A fudgy chocolate celebration cake suitable for almost any occasion. It’s filled with fruit curd and topped with a sumptuous treacle chocolate fudge frosting. The contrasting colours and flavours make this an outstandingly awesome bake.
Fitting nicely into this month’s We Should Cocoa theme, this chocolate celebration cake was actually designed to be the piece de resistance at the cake fest last month. And luckily it proved to be so.
I wanted something rich and chocolatey yet fudgy with a contrasting flavour. I’d already decided to use my apple and lemon curd to fill the cake and then when I spotted the Treacle chocolate fudge frosting in Short & Sweet, I was away.
Smugness, it seems, never pays. On the rather tortuous journey to the cake’s destination, the top slid off the bottom. Luckily, I managed to rescue it before it fell on the floor and a near disaster was averted. Although it didn’t ever look quite as good as it had once done. As all I got was oohs and aahs, I don’t think anyone noticed.
Chocolate Celebration Cake
What can I say? This chocolate celebration cake is truly delicious. The molasses sugar gives a fudgy consistency, the fruit curd a nice contrast and the treacle frosting finishes it all off perfectly. The icing is so good, I could happily eat the bowlful all by myself. But as this would undoubtedly make me sick, it’s just as well it was destined for this very important cake.
I used half molasses sugar and half caster sugar for the cake. As molasses sugar isn’t that common an ingredient, I’ve gone for muscovado sugar in the recipe card. Brown sugar has wonderful caramel notes and the darker the sugar you use, the fudgier the cake will be.
Yoghurt really helps to lighten cakes up as well as adding flavour and moisture. So you’ll find Greek yoghurt in the mix. I’ve used real chocolate in the frosting, but just cocoa powder for the cake. It’s plenty rich and flavoursome enough.
I also used a tablespoon of mesquite powder as it’s highly nutritious and has caramel overtones. But I leave this as entirely optional.
When it comes to the fruit curd filling, go with whatever grabs your fancy. I used my apple and lemon curd because a) it fit the autumn season, b) I wanted a contrasting colour and c) I had a fridge full of it. Raspberry curd or orange curd seem like fitting candidates. However, I have a whole raft of fruit curd recipes and I reckon any one of them would work.
The treacle chocolate fudge frosting is quite different to most toppings. It’s not a buttercream, nor is it a ganache. It’s more of a very rich and thick custard.
Fruit Curd Top Tip
Make sure your fruit curd is nice and thick so it doesn’t run out of the cake.
Can You Make A Celebration Chocolate Cake In Advance?
You can make the two sponge layers the day before you need them. Once cool, wrap in greaseproof paper. You can also make the treacle chocolate fudge frosting the day before you need it. Then all you need to do on the day, is fill and frost the sponges.
Other Chocolate Cakes You Might Like
- Chilli chocolate cake
- Praline coffee chocolate cake
- Salted caramel chocolate cake
- Scandinavian chocolate cake
- Triple chocolate cake
- Vegan chocolate cake
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chocolate celebration cake or just the treacle icing, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate the recipe. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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If you’d like more treacle recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Chocolate Celebration Cake. PIN IT.
Celebration Chocolate Cake – The Recipe
Celebration Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Sponge
- 225 g unsalted butter softened
- 225 g muscovado sugar light or dark (I used 125g golden caster sugar and 100g molasses sugar)
- 3 large eggs (I used duck eggs)
- 200 g plain flour (all purpose flour) (I used half wholemeal, half white)
- 25 g cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp mesquite powder (optional)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 100 g Greek yoghurt (I used fat free)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp fruit curd of your choice (I used apple & lemon curd)
Treacle Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- 100 ml milk divided
- 1 tbsp treacle
- 50 g light muscovado sugar
- 2 tbsp cornflour (I used custard powder)
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 90 g dark chocolate chopped (I used 60%)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 15 g unsalted butter
Instructions
Sponge
- Set the oven to 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4).
- Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy.225 g unsalted butter, 225 g muscovado sugar
- Beat in the eggs, one by one, alternating with some of the flour if it looks like curdling.3 large eggs
- Sieve in the flour, cocoa, mesquite if using, baking powder, bicarb of soda and salt.200 g plain flour (all purpose flour), 25 g cocoa powder, 1 tbsp mesquite powder, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), 1 pinch fine sea salt, 1 tsp baking powder
- Stir this in to the mix then add the yoghurt and vanilla extract. Stir until everything is just combined.100 g Greek yoghurt, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Spoon into two 20cm (8 inch) silicone sandwich moulds or lined tins. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch.
- Leave in the moulds for 10 minutes then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Sandwich the two cakes with a generous layer of fruit curd.6 tbsp fruit curd of your choice
- Spread the cooled treacle icing over the top and decorate as desired. I sprinkled white chocolate stars over mine.
- Sit back and feel smug.
Treacle Chocolate Fudge Frosting
- Whilst the cakes are baking, make the icing. Heat half the milk, treacle and sugar in a small pan until nearly boiling.100 ml milk, 1 tbsp treacle, 50 g light muscovado sugar
- Whisk the cornflour and cocoa into the remaining 50ml of milk until well combined.2 tbsp cornflour, 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- Pour into the hot milk mixture and whisk until smooth and thick.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped chocolate.90 g dark chocolate
- Beat in a the vanilla extract and butter.½ tsp vanilla extract, 15 g unsalted butter
- Carry on beating until smooth and lush – mmmmmm!
Maya Russell says
The lemon curd in it is interesting. Thanks for the recipe.
Choclette says
MsLisk – Thanks for letting me know. So glad it worked out well for you. Three layers and gold stars makes it sound super special.
mslisk says
Choclette you are a lifesaver! Thank you so much for this suggestion, I made it for a birthday party this weekend and it was (and I quote) a ‘triumph’! Being a novice baker I was quite nervous and all the recipe books cakes looked daunting or uninspiring, but having a recommendation to try this one was great. I loved the stars which look fab, unfortunately couldn’t find any myself so I supplemented with gold sprinkle stars which looked quite classy! Also doubled up the recipe and ended up with three tiers, which added to the effect. Thanks again, very much enjoying the leftovers!
Choclette says
Julia – Don’t let me stop you 😉
Julia says
Ooo, very pretty cake! I just want to stick my face in it!
Choclette says
C – thank you. It is a lovely topping and I shall be using it again for sure. I couldn’t find where you’d used it on your blog, will have to go back for another look.
Celia – thank you for that tip, although knowing me, I’d make a complete mess of the cake if I tried putting skewers through 😉
Kim – apple and walnut sounds good to me.
Janice – thank you 😮
Maggie – thank you, it was a bit of a winner, if I do say so myself!
Lottie – thank you.
Lottie @ Lottiesworld says
I love the stars, and it sounds so delicious!
Maggie says
I would eat this anytime it looks so delicious. Both the topping and filling sound wonderful.
Janice says
Looks quite beautiful.
Kim says
Looks and sounds yummy – a really interesting combo of flavours! I tried treacle frosting recently on an apple & walnut cake but bet it would be even nicer on a chocolate one!
celia says
Beautiful cake, Choclette! Glad you saved it from disaster! A friend once told me to hold layers together with wooden skewers (of course, then you have to be careful when you slice it!).
C says
Sounds amazing Choclette – I’d love a slice of that! Glad you managed to snatch it from the jaws of disaster/the floor! I really liked the treacle chocolate frosting from S&S, glad to hear that you did too. It was really odd to make though, the way it thickened. Defo one to be repeated.
Choclette says
Sophie – you are lovely 🙂
Claire – that’s the wonder of Dan, he comes up with some very surprising combinations.
Dom – aww thanks!
Jennifer – would love to hear what you think if you do make either or both.
Hannah – the apple curd stood up really well as it had a tart fruity note which was quite different – really good combination.
FoodyCat – yes, I think I need to get some better techniques 🙁
Baking Addict – would love you to try this. Thanks for the tip, it’s a good one.
Katie – thanks. Sort of, although gingerbread without the ginger 😉
Suelle – I think that might be the only way 😉
Gloria – thank you.
Cake Fairy – Thanks, it was delicious. I actually got to try that one.
Peasepudding – thank you, it’s a wonderful must try topping.
Phil – so is molasses, might try that next time.
WLM – thank you. I reckon it was one of the best I’ve made so far.
Susan – luckily I got to try a bit of this one and it was damn fine 🙂 Isn’t Dan’s book fabulous?
Jo – apples are still in season – you have time 😉
Mary – thank you and thank you for replying. That does sound quite a lot of food to prepare. Good Luck. I’m sure it will all be delicious.
Little Loaf – you have that treat to look forward to then 😉
Paula – thank you.
Sarah – he he, pride and all that …..!
CityHippy – you are more restrained that me 😉
cityhippyfarmgirl says
Oh oh OHHHH! that’s what I would have said on discovering the top sliding off. I’m glad it was still delicious.
Looks gorgeous Choclette
Sarah, Maison Cupcake says
Wow! Chocolate treacle frosting sounds amazing! No wonder you felt smug… what a tragedy afterwards though!
Paula says
Ooh lovely…really like the sound of that treacle icing! 🙂 xx
thelittleloaf says
I’ve not yet tried the treacle fudge frosting from S&S but it sounds (and look!) amazing. Really thick, luxurious and comforting – what a gorgeous cake.
Mary says
Thank goodness you were able to save the cake. It really looks wonderful. We will be entertaining 16 adults on Thanksgiving Day. They are all hearty eaters. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
Jo says
Oh my, this cake looks the business. I love the idea of a fudgy treacle icing contrasted with the zesty curd filling. I’ve been meaning to make that curd but still haven’t done it!
Susan's blog says
That’s very, very nice indeed; lucky folks who got to sample it, must try the topping recommendation from Dan’s book too.
Working london mummy says
Very pretty , and I do love molasses sugar – as you say a lovely fudge consistency. am sure it tasted as yum as it looks!
Phil in the Kitchen says
Great celebration cake. Treacle is a much-maligned and underused ingredient – I must use more of it.
peasepudding says
It looks gorgeous and I love the sound of that treacle topping and an apple lemon filling…wow
Cakefairyblog says
Ohh this sounds lovely. The contrast with the lemon and apple cured, I bet, is delicious!
Gloria says
Kove this cake, look delicious and amazing! gloria
Suelle says
Lovely looking cake but a very unusual combination of flavours. Chocolate and lemon is another pair that I’m not convinced about, so chocolate, apple and lemon is stretching things a bit for me – you’ll have to send me a slice to convince me! 😉
Katie says
I love the sound of all those flavours together – Lemon, Choc and treacle. Would never have though of doing that but I suppose its a twist on a sort of gingerbread. Looks stunning too
Baking Addict says
Amazing looking cake!! Love the flavour combinations here. I’d happily eat all the icing myself too! Must give this a try especially since I’ve now got treacle in my cupboards. Top tip I learnt from caked crusader about transporting layer cakes – wrap parchment paper around the cake and secure with a clip.
Foodycat says
Transporting cakes is so nerve-wracking. Your icing is so glossy!
Hannah says
Looks fab and the treacle icing sounds delicious! How did the apple stand up against such strong flavours?
Jennifer says
This sounds utterly delicious, especially the apple lemon curd. I must make some of this and the cake.
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
stunning!… love the recipe… love the little stars too!
Rolling Pin Claire says
I would never think of trying a treacle icing, but it’s definitely worked on this cake. It looks amazing, it really does.
sophiesfoodiefiles says
What a festive & appetizing fabulously looking cake! It is also huge & very pretty! 🙂
MMMMMMMMMM,…! 🙂