For the cake : preheat oven to 170C fan/gas 5 and line a 25cm (10 inch) springform tin with greaseproof paper. Scrunch the paper into a ball then unravel it and press into the tin. Pour the boiling water into a bowl with the cocoa powder and cornflour and whisk together until it forms a paste. Set aside to cool slightly. Using a stand mixer or an electric whisk, mix the oil, sugar and eggs on a high speed until frothy and increased in volume. This will take about 5 minutes. Add the cocoa powder paste to the mixing bowl and mix until it’s fully incorporated. Now fold in the ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda and salt until it becomes a glossy, runny batter. Pour into the lined baking tin and bake for about 1 hour until a skewer comes out clean. For the icing : beat together the icing sugar and cream cheese until there are no lumps. Fully melt the chocolate – either in a microwave or on a bain-marie – then add to the icing sugar and cream cheese mixture. Fully combine, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure there are no unmixed ingredients. Remove the cooked cake from its tin and leave to cool for a while. It doesn’t matter if the cake is still warmish when you ice it, as long as it’s not hot. The icing should be spreadable – if it’s not, give it a short blast in the microwave. Spread the icing over the top of the cake with a spatula and top with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios to create contrasting colour and crunch. To serve: slice the cake with a sharp knife that’s been warmed in hot water. Serve on its own or with a big spoonful of crème fraîche. On the darkest winter’s day, a zap in the microwave will warm the sponge – and your soul.

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Ultimate chocolate fudge cake

Q: You will need

For the cake Boiling water 200g Cocoa powder 100g Cornflour 5g Rapeseed oil 280g Caster sugar 370g Medium eggs 6 Ground almonds 280g Bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp Salt ½ tsp For the icing Icing sugar 100g Full-fat cream cheese 150g Quality dark chocolate like Valrhona or Green & Black’s 125g For the topping Chopped pistachios 20g

A grown-up twist on the childhood classic

This indulgent chocolate fudge cake from the Exploding Bakery team conjures up the 1970s, but is dressed up for modern tastebuds

explodingbakery.com

Serves 14-16

Oven temp 170

You will need

For the cake
Boiling water 200g
Cocoa powder 100g
Cornflour 5g
Rapeseed oil 280g
Caster sugar 370g
Medium eggs 6
Ground almonds 280g
Bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
Salt ½ tsp

For the icing
Icing sugar 100g
Full-fat cream cheese 150g
Quality dark chocolate like Valrhona or Green & Black’s 125g

For the topping
Chopped pistachios 20g

Method

For the cake: preheat oven to 170C fan/gas 5 and line a 25cm (10 inch) springform tin with greaseproof paper. Scrunch the paper into a ball then unravel it and press into the tin.
Pour the boiling water into a bowl with the cocoa powder and cornflour and whisk together until it forms a paste. Set aside to cool slightly.
Using a stand mixer or an electric whisk, mix the oil, sugar and eggs on a high speed until frothy and increased in volume. This will take about 5 minutes.
Add the cocoa powder paste to the mixing bowl and mix until it’s fully incorporated. Now fold in the ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda and salt until it becomes a glossy, runny batter. Pour into the lined baking tin and bake for about 1 hour until a skewer comes out clean.
For the icing: beat together the icing sugar and cream cheese until there are no lumps.
Fully melt the chocolate – either in a microwave or on a bain-marie – then add to the icing sugar and cream cheese mixture. Fully combine, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure there are no unmixed ingredients.
Remove the cooked cake from its tin and leave to cool for a while. It doesn’t matter if the cake is still warmish when you ice it, as long as it’s not hot. The icing should be spreadable – if it’s not, give it a short blast in the microwave.
Spread the icing over the top of the cake with a spatula and top with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios to create contrasting colour and crunch.
To serve: slice the cake with a sharp knife that’s been warmed in hot water. Serve on its own or with a big spoonful of crème fraîche. On the darkest winter’s day, a zap in the microwave will warm the sponge – and your soul.

You will need

For the icing
Icing sugar 100g
Full-fat cream cheese 150g
Quality dark chocolate like Valrhona or Green & Black’s 125g

For the topping
Chopped pistachios 20g

Method

For the cake: preheat oven to 170C fan/gas 5 and line a 25cm (10 inch) springform tin with greaseproof paper. Scrunch the paper into a ball then unravel it and press into the tin.
Pour the boiling water into a bowl with the cocoa powder and cornflour and whisk together until it forms a paste. Set aside to cool slightly.
Using a stand mixer or an electric whisk, mix the oil, sugar and eggs on a high speed until frothy and increased in volume. This will take about 5 minutes.
Add the cocoa powder paste to the mixing bowl and mix until it’s fully incorporated. Now fold in the ground almonds, bicarbonate of soda and salt until it becomes a glossy, runny batter. Pour into the lined baking tin and bake for about 1 hour until a skewer comes out clean.
For the icing: beat together the icing sugar and cream cheese until there are no lumps.
Fully melt the chocolate – either in a microwave or on a bain-marie – then add to the icing sugar and cream cheese mixture. Fully combine, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure there are no unmixed ingredients.
Remove the cooked cake from its tin and leave to cool for a while. It doesn’t matter if the cake is still warmish when you ice it, as long as it’s not hot. The icing should be spreadable – if it’s not, give it a short blast in the microwave.
Spread the icing over the top of the cake with a spatula and top with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios to create contrasting colour and crunch.
To serve: slice the cake with a sharp knife that’s been warmed in hot water. Serve on its own or with a big spoonful of crème fraîche. On the darkest winter’s day, a zap in the microwave will warm the sponge – and your soul.

Chocolate