Moist Chocolate Cake
My most trusted chocolate recipe, paired with a classic chocolate buttercream frosting. What makes this cake so special is its exceptional moisture and keeping quality. The use of sour milk (milk and lemon juice) combined with the oil in the recipe helps the cake stay beautifully moist for more than four days when stored correctly. It also freezes extremely well, making it perfect for advance preparation (especially for celebration and wedding cakes).
This cake is wonderfully adaptable. It can be baked as a 20 cm round cake, layered, or turned into cupcakes without any changes to the recipe.
Chocolate Sponge Cake
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 40–45 minutes
Yield: 1 × 20 cm round cake or 24 cupcakes
Serving: 12
Ingredients
200 ml milk
15 ml lemon juice
4 tbsp cocoa powder
60 ml hot water (not boiling)
1¾ cups (437.5 ml) sugar
180 ml sunflower oil
3 large eggs
2¼ cups (562.5 ml) cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp salt
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease or spray a 20 cm round cake tin or cupcake pans with non-stick spray.
In a small bowl, mix the milk and lemon juice. Set aside for 20 minutes to curdle (this makes buttermilk).
In a separate cup, mix the cocoa powder and hot water until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix the oil and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the cooled cocoa mixture.
Sift together the cake flour, salt, baking powder, and bicarbonate of soda. Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the batter.
Add the curdled milk and vanilla essence. Beat until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling each about ¾ full.
Bake at 180°C for 40–45 minutes, or until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely before icing it.
Chocolate Buttercream frosting
Ingredients
4 cups (252g) Icing Sugar, sifted
4 tbsp milk/cream
1/2 cup (120g) Butter, Room Temperature
1/2 cup (110g) Margarine, Room Temperature
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Chocolate – Add 80g cocoa powder
Method:
1. Beat the butter/margarine with the vanilla extract in a large bowl until soft.
2. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Add the cocoa powder to the milk part.
4. Add the remaining icing sugar and cream/milk mixture. Beat the mixture for a few minutes until creamy and smooth.
Use the same day, or place it in the fridge, covered for the next day.
* TIP: To make bright white buttercream, remove the cocoa powder from the recipe and add one drop of violet food colouring.