A sumptuous three layer chocolate cake, filled with chocolate buttercream and topped off with a rich chocolate drip glaze. It’s a real crowd pleaser and perfect for any special occasion. Who doesn’t adore chocolate layer cake?
When I was asked to bake a cake for a rather sad occasion last week, I thought I’d try out one of Will Torrent’s recipes from his book Chocolate at Home. Or two of them as it turned out. I adapted his Nans’ chocolate fudge cake recipe to make it into a three layered cake. But then topped it with a chocolate glaze from his recipe for salted caramel & rum top hat cake.
Chocolate Layer Cake
I used my usual mix of half wholemeal and half white flour, substituted coffee for the vanilla and milk and used dark muscovado sugar rather than light. I didn’t get to try the finished item, but with three layers of cake, three layers of buttercream icing and chocolate glaze, it looked to be a good one. Strangely, I did get to try the icing and glaze – *innocent face* – so I do know they passed muster.
Luckily, I did get some very positive feedback from some of the people who tried it. Apparently, it disappeared all too quickly.
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Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this caramelised pear and honey carob cake, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Chocolate Layer Cake – The Recipe
Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 150 g golden caster sugar
- 125 g dark muscovado sugar
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 4 large eggs (I used duck eggs)
- 250 g flour - half wholemeal, half plain
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of fine sea or rock salt (I used Himalayan pink sea salt)
- 100 ml strong coffee
For the Buttercream Icing
- 100 g 70% dark chocolate
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 225 g icing sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 2 tbsp strong coffee
For the Chocolate Glaze
- 50 ml double cream
- 1 tsp golden syrup
- 10 g unsalted butter
- 100 g dark 70% chocolate
Instructions
For the Cake
- Cream the butter and sugars together for a good few minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Beat in the cocoa until well combined.
- Beat in the eggs one by one, adding a little flour if the mixture looks like curdling.
- Sieve in the flour and fold in alternately with the coffee until just combined.
- Divide between three 20 cm (8") cake pans (you will need to grease and line these if not silicone).
- Bake at 180℃ (350℉, Gas 4) for 25 minutes.
- Leave in the pans to cool for ten minutes or so, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the Buttercream Icing
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl sitting over a pan of hot water - make sure the pan doesn't touch the water. Allow to cool slightly.
- Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the syrup and cocoa.
- Beat in the coffee, followed by the chocolate.
For the Chocolate Glaze
- Place all of the ingredients into a small pan and set over a low heat until the chocolate has melted.
- Stir until smooth and allow to cool a little.
To assemble
- Spread the buttercream equally over the top of the three cakes, then stack them one on top of the other.
- Pour the glaze over the top layer of buttercream. Spread it to cover the top, allowing some to drip down the sides.
- Decorate as wished or leave plain.
Notes
Sharing
I am of course entering this into We Should Cocoa which is being hosted by Sarah over at Maison Cupcake this month. She’s on a bit of a layer cake mission at the moment, she’s made at least four this month.
With four large eggs in the mix, this chocolate layer cake has to go to Dom’s new challenge Simply Eggcellent over at Belleau Kitchen.
This also goes to Ness over at JibberJabberUK for Love Cake as this fits nicely into the theme of It’s in the Book. I adapted the chocolate fudge cake recipe from Chocolate at Home by Will Torrent.
And I haven’t entered Cook Blog Share for a while, so this is being sent in Lucy’s direction over at SuperGolden Bakes.
That looks a very serious, very delicious, very inviting chocolate cake. Very, very special. I love the new look site, by the way, and I apologise for not saying so sooner.
Haha Phil, a serious chocolate cake indeed. So glad you found the new site (and like it), it was a all a bit of a rush before I moved and I didn’t have a chance to let people know.
All sad occasions should have a cake like this to make them feel a tiny bit better! It looks like you did the request proud…… A stupendous example of how a chocolate cake should be!
Thank you Kate, you always say the nicest things 🙂
i’m sure i commented on this but i’m also possibly going mad!… what a glorious chocolate cake. Love the mix of flours and love the golden syrup in the icing. Very special! A massive massive slice please. Thanks so much for the amazing Simply Eggcellent entry x
I haven’t been eating your comments, promise Dom. There is something rather glorious about three layered cakes and this is only the 2nd one I’ve ever made – shocking really.
Congrats on the new site! What a glorious chocolate cake – shame you didn’t get to try it (but for the icing!). Thanks for linking to #CookBlogShare
Thanks Lucy, it just means I have an excuse to make it again 😉
Looks like a mighty fine chocolate cake. I like the sound of dark muscovado sugar in the sponge and golden syrup in the icing. May have to try this recipe when I have my next urge for chocolate cake.
P.S. Your new website is looking very swish!
Thanks Jo. I’m glad you like my new site. There’s still plenty of work to do on it, but it’s getting there. As for the cake, I didn’t get to try it, but the feedback was good.
There is never a ‘wrong’ time for chocolate cake – this one looks divine!
Ah, you’re a woman after my own heart Heidi, thank you 🙂
The cake looks amazing and so chocolicious.I would love a slice or two.
Thanks Nayna, there’s no doubt about it, it’s going to have to be made again!
This looks absolutely delicious but sorry to hear of the sad occasion x
Thank you Stephanie
Looks absolutely stunning. I definitely want to try this. I like the idea of dark muscovado sugar as opposed to other brown sugars bc it has such a nice flavour that I’m sure goes great with the chocolate ! 🙂 xx
Absolutely Gina, it gives a nice fudgy quality too. Thanks for commenting.
Chocolate and fudge and layers? You are spoiling us all Choclette! What a fab looking cake! Karen
Thanks Karen, I sadly didn’t get to indulge myself on this occasion, so I’m thinking I might just have to make it again 😉
Yummy! I hadn’t heard of Will but I’m off to follow him on Instagram now!
Comes with a warning Kerry – you will want chocolate!
I need to experiment with chocolate fudge cakes, I don’t think I’ve ever made a proper one! I am sure the recipients appreciated your cake very much. Thanks for making it a layer one to submit to We Should Cocoa!
Never made a chocolate fudge cake Sarah? Well there is still time to get another layer cake made this month 😉 Thank YOU for hosting this time around.
Wow, love the idea of all those layers of different flavours. The icing ingredients sound particularly tempting, I’ve never put golden syrup in an icing but can see how it could work. Pinning to remind me Choccy 😉
Thanks Janie. Golden syrup, gives a bit of a fudgy taste and consistency which HAS to be a good thing 😉
sorry to hear about the sad occasion too. It does look very tasty indeed and I believe Will Torrent is a master of chocolate recipes so a good book to refer to!
Thanks Lucy. Are you following Will on Instagram? He has the most mouthwatering pictures 😉
I’m sorry you didn’t get to try it yourself due to the sad occasion. It looks delicious so I hope you get the chance to try it another time. Thanks for linking up.
Thanks Ness, I suspect I may find occasion to make it again 😉