Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate fudge cake is a classic recipe and a favourite in our family. Although it has many variations that can sometimes leave you feeling a little confused. Many insist that soured cream is a must, while others simply opt for milk. Some use a higher chocolate content while others may use a combination of chocolate and cocoa powder for the chocolate flavouring. Whatever your preference, this recipe can be easily adjusted to suit you. After turning to many different recipes over the years and my own experimentation, this is the best recipe that has always worked for me. I use this as a base for many of my chocolate cakes and just alter it slightly to what it's intended for. This recipe is for a large single layer cake, therefore for a double or triple layered cake you may want to double or triple the amounts listed, depending on the size of your cake tin.

A classic chocolate upon chocolate cake recipe!

This is how worktops should look every evening.

My worktop does indeed  look like this nearly every evening, and thus I have a family complaining of rapid weight gain and constant hunger! The combined mixture should look a little like this, the brown chocolate colour will darken as it cooks.





The finished product! Make sure to allow the frosting to cool and set for the approximate time before spreading onto the cake to allow for better spreading and control. If it is too liquid, it will be more difficult to control and may moisten the sponge.

Chocoholics rejoice!

This is a simple and easy to do recipe, using everyday baking ingredients that won't have you panicking and rushing to the shop!

Ingredients



For the Cake:200g Butter
200g Light Muscovado Sugar
3 Eggs
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
175g Plain Dark Chocolate
2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
220g Self-Raising Flour
2 to 3 Tbsp Milk


For the Icing:

50g Dark or Milk Chocolate
1/4 Cup Butter
1 to 2 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Icing Sugar
1/2 Cup Milk



Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180C and grease a cake tin.
• In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour and cocoa powder and mix.
• In a microwave or in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate.
• Gently add in the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
• Pour the mixture into the cake tin and spread towards the edges, making sure the top is even.
  Bake for approx. 30 - 45 mins, (until firm and springy to the touch and an inserted skewer comes out clean).
• Allow the cake to cool.
  For the icing, place the butter and chocolate in a medium bowl.
• Melt the chocolate and butter mixture in a microwave or over a pan of simmering water, stirring to make sure they are combined.
  Once melted and smooth, add in the icing sugar and cocoa powder.
• Add in the milk until it is of your desired consistency and mix until well combined.
• Allow the icing to cool for approx. 10 -15 mins to thicken (stir the mixture 2 or 3 times during this time).
• Once thickened, spread over the cake.
  Place some of your favourite chocolate pieces from a chocolate assortment box in the centre.
• Use a cheese grater or potato peeler to shave some milk and white chocolate, before sprinkling over the top of the cake.

Tips & Serving Ideas

• Melt some milk, white or dark chocolate and drizzle in a zig zag pattern over the cake.
• Combine different sized chocolate curls and shavings or use some chocolate sprinkles.
• Add a chocolate buttercream filling or border!
• Chocolate dipped Strawberries or piped chocolate roses would make a great alternative center decoration.
• Serve warm with some single or whipped cream.

Dessert anyone?!

Cara X

Triple Chocolate Truffle Chip Cookies

Triple Chocolate Truffle Chip Cookies

Whenever I hear the words 'Triple' and 'Chocolate' together, I instantly become inexcusably excited. Unlike double chocolate, triple chocolate suggests another, new dimension of chocolate that cannot be guessed on first hearing. Is it chocolate placed in a different element in the baked goods? Is it a mixture of milk, dark and white chocolate in some form? Is it a combination of various chocolate forms and textures?! Who could ever know! And that, is when the excitement begins. No one knows what this extra, third chocolate element could be,  which makes the unveiling a whole lot more anticipated. Do I get worryingly too into this? Perhaps. But I'll bet my last cookie that you will too after trying this chocolate-stuffed recipe!

All that's missing is a nice cold glass of milk..

This recipe uses only 9 or 10 ingredients which in all likelihood, you have in your cupboard right now. You do, so have a try at baking your own warm homemade cookies and be proud of your culinary skills!

Salivating yet..?!

These cookies are large, (about the size of an average adult hand!) therefore for smaller cookies, use only half or a third tablespoon sized dollop of cookie mixture.

The recipe is very simple to follow, and starts the same way many baking foods do, by creaming together butter and sugar. These cookies use a combination of white caster sugar and brown sugar which gives it a sweet and slight caramel flavour and chewy texture.







After combining all ingredients and folding in the chocolate pieces, you should have a mixture which resembles this. (If you prefer, you may stop here, grab a spoon and have at it. I, nor any other sane person would judge you , I promise).







Use tablespoon measure to produce dollops of mixture, only slightly flattening the tops. Remember to leave enough space between each cookie as they will spread widely (on my oven tray I fit 9 cookies, smaller baking trays may only hold 5 or 6 so you may need to bake in 3 to 4 batches instead of 2).







Bake until they are slightly browned on the corners, and leave to cool and harden on the tray. Do not be tempted to peel them off straight away without cooling as they will break. The cooling process allows them to set and harden and therefore hold their shape. Although, if the cookies have spread until they have slightly fused, remember to cut between them whilst they are still warm to seperate them easier!

Makes 15 - 20 Large Cookies



Ingredients
200g Butter
100g Caster Sugar
100g Light Brown Sugar
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg
240g Plain Flour (alternatively you may use Self-raising, although use a little less and omit the bicarbonate of soda)
1 Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
3 to 4 Tbsp Cocoa Powder
Chocolate Chips (Milk, Dark and / or White)
Chopped Chocolate Truffles (I used Guylian Seashells)


Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180C.
• Grease 2 baking sheets / parchments on a baking tray.
• In a large bowl, combine butter and both sugars.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
• Combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder.
• Gently fold in the flour mixture into the wet mixture.

• Fold in approx. 3/4 of the chocolate chips and chopped truffles.
• Place tablespoon sized dollops of the cookie mixture on the baking sheet, leaving wide spaces (approx. 6 - 8cm) between them, as they will spread out.
• Place the rest of the chocolate pieces on top of the cookies.
• Slightly flatten the tops with the spoon (not too much), and bake for approx. 10 - 15 mins (until slightly golden / brown around the edges).
• Allow to cool and harden on the tray for approx. 15 mins before transferring carefully onto a wire rack or plate.
  
  

Tips & Serving Ideas

• Use Orange extract, and pieces of orange flavoured chocolate (such as Terry's) for a chocolate orange cookie! 
• Use pink, white and / or red coloured chocolate chips for a delicious Valentine's treat.
• Add dried or frozen fruit, such as dried cranberries or frozen raspberries (both go well with the chocolate flavour!)
• Drizzle melted chocolate in a zig-zag pattern over the cookies and allow to set.
• Instead of chopping the truffles, you may want to place one truffle in the center of each cookie before baking.

Cara X

Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Double Chocolate Fudge Cupcakes

Chocolate fudge cakes in mini single-serve form? With real fudge, chocolate chips, chocolate sponge, chocolate buttericing and filling?! Yes please! Throughout my life I've always been a die hard chocoholic, where having Easter eggs for lunch has not only been acceptable but has been a staple for many a year. One of my favourite chocolate fillings is fudge, so a combination of both was inevitably on the cards for these delicious little cupcakes. Here's a super simple recipe that is sure to satisfy even the most hardcore chocoholics out there!

Chocolate upon chocolate upon chocolate...

Ingredients

For the cakes:

120g Butter or Margarine

120g Caster Sugar (could also use granulated)

2 Eggs

140g Self-Raising Flour

80g plain cocoa powder

A Splash of Milk

Chocolate Chips

For the filling:

1 tsp Milk Chocolate Spread (such as Nutella or Cadbury's)

For the buttericing:

140g Butter

340g Icing Sugar (+ more as necessary)

1 to 2 tbsp Milk (+ more as necessary)

2 to 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder

6 to 12 Minstrels

3 to 6 Fudge chunks 

Chocolate Sprinkles

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180°C.
• Line a muffin/cake tray (2 if you have them) with cake cases.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a spoon until pale and fluffy.
• In a jug or cup, beat the eggs with a whisk and beat into the butter mixture.
• Fold in the flour and cocoa powder, a little at a time, using a spoon. Whisk the mixture and add some milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency (take a spoonful and see if the mixture drops / droops off).
• Mix in the chocolate chips.
• Spoon the mixture into the cases until half full.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 to 15 minutes (until the tops are golden and firm and an inserted skewer / toothpick comes out clean).
• Allow the cakes to cool on a plate or wire rack.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttericing by beating the butter until smooth in a large bowl.
• Add icing sugar until the buttericing is a pale yellow / white colour (here is where I do a taste test to see if more icing sugar is needed!)
• Add milk until the icing is of a smooth and drooping consistency but not too liquid. (It should be thick but still a droopy mixture).
• Mix in the cocoa powder.
• Using a teaspoon, apple corer or knife, cut a small hole in the centre at the top of each cake and fill with a teaspoon of chocolate spread before placing the cut out sponge back on top.
• Place the buttericing mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cakes. (I used an open star nozzle!).
• Dust the cakes with some cocoa powder and chocolate sprinkles.
• Chop fudge into halves.
• On half of the cupcakes, place a minstrel on top, on the other half place a piece of fudge.
• Allow to chill in a refrigerator.
• These will last for approx. 3 - 4 days.

Tips & Serving ideas

• Melt some chocolate and drizzle on top!
• You could also use toffee, Maltesers and caramels.
• Spread the tops with chocolate ganache, or use as a filling.
  
  
  Cara X

Vanilla Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcake Recipe

Vanilla Rainbow Cupcakes

Did you ever get those pre-boxed cake ingredient packages as a child where you got so excited over your head might just blow off? No? Well that's what a Rainbow Cake box was for me and my brother. It held a large picture on the front of this huge one layer cake adorned with all the colours of the rainbow in tiny dots, slathered with a melted chocolate icing and decorated with.. you guessed it, even more rainbow sprinkles. It.Was. Divine. Since then I haven't seen them around much and have resorted to comforting the weeping child in me by re-making them with my own version! They've never been able to quite grasp that rainbow cake taste of my childhood.. but somehow, that's ok. As with all of my baking adventures, I have made these in cupcake version too! 

Yay! Colours!

These cakes are so simple to make, are extremely colourful, and are enough to bring a smile to even the most miserable of faces.. !


Makes 12 - 24

Ingredients

For the cakes:

120g Butter or Margarine

120g Caster Sugar (could also use granulated)

2 Eggs

140g Self-Raising Flour

A Splash of Milk

2 tbsp edible good quality (strongly coloured) multicolour sprinkles

For the buttericing:

140g Butter

340g Icing Sugar (+ more if necessary)

1 to 2 tbsp Milk (+ more if necessary)
2 to 3 tbsp cocoa powder

50g Milk Chocolate

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180°C.
• Line a muffin/cake tray (2 if you have them) with cake cases.
• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a spoon until pale and fluffy.
• In a jug or cup, beat the eggs with a whisk and beat into the butter mixture.
• Add vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour a little at a time, using a spoon. Whisk the mixture and add some milk until the mixture is of a dropping consistency (take a spoonful and see if the mixture drops / droops off).
• Mix in the multicoloured sprinkles (good quality, highly concentrated colours work best here).
• Spoon the mixture into the cases until half full.
• Bake in the oven for approx. 10 to 15 minutes (until the tops are golden and firm and an inserted skewer / toothpick comes out clean).
• Allow the cakes to cool on a plate or wire rack.
• While the cakes are cooling, make the buttericing by beating the butter until smooth in a large bowl.
• Melt the chocolate by placing in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stirring (alternatively, melt in a microwave).
• Add icing sugar until the buttericing is a pale yellow / white colour (here is where I do a taste test to see if more icing sugar is needed!)
• Add milk until the icing is of a smooth and drooping consistency but not too liquid. (It should be thick but still a droopy mixture).
• Mix in cocoa powder and melted chocolate.
• Place the buttericing mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cakes. (I used an open star nozzle!).
• Sprinkle on some multicoloured sprinkles.
• Allow to chill in a refrigerator.
• These will last for approx. 3 - 4 days.

Tips & Serving ideas

• Decorate with multicoloured edible crystals.
• Instead of buttericing, use just melted chocolate drizzled over the cakes.

Not a care was given.. and it was great!

The cakes displayed here where given to my nine year old sister and three year old niece to decorate.. and I must say, I couldn't have done it better myself! These cakes are especially great for little kids as it's just about throwing colours... everywhere!

Cara X

Easy Homemade Triple Chocolate Fudge Nut Bark Recipe

Easy Homemade Triple Chocolate Fudge Nut Bark

You love chocolate don't you? You love Fudge right? And aren't nuts just the best thing..like, ever?? Well feast your hungry eyes and try this simple, easy to do recipe that will not only stun your fellow friends and family but will only take you 10 minutes at the most to do! (depending on your nut crushing and throwing-everything-in-a-tin-and-mixing skills). 

You won't believe you made it yourself..go you!

  I've made this bark a thousand times in a countless variety of ways for an easy and quick homemade gift, giving notice to whatever the recipient is especially fond of (do they prefer white or dark chocolate? peppermint or orange? walnuts or hazelnuts?). And I have to say that it has always gone down a treat! What makes this recipe great is that you can literally substitute any of the ingredients for other versions, and add as many things into it as you like! For example, a few I've made in the past are White chocolate and Candy Cane Peppermint bark, Milk Chocolate Toffee and Hazelnut bark and Dark Chocolate Orange bark with candied orange peel and Walnuts... heaven! Why not try different alterations using whatever you may have in the cupboard? You may find a new favourite combination of flavours..

A melted pot of heaven.

Ingredients

(The amounts needed will entirely depend on how much bark you need, for me this filled two jam jars of bark bars)

Cooking Spray or Butter

250g Milk Chocolate Chopped

275g White Chocolate Chopped

200g Dark Chocolate Chopped

40g Raisins

20g Sultanas

8 Individually Wrapped Fudge Sweets

60g of Mixed Nuts (I used a mixture of cashew, peanut, almonds and walnuts)

Directions

• In a glass bowl, place the chopped milk chocolate. 
• Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering hot water on a medium heated hob and wait for the chocolate to melt (keep stirring to ensure all of the chocolate melts evenly).
• Pour approximately 3/4 of the chocolate into a greased baking tin (preferably use a square tin), and spread evenly using a knife or spatula.
• Place the mixed nuts onto one half of a clean tea towel and cover them with the other half. Firmly crush the nuts using a rolling pin. (Check on them to see if they're evenly broken!)
• Unwrap and slice the fudge into three small pieces each.
• Sprinkle approximately half of the crushed nuts, dried fruit and fudge pieces on top of the melted milk chocolate.
• Melt the dark chocolate in the same way, and pour over the nuts, fudge and dried fruits, coating as many of them as you can but don't worry about covering them all, barks are meant to be messy!
• Sprinkle over the remaining nuts, dried fruit and fudge and melt the white chocolate.
• Pour the white chocolate over the whole mixture and allow to cool.
• Place the tin into a refrigerator to chill and set (approximately 20 - 30 min).
• When chilled and set, place onto a chopping board and cut into pieces (the chocolate will likely be more shard-like than bars, this makes them look more authentic!)

Tips & Serving ideas

• The amount of different sweets and flavours you can add are endless! Try these; mini marshmallows, crushed biscuits, chocolate chips, chocolate bar pieces, crushed or chopped sweets, candied peel, toffee and cereal!
• You could also add extracts and flavourings, such as orange, vanilla, mint and coffee!
• Before chilling, add some smarties, sprinkles, small edible cake decorations or edible glitters to decorate!
• To present as gifts, try putting the chocolate into a jam or mason jar, with a homemade decorative lid and tied with a ribbon. Alternatively, place in small plastic bags tied with a ribbon or tag.

A little ribbon and voila!

Cara X