Double Chocolate Tray Bake

HELLO, I am so thrilled to be the Guest Blogger today for Zoe at Pinks and Green.  I am Jo from Sweet Enchanted, Baker, Blogger, Mummy and mad about delicious cake!

When Zoe asked me to guest blog for her there was only one delicious recipe that was perfect for sharing with you all…..my Double Chocolate Tray Bake.  This chocolate cake known as my Hot Chocolate Cake is fool proof, just so simple to make and tastes delicious.  This recipe is not only adored by chocolate cake lovers, but has transformed those who dislike chocolate as the texture is dark and moist, yet tastes so light served alone and teamed up with the light and fluffy chocolate buttercream.

To make this cake you simply mix your dry and wet ingredients together then fold in the hot melted chocolate before adding into a baking tin or dish to bake.  A perfect cake for those baking for a celebration or even a picnic.  Topped off with a light fluffy chocolatey buttercream and lots of sprinkles, oh and not forgetting these pink flamingo candles.

Pinks and Green stock a beautiful range of homeware and partygoer including one of my favourites RICE DK, some of which I have featured here today.

Pink Flamingo Candles, Lilac Melamine Cup, Star Print Straws, Melamine Side Plate.

I look forward to welcoming you over at Sweet Enchanted, for lots more delicious recipes and inspiration.

Hot Chocolate Cake:

• 150gr Granulated Sugar
• 150gr Dark Brown Sugar
• 50gr Cocoa Powder (good quality)
• 250gr Plain Flour
• 1tsp Baking Soda
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 Medium Eggs
• 100gr Dark Chocolate (70% + Cocoa Solids)
• 80ml Vegetable Oil
• 250ml Buttermilk
• 125ml Hot coffee
• 1tsp Vanilla bean paste or extract
• Chocolate Buttercream Topping:
• 250gr Unsalted Butter
• 300gr Icing Sugar
• 100gr Dark Chocolate (70%+ Cocoa Solids)
• 1tsp Vanilla bean paste or extract
• Pinch of Salt
• Sprinkles

Directions

Preheat your oven to 170c and lightly grease the inner base and sides of a large rectangular cake tin or baking dish with vegetable oil.  Weigh and sieve all of your dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix well with a whisk or spoon until no lumps are visible.

Add your eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla extract into a small bowl or jug and whisk together with a fork.  Make your hot coffee in a cup with a tsp of coffee granules and hot water and add to the egg mix, mix well.

Melt your dark chocolate in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until smooth with no lumps, set aside .  Add your wet ingredients and melted chocolate into your dry ingredients and mix thoroughly with a whisk until smooth and creamy with no lumps.

Pour your cake mix into your cake tin or dish and bake in the centre of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Use a cake tester or sharp knife to see if it comes out dry with a few crumbs, but not wet.

Remove your cake from the oven and place onto a cooling rack – if your cake has risen in the centre with your heat proof oven love on or a tea towel folded over a few times, press down gently on risen cake to make the top surface flat and even all over.

Allow to cool completely.

For the Chocolate Buttercream:

Whisk your butter util pale and fluffy for 4 to 5 minutes either in a stand mixer on medium to high speed or on high speed with an electric hand whisk.

Add your icing sugar, salt, vanilla and whisk for a further 2 minutes.

Break your chocolate not smaller pieces and melt in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until your chocolate is all smooth with no lumps.

Pour your melted chocolate into the buttercream and whisk until all the incorporated for a further 1 minute.

To Assemble:

Fill a large piping bag fitted with a large piping nozzle (I use an Ateco 887 Large Pastry Tip) and fill with your chocolate buttercream, then twist the top of the bag and press out any air squeezing the buttercream down and testing your piping on a plate.

Holding the piping bag up vertically above the cake piping nozzle end down – place one of your hands at the piping nozzle and the other hand around the top to squeeze the buttercream down and out – place the tip of the piping nozzle down into the cake, squeeze gently to create a star of buttercream on the cake then quickly release upwards.  Continue to pip stars all over the cake starting at one of the cake tin corners, piping along in straight lines until all of the top is covered in stars.

Sprinkle your cake with sprinkles before serving in small square slices.

Enjoy!

Sweet Enchanted Notes;

I baked my chocolate tray bake in a wilton 33×22.3cm oblong cake tin.

When baking with chocolate, always use a high quality chocolate, 70% or higher cocoa content for a beautiful flavour.

If you do not own a piping bag and nozzles then you can simply spread your buttercream over your chocolate cake with a spatula of knife before serving.

I used a medley of Rainbow Jimmies and Nonpareil sprinkles to top my tray bak.