Belgian Double Chocolate Cake ( with Fudge Icing)

Recipe is inspired from here

Ingredients

180 gm flour ( 1 1/2 cups)

60gm cocoa powder (1/2 cup)

125gm butter ( about 3/4 cup)

125gm sugar ( I used almost 1 cup)

3 eggs

2 tsp baking powder

three quarter cup milk (3/4 cup)

2 tsp vanilla essence

75 gm chopped chocolate (i used dark chocolate)

3 tbsp chopped walnuts ( one can use hazelnuts too)

Some walnuts for sprinkling on top.

Method.

1.Grease and line an 8 or 9 inch baking pan. I used a heart shaped cake tin and lined it with baking paper. One can line with a foil and grease it and sprinkle some cocoa/ flour on it too.

2.Cream butter with sugar, then add eggs one at a time and beat until well incorporated. Or else one can cream them using a electric mixer to save time.

3.Sieve flour with cocoa, salt ( if unsalted butter), vanilla essence and baking powder. Gradually add flour and milk in three instalments, mixing until just incorporated, do not over mix. Add the chopped chocolate and nuts.

TIP: Dust the nuts and chopped chocolate in some flour before adding them to the batter. This will help prevent them from sinking during baking.

4. Fold gently and pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170 C for about 30minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool then either frost with chocolate ganache or lightly dust some icing sugar. I frosted it with Fudge Icing

Recipe (to cover an 8" cake)

2 tbsp margarine/butter

8 tbsp icing sugar

2 tbsp cocoa powder

half tsp vanilla essence

some milk

Heat the margarine until it melts, keep the heat on low.

Sieve the icing sugar with the cocoa together, then add this into the melted margarine.

Stir together, then slowly add milk a teaspoon at a time. You will need about 5-8 tsp so just have a bowl of milk next to you and keep adding and stirring until you reach a smooth consistency.

The icing will thicken as it cools so keep it a bit thinner than what you want the final results to look like. Add the vanilla and turn off the heat, immediately ice your cake and sprinkle crushed nuts or cake crumbs. Give it a few minutes to set, and serve!! :)

Note: cakes crack due to overheating so keep temperature less if your cake cracks....also bake in the middle shelf to avoid burnt crusts.

Chocolate Cake!

INGREDIENTS

* 2 cups boiling water
* 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 2 1/4 cups white sugar(Make it 3 for the sweetness is bit less)
* 4 eggs(seperated)
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 9 inch round cake pan. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. I separated the eggs and whipped the whites separately with some of the sugar, then folded it all together to make is extra airy.Beat in egg yolks one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture and then fold and cut using the 8 shaped method. Spread batter evenly in the pan

3. Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

4. One can sift some powdered sugar on top to serve.


Note: I recipe could easily be flavored with coffee, juice, or buttermilk in place of the water.
Also if one want it little more chocolaty, use half cup of chocolate sauce and half cup of cocoa and it tastes heavenly.

Variations( spongey choclate cake)

Ingredients

* 4 eggs

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 1 (16 ounce) can chocolate syrup

* 2 cups vegetable oil

* 2 cups all-purpose flour

* 16 ounces white sugar (2 cups powdered)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Beat the eggs and the vanilla with a spoon. Blend in the chocolate syrup. Fill emptied chocolate syrup can with vegetable oil and add to bowl. Add the flour to bowl. Fill can with sugar and add to bowl. Stir well and pour into a lightly greased 9x13 inch pan.

3. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Ice after cooling or leave plain.

Note: one can mix chocolate syrup (half) and half cup cocoa.