Chocolate Spread Cake
Photography by Lucy Cufflin.
This indulgent chocolate cake could not get any easier to make, requiring just five ingredients. It's taken from British Cordon Bleu-trained Lucy Cufflin's latest book, Lucy's Bakes, which is full of equally simple but impressive recipes for baking novices and time-pushed individuals.
INGREDIENTS
400 gram (14 oz) jar chocolate and hazelnut spread, plus extra for topping
3 eggs
125 grams (4 oz/1 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
10 grams (½ oz) baking powder
200 grams (7 oz) cream cheese (room temperature)
Nut Brittle shop-bought is fine, crushed (optional)
I was skiing in North America when I read a recipe for a cake on the back of a chocolate spread jar. I did not make a note of the quantities but remembered the ingredients because they seemed so odd. A few attempts at cooking it and tweaking the amounts resulted in this wondrously instant, fabulously easy, soft and succulent chocolate cake. It is a real hit with those who want to have some fun with young children stirring and baking with little fuss, while the flavour is great and gives a milky sweet chocolate cake which seems popular with so many.
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Line a 20 cm (8 in) deep cake tin with baking paper.
Mix everything together in a bowl with a whisk or spoon then turn into the prepared tin.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until springy to the touch.
Turn out onto a wire rack, remove the baking paper and leave to cool.
Top with more chocolate spread and scatter crushed nut brittle over, if using.
What the real-life homebakers say
Jack Meekcoms – ‘I made this all on my own and ate nearly all of it myself too – great cake!’
Michael Cufflin – ‘We love it. I cover it with more chocolate spread.’
Mia and Harry Rogers – ‘We loved it, so we baked a big one and covered it with chocolate spread frosting. Delicious.’
TIP: for a more elaborate finish, you could fill and top it with a rich ganache or chocolate spread frosting.
This is an edited extract from Lucy’s Bakes by Lucy Cufflin published by Hardie Grant RRP $49.95 available in stores nationwide.
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