A moist, dark and delicious layer cake with rich smoky notes and hint of molasses. If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing birthday or celebration cake, look no further. This chocolate treacle cake, filled and topped with a sumptuous treacly chocolate ganache is just what you need.
This is another recipe I’ve adapted from my vintage Christmas stocking present and I first made it back in January for a friend’s birthday. Although it makes a great celebration cake at any time of the year, its treacly nature lends itself well to autumn and Bonfire Night in particular.
Chocolate Treacle Cake
As soon as I saw the recipe for Unusual Cake, I was dying to make it. Turns out, the unusual ingredient is treacle. As soon as treacle is mentioned, I get all nostalgic. Childhood tastes and images of my mother’s treacle pudding and bonfire treacle toffee immediately swirl around my mind. So when I was asked to make a birthday cake, I knew immediately what that cake was going to be.
I changed the quantities and used sour milk instead of ordinary milk. Soured milk really helps to create a lighter sponge, especially if you use wholemeal flour, as I do. But you can swap it for buttermilk, kefir or a my cheat’s version below.
I also turned my chocolate treacle cake into a layer cake and made up my own treacle ganache icing to fill and top the cake with. The chocolate treacle icing should come with a warning.
And that’s because it’s so good, it’s hard not to eat it straight from the bowl. This is something I thoroughly approve of, but it would mean your lovely cake would go unadorned and somewhat unloved.
It’s an easy ganache to make. Just melt butter and chocolate together and stir in the treacle and other ingredients. Leave in a cool place for about half an hour to firm up enough so that you can ice the cake. But be careful not to leave it so long that it becomes too stiff.
This chocolate treacle cake is a real corker. Both sponge and the ganache icing are delicious. But for that first cake, CT informed me, when it was too late, that I’d got the Happy Birthday candles back to front. Now I can see he’s absolutely right and that the Happy part should be at the back. What do you think?
How to Make a Cheat’s Version of Sour Milk
To make an easy cheat’s version of sour milk, add a teaspoon of lemon juice or cider vinegar to the milk, give it a stir and leave for five minutes. When it’s curdled, it’s ready to use.
How to Measure Treacle with a Spoon
Treacle and golden syrup can be quite hard to measure as both are very sticky and tend to cling to the measuring equipment. But there is a simple trick, which makes it really easy to measure treacle with a spoon or measuring cup.
First off, make sure you use a metal spoon or measuring cup, though ceramic pottery should work too. Fill a mug or cup with hot water. Place the spoon into it and leave for twenty seconds or so. For a measuring cup, just fill it directly with the hot water. Shake off any excess water and quickly use the spoon to measure out the treacle or syrup.
You will get a more accurate measure and the treacle will slide easily off the spoon.
Other Chocolate Celebration Cakes You Might Like
- Black Forest gateau
- Chocolate fudge cake
- Chocolate Guiness cake
- Eton Mess chocolate cake
- Hazelnut apple chocolate cake
- Orange & cardamom chocolate cake
- Salted caramel chocolate birthday cake
- Vegan chocolate cake
Keep in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this chocolate treacle cake, 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 treacly recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have a few of them. All delicious, of course.
Choclette x
Chocolate Treacle Cake. PIN IT.
Chocolate Treacle Cake – The Recipe
Chocolate Treacle Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Treacle Cake
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 200 g dark brown sugar
- 5 tbsp treacle
- 4 medium eggs
- 250 g flour (half wholemeal, half plain white)
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 8 tbsp sour milk swap for buttermilk or kefir or read note below for how to make a cheat's version of sour milk.
Chocolate Treacle Ganache Icing
- 100 g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp treacle
- 150 g dark chocolate broken into pieces (I used 72%)
- 6 tbsp double cream (heavy cream)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Chocolate Treacle Cake
- Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the treacle.200 g unsalted butter, 200 g dark brown sugar, 5 tbsp treacle
- Beat in the eggs one by one, adding a little of the flour as you go if the mixture starts to curdle.4 medium eggs
- Sift in the dry ingredients and gently stir together followed by the milk.250 g flour, 50 g cocoa powder, 1½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Stir this in alternately with the sour milk.8 tbsp sour milk
- Spoon into two 20cm (8") cake moulds and bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are well risen and firm to the touch.
- Leave to cool for ten minutes or so, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Chocolate Treacle Ganache Icing
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over a gentle heat.100 g unsalted butter
- Add the treacle and chocolate. Turn the heat off and leave to melt.1 tbsp treacle, 150 g dark chocolate
- Stir until smooth then add the cream and vanilla extract and stir again.6 tbsp double cream (heavy cream), ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Leave in a cool place for about half an hour to firm up enough so that you can ice the cake. But be careful not to leave it so long that it becomes too stiff.
- Sandwich the cakes together with half the mixture and spread the remainder over the top.
- Decorate if wished with chocolate curls or shavings, glitter, golden balls or stars.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m cheekily entering this chocolate treacle cake into AlphaBakes as H for Happy Birthday Cake. I’m not sure it will be allowed, but nothing ventured nothing gained! Alpha Bakes is hosted alternately over at The More Than Occasional Baker and Caroline Makes.
This treacly cake of gorgeousness also goes off to Bake of the Week over at Casa Costello.
N N says
Such a lovely recipe. Rich treacle flavour. I reduced the sugar to 130g not because the recipe was too sweet but i was just experimenting and the texture and flavours were still on point.
And that ganache is DIVINE!!! Many thanks from Borneo!
Choclette says
Thank you for the stars. That’s really kind.
N N says
Such a lovely recipe. Rich treacle flavour. I reduced the sugar to 130g not because the recipe was too sweet but i was just experimenting and the texture and flavours were still on point.
And that ganache is DIVINE!!! Many thanks from Borneo!
Choclette says
Thanks so much for letting me know. I shall definitely try reducing the sugar next time I make it. And now you’e made me want to make that ganache again – soon.
It would be great if you could rate the recipe with stars. Star ratings really help.
Helen at Casa Costello says
I agree with another reader, treacle is the true taste of childhood – I used to eat it off the spoon! Eew – surprising I’ve got any teeth left. Thanks for joining in with #Bakeoftheweek again x
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
Oh My gosh, Would I just like a bite of this with my tea. Stumbled.
Lucy @ BakingQueen74 says
How delicious does this sound! 🙂
Charlene F says
Another delicious bake from you, looks lush 🙂 x
Phil in the Kitchen says
Sounds delicious. Treacle was definitely one of the flavours of my childhood. In fact, so much so that I couldn’t look at a tin of treacle once I’d grown up a bit. I’ve changed my mind now, of course – I love it.
Janice Pattie says
I love treacle too, this sounds like a winner.
The Ordinary Cook says
I like the way you have presented the candles, but fear CT may be right. The cake sounds delicious and you must make it again for yourself.
Karen S Booth says
Treacle and chocolate? YES please! Looks and sounds delightful!
date dump says
The cake looks amazing!! would love to try it out soon on some birthday!!!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com says
Choclette, yes, technically, “Happy” goes in the back; but I think the way you did it was just fine! 🙂 Is it golden treacle or black treacle?
Johanna GGG says
ooh that looks good – I know you will be amazed but I sometimes get told not to bake everything with chocolate but with treacle I reckon this would be very welcome in our house
Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry! says
Gorgeous! I could eat a great big piece of this for sure!
Debi Wayland says
This cake looks scrumptious. I’ve never heard the term “treacle” before. I learned something today.
Kate Glutenfreealchemist says
What a fantastic looking cake. It sounds rich and dark and delicious! I think the Happy Birthday letters are the right way round!!!! They would definitely be back to front with Happy at the back……
Kecia'sFlavor Breakthrough says
What a beautiful cake! It looks so rich and yummy!!
Lou, Eat Your Veg says
Oh I’m glad I’m not the only one with a backlog of recipes from months and months ago – I just never seem to find enough time these days! This cake looks LUSH beyond belief, I’d be extremely happy with this cheeky number for my b’day!
Jo Smith says
I LOVE treacle but find it difficult to bake with (think… messy!) this looks lovely!
Emma Iannarilli says
The cake looks amazing, but I’m not a fan of treacle. My sister, on the other hand…
#UKBloggers
Choclette Blogger says
Ah well Emma, I guess we can’t all like everything.