Favourite chocolate cake recipe

• 250g/9oz bittersweet chocolate
• 225g/8oz/1cp unsalted butter
• 90g/3.5oz/1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 30ml/2 tbsp orange brandy
• 5 eggs
• 15ml/1tbsp plain (all purpose) flour (use rice flour to make gluten free)
• icing sugar for dusting
• whipped cream or sour cream to serve

1. Preheat oven to 350F/180C Generously grease 9 inch round cake pan lining bottom with parchment paper. in a double boiler, melt chocolate, butter and sugar. Remove from heat and stir in brandy. Beat the eggs lightly for 1 minute. Beat in the flour and then the chocolate mixture. Pour into tin. Place tin in larger pan in a roasting pan with water going 2cm/3/4in up the side of the cake plan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the edge of the cake is set. The centre will still be soft. Remove cake to a cooking rack. Turn the cake to a cooling rack. Dust with icing sugar. Place on a plat and serve with whipped or sour cream.

HELLO! Cookery: 55 mouthwatering recipes from royals and celebs - including Prince William's favourite chocolate cake

Cooking has become a huge new focus for people across the UK during the COVID-19 quarantine period, whether it's to entertain kids or to learn a new skill. If you're overwhelmed with the endless possibilities when it comes to your kitchen creations, then we've got you covered with HELLO!'s cookery special, which costs just 99p!

HELLO!s cookery special is available now on Apple or Andriod for 99p

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As well as bringing together 55 mouthwatering recipes from our favourite royals and celebs - including several quintessentially English teatime treats loved by the Queen, such as her drop scones - the issue is packed full of lockdown cooking inspiration, from kids' birthday party treats to indulgent film nights and the perfect meals for a romantic date.

So whether you're hoping to impress your significant other with a homemade cocktail on a summer afternoon, want to make your weekend extra special with a tasty brunch or have a hankering for tapas, HELLO! has plenty of options to keep you busy for months. We've got our eye on the Duke of Cambridge's chocolate biscuit cake, which he loved so much from his childhood that it even featured at his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011!

Step 1:

Melt the chocolate slowly (ideally in a bain-marie). Meanwhile, mix the butter with the icing sugar and vanilla sugar until creamed. Gradually stir in the egg yolks. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 356°F.

Step 2:

Grease a cake tin with butter and sprinkle with flour. Whip up the egg whites with a pinch of salt, add the crystal sugar and beat to a stiff peak. Stir the melted chocolate into the paste with the egg yolks and fold in the whipped egg whites alternately with the flour. Fill the dough into the tin and bake for around 1 hour.

Step 3:

Remove the cake and leave to cool off (to achieve a flat surface turn the cake out on to a work surface immediately after baking and turn it again after 25 minutes).
If the apricot jam is too solid, heat it briefly, and stir until smooth, before flavouring with a shot of rum. Cut the cake in half crosswise. Cover the base with jam, set the other half on top, and coat the upper surface and around the edges with apricot jam.

Step 4:

For the glaze, break the chocolate into small pieces. Heat up the water with the sugar for a few minutes. Pour into a bowl and leave to cool down until just warm to the taste (if the glaze is too hot it will become dull in appearance, but if too cold it will become too viscous). Add the chocolate and dissolve in the sugar solution. Pour the glaze quickly, i.e. in a single action, over the cake and immediately spread it out and smooth it over the surface, using a palate knife or other broad-bladed knife. Leave the cake to dry at room temperature.

Serve with a garnish of whipped cream. If possible, do not store the Sachertorte in the fridge, as it will “sweat”.

Preparation time in minutes: 150 Serves: 6-8

For the Sachertorte

• 7 egg yolks
• 150 g / 2/3 cup softened butter
• 125 g / 1 cup icing sugar
• 200 g / 7 oz dark chocolate
• 1 packet (8 g) vanilla sugar
• 7 egg whites
• 125 g / 1/2 cup crystal sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 150 g / 1 cup flour
• Butter and flour for the mould
• 150 – 200 g / 5 - 7 oz apricot jam, for spreading
• Rum (optional)
• Whipped cream to garnish

For the glaze

• 200 g / 7 oz dark chocolate coating or cooking chocolate
• 250 g / 1 cup sugar
• 150 - 170 ml / 2/3 cup water

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The Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 160°C fanbake. Grease a 30cm-diameter springform cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

Place all ingredients except Chocolate Ganache and raspberries in a large bowl, electric mixer or food processor and mix or blitz until the ingredients are combined and the butter is fully incorporated. Pour into prepared tin and smooth top. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. If not using at once, the cake will keep for about a week in a sealed container in the fridge. You can also freeze it uniced.

When you are ready to ice the cake, slather chilled Chocolate Ganache over the top. Top with fresh raspberries and serve.

To make chocolate cupcakes, preheat oven to 160°C and line 24 muffin pans with paper cases. Prepare cake batter according to the instructions for The Ultimate Chocolate Cake (see above). Spoon mixture into the paper cases, filling about two thirds full. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool before icing. For icing, beat 200g firm cream cheese with 100g softened butter until smooth. Gradually beat in 2 cups icing sugar until smooth and creamy. Add a few drops of food colouring to get the desired colour. Icing can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a week. Pipe onto the cakes and top with confectionery sprinkles. Makes 24.

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Royal recipes: Chef shares how to make Queen Elizabeth’s favourite chocolate ganache cake

Royal Recipes: Chef recreates Queen Mary's chocolate cake

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The Royal Family follow many traditions, including the foods they eat. Sharing on BBC&rsquos Royal Recipes, expert Anna Haugh shared the royals' favourite chocolate birthday cake, which they reportedly eat on each family member&rsquos birthday.

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READ MORE

Presenter Michael Buerk explained: &ldquoWhen it comes to a chocolate birthday cake, it&rsquos said the royals always use the same recipe, it&rsquos been a hit since chef Gabriel Tschumi made it for the present Queen&rsquos grandmother, Queen Mary.

Gabriel Tschumi served as a chef to three British monarchs - Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V.

According to the presenter, this cake is one of Queen Elizabeth&rsquos favourite birthday treats.

Royal recipes: Chef shares how to make Queen Elizabeth&rsquos favourite chocolate ganache cake (Image: Getty/BBC Two)

Start with a simmering pan of water and in a heatproof bowl, add the eggs and the sugar in (Image: BBC Two)

He explained: &ldquoThey&rsquove had it at all their birthdays but the Queen had this especially on her 80th birthday but with a special Highgrove twist to it, she had fruit from Highgrove actually in the cake.&rdquo

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Start with a simmering pan of water and in a heatproof bowl, add the eggs and the sugar in.

Chef Anna Haugh explained: &ldquoIt cooks very gently and as you can see, it&rsquos full of air and that&rsquos exactly what you want with a sponge cake.

&ldquoOnce you can write the figure eight&hellipyou know that it&rsquos ready.

&ldquoNow we&rsquore going to sieve the flour and you sieve the flour so that it incorporates as much air as it possibly can.&rdquo

Royal Recipes: The cake is super simple to make (Image: BBC Two)

Start by adding a generous amount of ganache to the first layer of sponge (Image: BBC Two)

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Then, fold the flour in with a whisk and add the melted butter to the bowl.

Anna added: &ldquoYou&rsquore making a kind of really light kind of batter consistency and you just need to make sure you&rsquore absolutely folding from the bottom and lifting it up to the top.

&ldquoThat way, you&rsquore making sure you can&rsquot see any more of the butter or the flour.&rdquo

Then take two round cake tins and divide the batter equally between both of them.

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Once the cake is coated in ganache, it is ready to serve (Image: BBC Two)

Bake the cake at 160 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

Usually 160 degrees would be too cool to bake a cake but the trick of heating the ingredients over the hob makes it the perfect temperature.

The chef said: &ldquoUsually you would cook cakes like this at 180 degrees.&rdquo

Once baked, let cool before cutting the sponges into two, so that you have four equal layers.

Once cooled, it&rsquos time to make the chocolate ganache.

Anna explained: &ldquoSo we melt some cream and some sugar together in a pot and just when it comes to the boil, you pour it over your chocolate.

&ldquoYou let it rest for a minute or so and whisk it.&rdquo

Start by adding a generous amount of ganache to the first layer of sponge, making sure to push it right to the edges.

Then start building up the cake, adding ganache to each layer of the cake until you reach the top.

Next, add a lot of ganache to the top of the cake as well as to the sides, making sure to cover the sponge completely.

Favourite chocolate cake

1. Preheat oven to moderate 180°C. Brush a 21 × 14 × 7 cm loaf tin with melted butter or oil. Line base and sides with baking paper. Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar in a small bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs gradually, beating well after each addition.

2. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl. Using a metal spoon, fold in sifted flours, cocoa powder and bicarbonate of soda alternately with milk stir until smooth. Spoon mixture into prepared loaf tin smooth surface.

3. Bake for 1 hour, until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into centre of cake. Leave in tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

4. To make Icing: Combine butter, water and cocoa in a medium mixing bowl mix to a smooth paste add sifted icing sugar. Stir until all the ingredients are combined and mixture is smooth. Spread icing onto cooled cake and dust with icing sugar.

5. Storage time Favourite Chocolate Cake can be stored in the freezer for up to one month, un-iced and sealed in plastic wrap.

Sponge Cakes That You'll Want A Slab Of Every Day Of The Week

If you thought there wasn't much to a classic sponge cake, think again. We've pulled together a smashing selection of our favourite sponge cake recipes including the likes of a Classic Victoria Sponge Cake, and quirky, re-imagined recipes like our Espresso Martini Cake (you bet). Not to mention our irresistible Lemon Drizzle Cake. So, if you need even MORE of a reason to bake this weekend, check out the best sponge cake recipes now.

Is it any surprise that lemon drizzle cake is one of the nation's favourite cake flavours? It's zesty, vibrant, moist and downright delicious. And only six ingredients make up our super easy lemon drizzle cake recipe.

This easy caramel sauce hack makes simple work of a fancy-looking cake. If you&rsquore super-short on time, whisk caramel sauce into pre-made frosting too.

Fancy making yourself a boozy cake? Don't fret, we've got you covered. This Orange Mimosa Cake recipe is insane and super easy to make. Loaded with Prosecco, it would make the perfect birthday cake, or Mother's Day treat.

Cooper

Aww, just look at this gorgeous little bundle. Flicking through some images of Coops on the day we picked him up, even then he’d been into some water!

Cooper, like all retrievers loves water (and air con) and has his very own little hard plastic swimming pool so he can just have a swim whenever he likes, which is a lot.

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4 comments

I made this cake, it came out so yum that it finished in no time.

Thank you for such simple and amazing recipe

Hi Kanika, yes it’s a little winner and we’re so happy you loved it. Thanks for commenting, Jo and Jen

I have made this recipe twice and both times it sunk in the middle after I took it out of the oven. I checked the cake was baked with a skewer prior to taking it out, so I’m not sure what went wrong. The cake’s texture was fine when cut, however I don’t think the cake should sink. Any advice?