Two chocolate cake recipes to try this festive season

As the year winds down and we enter the festive season, people are looking for ways to celebrate the end of a very trying year in a safe manner.

And I’m here to ask, have you tried cake? Cake is synonymous with celebrations. From birthdays to weddings and graduations, no event is complete without a cake. It might not make up for the missed trip to Mauritius but it’s definitely a sweet way to remind someone you’re thinking of them and a great way to celebrate.  

Here are two chocolate cake recipes to try out at home.

Try out Hendrik Pretorius’ chocolate cake with orange cream cheese chocolate frosting. Pretorius heads up the pastry section at Simpli Café in Lisbon, Portugal, and is working on his first cookbook, The Sweet Side of Life.

Ingredients

6 eggs, separated

250g all-purpose flour

350g sugar

120ml vegetable oil

240ml hot water

50g cocoa powder

20ml baking powder

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

Sugar Syrup

96ml water

100g sugar

Orange Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

350g cream cheese

375g icing sugar

125g soft butter

2 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbs orange juice.

50g cocoa powder

zest of 1 orange

Method:Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two 16cm round cake pans and line the bottom with baking paper then grease the top of the paper and the sides of the pans. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt, then mix in the cocoa powder, add the hot water and allow to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, sugar, vanilla and cocoa mixture. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Whip egg whites till stiff and fold lightly into the batter. Pour evenly into the two cake pans and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the cake pans when they are completely cooled down. Trim the top part of the cakes with a serrated knife so both cakes are flat on top. Use a pastry brush to brush about one half of the sugar syrup* over the top of the cake. Spoon one third of the frosting** on top of the cake and with an offset spatula spread it evenly to the edges. Place the other layer cake on top and repeat the process but using the remainder of the frosting. Garnish with Chantilly cream and orange slices.

* For the sugar syrup, combine the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until all the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and cool completely.

** For the frosting, mix the butter, cream cheese and cocoa until smooth. Add the icing sugar followed by the orange juice and orange zest and mix further, then lastly add the vanilla essence and whisk until the mixture is light and fluffy. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before use.

Khashifah Ismail’s Decadent Chocolate Cake

Ismail runs her own cake-making company called Pastry by Hatice and caters for all occasions.

Ingredients

250g soft margarine

1½ cups castor sugar

4 eggs

4 tsp baking powder

4 tbs cocoa powder

2½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla essence

400g dark chocolate, chopped

400ml whipping cream

2 tbs butter

Method: Preheat oven to 180°C and place a rack in the centre. Line two 20cm x 20cm square pans with baking paper. Place the margarine and sugar in a bowl and using a hand-held beater with a paddle attachment, beat until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time and continue to beat between each egg. Add the vanilla essence and mix until all ingredients are well combined. In a large bowl, sieve together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing in slowly until well combined and lump-free. Pour half the batter into each cake tin (I always weigh the batter to get the exact amount into each pan) and bake for 35 minutes. Insert a cake skewer into the middle and if it comes out clean, the cakes are done. Leave to cool for 10-15 minutes then remove from their tins.

Next make sugar syrup by heating half a cup sugar and half a cup water until the sugar dissolves. When cool, use a pastry brush to apply the syrup to both cakes as this will keep them moist and allow the chocolate ganache to stick to the cake more effectively.

For the chocolate ganache, heat the cream until just before it starts to boil then remove from the heat and pour it over the broken-up chocolate stirring all the while so the chocolate melts. Add the butter and mix well so the ganache is shiny. Leave to cool overnight.

To assemble: Cut the cakes in half so you have four layers. Whip the ganache to a piping consistency, place into piping bag and apply it until it covers the entire cake. Set in the fridge until firm then slice, serve and eat!