A Slice of Pure Chocolate Bliss

Tags: best cake ever, cake, chocolate cake, Country House, homebaking, homemade cake, Irish food, Irish ingredients, private catering, recipes, truffle cake, ultimate chocolate cake

I asked for suggestions for this Cake Monday and going by the responses, so many of you seem to be big chocolate fans.

This Ultimate Chocolate Cake includes nearly every type in the one slice….dark, milk, white, cocoa, ganache, truffles. You have been warned!!
It makes a great birthday or celebration cake.

Ultimate chocolate cake on a glass plate.
Ultimate chocolate cake on a glass plate.
Ingredients:
  • 175g unsalted butter softened or Stork with Butter brand
  • 300g caster sugar
  • 3 large free range eggs
  • 200g plain flour
  • 75g self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
  • 75g good quality cocoa powder
  • 200ml sour cream at room temp
  • 50g full fat cream cheese
  • 100g dark or white chocolate chips, your preference
Decoration:
  • 300g double cream
  • 300g good quality dark chocolate chips or use 150g milk & 150g dark
  • 8 Cadbury “Little Bars”
  • 6 Milky Bars or other thin white chocolate bar
  • A selection of your favourite truffles. I use Lindor in this cake.
Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170C or 160C fan. Butter and line the base of a 20cm springform tin with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter & sugar together until light & fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
3. In a separate bowl, sift the flours, bicarb soda and cocoa powder together. Add half the sifted mixture to the butter/egg mix and fold in gently with a large metal spoon.
4. In another bowl, mix together the cream cheese & sour cream until smooth then fold this into the cake mix. Repeat process of adding flour mix then sour cream mix until everything is smooth and well combined. Finally add in the chocolate chips and mix gently through the cake mix.
5. Spoon the cake mix into the prepared tin, smooth the top then pop into the preheated oven for 1 hour. Test after 50 mins just in case. A skewer stuck into the centre of the cake should come out clean.
6. Leave cake in tin to cool for 10 mins then remove from tin onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. While cake is cooling, make the chocolate ganache. Boil the cream briefly and pour over the chocolate chips. Beat with a wooden spoon until the chips are melted and the mix if smooth. Cool completely. I like to whip the cooled ganache for a minute with an electric beater to make a lighter texture before spreading over the cake.
8. To decorate, spread the ganache over the top and sides of the cooled cake. Smooth over with a palette knife.
9. Trip the mini white and milk chocolate bars to size and stick to the side of the cake, alternating for effect. Top the cake with your choice of chocolates or truffles.

"A Magical West Cork Escape"

We stayed at Dunowen House for a long weekend and genuinely didn’t want to leave. From the moment we arrived, we were blown away by the beauty of the house and its surroundings – the views, the gardens, the quiet… it’s pure magic. The house itself is full of character and history but still feels incredibly cosy and luxurious.

We loved having our morning coffee overlooking the sea and strolling down to the nearby coves. It was the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. Clonakilty is only a few minutes away too, so we had some lovely meals out and picked up bits from the local markets.

"A Dream Wedding Come to Life"

We were blown away with the unmatched beauty of Dunowen – the set- ting, the people and all the details make it come to life. We feel so blessed to have had our wedding here and so grateful for Kela and Stephen for making this the most special day of our lives. We are leaving a piece of our hearts here so we will absolutely have to come back again. All our love

"An Unforgettable Celebration of Love"

I could not have imagined a more beautiful stay and wedding. We took a chance and put our trust in Kela and Stephen, booking Dunowen sight un- seen! What a wonderful experience to celebrate our love with the people we care about most without having to worry about the details. The flow- ers, the food and the accommodations were unforgettable. Thank you for giving us the space to create lifetime memories! Dunowen will have a piece of our heart. We hope to come back and do it again!

"A Perfect Stay"

Kela and Stephen. Thank you for our wonderful stay at Dunowen House and letting us enjoy the beauty of West Cork in your wonderful home and surroundings. We absolutely loved it.

"Another Unforgettable Stay"

Thank you Kela & Stephen for another amazing stay. When you’ve stayed in Dunowen it’s impossible to stay elsewhere. Your house is per- fection!

"A Perfect 70th Celebration"

Many thanks Kela and Stephen for a wonderful stay at Dunowen House. The house is so spacious, especially for our smallish family group who helped me celebrate my 70th birthday. Thanks for the beautiful flowers throughout and all the home baking. We loved the location.

"Surrounded by Dunowen’s Gardens and Coastal Beauty"

Thank you for a wonderful week. Everything was perfect and we loved being able to walk to the beach and sit in the beautiful gardens. Hope to come again.

"A Perfect 80th Birthday Celebration"

The end of a fabulous week celebrating my 80th birthday. It has been a brilliant stay with everything we needed. Just perfect. Thank you so much Kela & Stephen for your thought and kindness. All the best for the future and perhaps we will see you again!

The Ultimate 5-Star Escape

Bravo! You have created the perfect backdrop for a 5 star vacation. Our group of 18 could not have imagined a more comfortable and luxe week. I’ll see you on Instagram and we will all see you again in person next va- cation.

Flowers and fruits cake close up Flowers and fruits cake close up