My paternal grandmother would make this cake. I don't know where she got the recipe from but it was a piece of type writer paper that she kept folded inside her book of desserts.
As kids we always wanted to know how the chocolate got to the bottom of the cake without merging with the rest of the cake. I still don't know!
As kids we enjoyed it with the rich nut topping. Nowadays I like it just as is with a few nuts for decoration.
Persons
10
Prep Time
35 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour, 30 minutes
Total Time
1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 cups Maida or refined flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 340 grams semi-sweet chocolate
- 6 tablespoons boiling hot brewed or instant coffee (or water if you don't want caffeine)
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream
- 350 grams butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2.5 cups fine white sugar
- 1.25 cups whole milk
- 6 eggs whisked
- For the topping (optional)
- 1 cup toasted walnut or pecan pieces
- 1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease a round Bundt cake pan 10 inches wide or a long loaf pan about 12 cup capacity generously with plain unflavored vegetable oil
- Sift baking powder and flour together.
- Stir the chocolate until melted into the boiling water or coffee. Then add cream and mix well. Reserve.
- Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and then eggs one at a time and incorporate well. Add the milk and continue beating. Mixture will look separated and grainy.
- Pour into pan of your choice. Bang the pan against the counter so as to settle the batter.
- Using a tablespoon make a small groove about 1/4 inch deep in the center of the cake that runs all the way round if using a Bundt pan- like a tunnel or a moat, or all along form end to end if using a tube pan. Part this tunnel a little with your tablespoon.
- Pour the thick chocolate sauce into the moat slowly all the way around the cake.
- Carefully place the cake the oven and bake 25 minutes.
- Remove foil and bake another 50 minutes until a toothpick pushed into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool cake an hour and a half before unmolding.
- For the topping (optional)
- Melt butter, salt and chips in a small pan on low heat. Stir in toasted nuts.
- Spread in clumps across the top of the cake and spread gently with a spatula.
- Keep cake covered after you serve it.
© 2023 All content copyright: Tara Deshpande