ teaspoon salt
– 85 g cocoa powder – dutch processed
– 225 g unsalted butter – softened
– 400 g granulated sugar – caster sugar
– 2 eggs
– 1 teaspoon vanilla
– 200 g sour cream
– 250 g hot water

Rich Frosting
– 225 g unsalted butter – softened
– 300 g dark chocolate
– 200 g whipping cream – or double cream
– 400 g icing sugar – powdered sugar
– 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions
Chocolate Cake
– Preheat the oven to 180℃ or 160℃ fan assisted
– In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
– In another large bowl beat the butter until creamy then together the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Bet in the vanilla and mix well.
– Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in thirds, alternating with the sour cream and the hot water, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. The batter may be lumpy but it’s fine.
– Divide the bater berween the prepare pans and bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
– Transfer the cakes to a wire rack to cool. When they are cool, turn them out of the baking pans.

Rich Icing
– Combine the butter, chocolate, and cream in a medium-size heavy saucepan over low heat. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat, and whisk in the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Whisk in the vanilla, and set the icing aside to cool to lukewarm. If your icing is lumpy after adding the powdered sugar you can strain it through a sieve.

Assembly
– Level the cakes by triming the domed top off of each layer so that it is flat.
– Place one of the layers onto a serving plate.
– When the icing has cooled but is still runny, spread it over the bottom layer, including the sides. The icing will run down the sides of the cake, but you can easily catch and spread it, using a spatula or a wide knife. Place the second layer of cake, right side up, on the first and ice it and repeat with the third layer with the with the remaining icing.
– Serve immediately, or for maximum flavour serve the following day.