Chocolate Cake

A tender, deeply dark two-layer chocolate cake with a cocoa buttercream, made with no added sugar, for lovers of truly bittersweet chocolate.

Total time: 2 hr
Servings: 12
Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

Dark chocolate cake

1 ¾ cups (8 oz / 227 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
¾ cup (2.6 oz / 75 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda (bicarb soda)
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (250 ml) milk
½ cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water

Dark chocolate buttercream frosting

4 oz (120 g / ½ cup) butter
⅔ cup (2.4 oz / 65 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
⅓ cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Use 320°F (160°C) for a fan oven. Grease two 9-inch (22 cm) round cake pans with butter and line the bases with parchment paper.
Make the batter.
Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla and whisk for about 30 seconds, until smooth. Stir in the boiling water; the batter will be thin.
Bake the layers.
Divide the batter between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
Cool.
Leave the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
Make the frosting and finish.
Melt the butter and whisk in the cocoa. Beat in the milk a little at a time until spreadable, adding a splash more if needed, then stir in the vanilla. Sandwich and cover the cooled layers with the frosting.

Before you indulge

Use Miracle Berry

Just before eating, take 2–3 freeze-dried halves. Chew gently and let them linger for about 30 seconds.

Discard any pit if necessary.

Calorie savings

5 cups sugar = 3,440 calories

Good to know

Miraculin, the natural protein in miracle berry, can make sour foods like lemon taste sweet without adding sugar. For the best results, take 1–2 halves and follow the directions on your pack.

Tangy turns sweet. More possibilities.