Deadly Chocolate Cake

This cake is an absolute monster of chocolate decadence. Trust me, it's earned its name! Every time I make chocolate cake at the bakery, people walking by start drooling - the smell of chocolate just takes over the whole street. It's the kind of cake that makes chocolate lovers weak in the knees: four layers of rich, dark cake sandwiched together with silky ganache, then covered in even more ganache, and topped with, you guessed it, more chocolate!

Deadly Chocolate Cake

You're going to make two 8-inch cakes, then cut each in half to stack into this towering beast of chocolate happiness. Don't panic about the cutting part - I'll walk you through it. The ganache between each layer and all over the top is literally just melted chocolate and cream (I know, right?), and decorating is the easiest part - just pile on pieces of your favourite chocolate bars!

Making this for someone's birthday? Just add candles and watch their face light up brighter than the flames. But honestly, you don't need an excuse to make this cake. Sometimes you just need a serious chocolate fix, and this cake delivers!

Chef Hollie Fraser

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

• 200g (1⅔ cups) all-purpose flour

• 200g (1⅔ cups) cake flour

• 2g (½ tsp) salt

• 10g (2 tsp) baking soda

• 250g (1 cup) sour cream

• 454g (2 cups) unsalted butter, softened

• 580g (2⅔ cups) caster sugar

• 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate

• 600ml (2½ cups) water

• 6 eggs, room temperature

• 1 tsp instant espresso (optional, but it makes the chocolate even more intense)

GANACHE

• 250g (9 oz) chocolate

• 200g (¾ cup) whipping cream

HOW TO

Preheat your oven to 350F and prepare two 8" cake pans.

CAKE

1. First things first - get your butter and sugar into your mixing bowl and cream them together until they're light and fluffy. You want them to be best friends before moving on.
   

2. Add your eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. Don't rush this step - patience makes perfect! Once they're all in, mix in your sour cream until everything's smooth.
   

3. Now for the chocolate magic: Get your water hot on the stove (not boiling, just hot enough to melt chocolate). Pour it over your cocoa powder and stir until you've got a smooth slurry. If you're using the espresso powder, chuck it in now - it'll make your chocolate taste even more chocolatey without making the cake taste like coffee, I promise!
   

4. While that's happening, melt your dark chocolate. I usually do this in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each one, but you can use a double boiler if you're fancy. Mix this melted chocolate into your cocoa slurry.
   

5. Grab another bowl and sift together both flours, salt, and baking soda. This is important - no one wants to bite into a clump of baking soda!
   

6. Here's where it all comes together: Gently fold everything into your butter mixture. Don't overmix - we're not making bread here! Just fold until everything's combined and you can't see any flour streaks.
   

7. Pour your batter into two cake pans - I use 8-inch rounds, but 9-inch works too. Pop them in the oven for about 45 minutes. You'll know they're done when a skewer comes out clean and the cake springs back when you give it a gentle poke. Let them cool completely - seriously, don't rush this part or your ganache will turn into a melty mess!
   

8. GANACHE

   This is the easiest part! Set up a double boiler (or just put a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water - same thing) and melt your chocolate. Meanwhile, warm up your cream until it's hot but not boiling. Pour the warm cream over the melted chocolate and whisk until it's silky smooth. Let it cool a bit before you use it - you want it spreadable, not runny.
   

9. DECORATE Now for the fun part: slice each cake in half horizontally. Don't stress if they're not perfect - that's what the ganache is for! Stack those layers up with generous amounts of ganache between each one. Once you've got your tower of chocolate goodness, slather the whole thing with a thin layer of ganache. This is your crumb coat - it doesn't have to look pretty yet! Chuck it in the fridge until it firms up.
   

10. Time to make it deadly: Cover the whole cake with another thick layer of ganache, making it as smooth or swirly as you like. For the finishing touch, grab your favourite chocolate bars (I'm talking the good stuff here), break them into pieces, and stick them all over the top. Want to go full chocolate overload? Run a vegetable peeler down the side of a chocolate bar to make gorgeous chocolate shavings, then press them up the sides of the cake. Boom - you've just made a cake that'll stop people in their tracks!

TIPS

The cake is super moist and soft so it will be easier to cut the cakes into layers if you bake them a day ahead and let them rest.

This cake freezes well, so feel free to make it ahead so you can pull it out whenever that chocolate craving hits!