Everyday Chocolate cake

This Everyday Chocolate Cake is soft, rich, and deeply chocolatey, making it perfect for both casual baking and special occasions. Firstly, cocoa and dual sugars create a balanced depth of flavour, while sour cream and oil ensure lasting moisture and tenderness. As the cake bakes, it develops a delicate yet stable crumb that slices beautifully. Finally, a smooth chocolate raspberry ganache adds brightness and contrast, bringing together indulgent chocolate richness with fresh berry notes. Simple to prepare yet elegant to serve, this is a reliable cake designed for everyday enjoyment.

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Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 40

Total Time 1 1 40

Servings: 8 people

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Baking

Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients

Cake

Baking paper
250 g Plain flour
135 g Cocoa
360 g Castor Sugar
225 g Soft brown Sugar
5 g Bicarbonate of Soda
6 g Baking powder
6 Eggs 70g
145 g Oil a little extra for oiling the tin
235 g Sour cream
180 g Butter
430 g Water

Raspberry Ganache

375 g Dark Chocolate (Note 1)
100 g Cream thickened
250 g raspberries
150 g Cream Cheese (Note 2)
75 g Unsalted Butter (Note 3)

Raspberries

125 g Freeze Dried Raspberries (Note 4)

Equipment

1 Oven
1 22cm Spring form Tin
1 Stand Mixer
1 Stand Mixer Flat beat
1 Stand Mixer Whisk
1 Medium Bowl
3 Small bowls
1 Bowl scraper
1 stove
1 Saucepan
1 double boiler
1 Spoon
1 Whisk
1 Serated Knife
1 Palette Knife
1 Sieve
1 Blitzer
1 Scissors
1 pastry brush

Method

Cake

Set the oven at 150C
Melt and cool the butter and set aside
Using a flat beater and stand mixer add the plain flour, cocoa, sugar and castor sugar, baking powder and sifted bicarbonate of soda
On a low speed add in the eggs, oil, sour cream, water and cooled butter and mix until smooth
Using a 22 cm spring form tin lightly oil and add baking paper
Pour the chocolate into the tin and bake 30-35mins
Ste aside to cool completely

Raspberry Ganache

Place a pot on the stove and add the raspberry and water to simmer for a few minutes
Using a Blitzer mix well and press through a sieve and set aside the puree and dis guard the seeds
Put the chocolate over the double boiler and melt over a slow simmer and set aside
Separately simmer cream and pour over the chocolate
75 g Unsalted Butter
Now and add the cream and raspberries to the chocolate and mix mix through
Cool completely
150 g Cream Cheese
Cream the butter and cream cheese with a flat beater until there are no lumps
Add the cold chocolate ganache in two lots and whip in between. Now whip well to ensure there are no lumps in the ganache before using.

Filling the cake

Turn the cake upside down to ensure the top is on the base of the cake
Cut three even layers using a serrated knife
To the first layer spread an even layers of ganache that has been whipped to the cake layer
Sprinkle with a layer of freeze-dried raspberry (use sparingly)
Add another cake layer over the ganache
Add another layer of ganache and spread evenly
Sprinkle with a layer of freeze-dried raspberry
Add another layer of cake
Finally add a layer of ganache and using the pallet knife spread nicely to make the top attractive
Sprinkle with a layer of freeze-dried raspberry
Set in the fridge

Video

Notes

Note 1-Couverture chocolate 45-55% is ideal but you will still get good results with dark baking chocolate

Note 2-Cream cheese - use a Philadelphia cream cheese not cream cheese spread or light as cream cheese as it has a firmer texture.

Note 3-Cut butter into small cubes and leave out the night to soften if possible or microwave 10 seconds at a time until finger soft (do not melt)

Note 4-My favourite freeze dried raspberries as Fresh As but any freeze dried whole powdered or crumbled will work well.