Best Chocolate Cake Ever

 My daughter discovered this recipe in Ireland and when she was recently over in Switzerland she made it for a friend’s birthday party. It is moist, chocolatey and delicious without being over sweet and this now is my favourite chocolate cake recipe. It uses mayonnaise as one of the ingredients – but don’t be alarmed, as eggs and oil are the main ingredients in mayo and it just helps make it creamy and moist.

Ingredients

For the Buttercream

• 1 ½ cups flour (185 g)
• 1 cup good quality cocoa powder (120 g)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons soda bicarbonate
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ cups Guinness or other stout beer (360 ml)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon coffee powder
• 1 cup butter (235 g)
• 1 ½ cups sugar (300 g)
• 3 large eggs
• ½ cup mayonnaise (120 g)
• 4 oz dark chocolate (115 g), chopped

For the Buttercream

• 1 ½ cups butter (350 g), softened
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup good quality cocoa powder (60 g)
• 5 cups icing sugar (600 g)
• 5 tablespoons milk
• fresh fruit, to decorate

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160˚C and grease and line 3 x 20 cm cake tins with parchment or greaseproof paper.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, sodium bicarbonate and baking powder in a bowl.
3. Place the Guinness, vanilla, and coffee powder in a large jug.
4. Cream together the butter and sugar for about 5 minutes until it is light and fluffy.
5. Next beat in the eggs, one by time, making sure each egg is fully mixed in before adding the next.
6. Beat in the mayonnaise until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
7. Now add the prepared dry and wet ingredients alternately: Add about ⅓ of the dry ingredients and beat until incorporated. Next add ⅓ of the liquid ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Continue until all the ingredients have been incorporated.
8. Next fold in the dark chocolate chunks using a rubber spatula
9. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake tins and bake for about 35 minutes (depending on your oven), or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Please make sure not to overcook – so do check before 35 minutes as all ovens vary.
10. Leave the sponges on a cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes then loosen the edges and invert each sponge onto the plate and remove the paper and leave to cool completely
11. For the Buttercream beat together the butter and vanilla in a large bowl then gradually add the sieved cocoa, icing sugar and the milk. Beat until light and fluffy.
12. Spread over the base sponge, on top of the second sponge and cover the whole of the cake with the icing then decorate with fresh fruit, nuts or flakes of chocolate.

The cake serves 12 and makes a perfect birthday cake. It can be made the day before you need it.

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Other Recipes You May Like

Lemon Polenta Cake

Swiss Chocolate Mousse

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies

10 Minute Chocolate Pots

Easy Lemon Tart

Easy Lemon and Lime Soufflé Pudding

Swiss Chocolate Truffles

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