INGREDIENTS
Yield: 12 servings
1+½ cup (340 g) butter, softened
1+2/3 cup (365 g) sugar
6 eggs
2+2/3 cup (300 g) all-purpose flour
About 3/4 cup (120 g) finely ground almonds
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup boiling water
Ingredients for frosting
6 tablespoons (80 g) butter
7 oz (200 g) semisweet chocolate (40-60% cocoa)
2 eggs (salmonella-free)
7 oz (200 g) icing sugar (confectioner’s sugar)
Directions for the Chocolate Layer Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
- Line two 9 inch (23 cm) cake tins with greaseproof or other non-stick paper and grease the tins.
- Beat the softened butter with sugar.
- Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg.
- Mix with flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla extract, and finely ground almonds.
- Add ½ cup of boiling water and mix well.
- Transfer to two separate cake tins and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 30-45 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!
- Cool the cakes and cut each in half, horizontally. They are easier to cut if they are kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.
Frosting
- Melt butter and chopped chocolate in a double boiler.
- Beat the eggs with icing sugar and mix with the chocolate and butter mixture.
- Use two thirds of the frosting to sandwich the four layers together and coat the cake with the remainder of the frosting.
- Cool the cake in the fridge to harden the frosting. Place the cake at room temperature 1-2 hours before it is served.
Variations
- You may substitute the boiling water with hot coffee or tea.
- If you want a smaller cake use half the amount of each ingredient and one cake tin. Make then only two layers.
- For the frosting you must use an egg without salmonella risk. If this is not available, please use a different chocolate frosting.
This cake is approximately 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall. We have also a recipe for a chocolate layer cake with cocoa instead of chocolate. That cake is not as tall as this one.
