This is my famous chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting, and it’s the recipe I get asked for time and time again. Deeply chocolatey, incredibly moist and finished with a light, tangy cream cheese frosting. It’s so good that three of us once ate a whole one between us at university, which tells you everything you need to know.
Every ingredient in the sponge has a purpose. Coffee is the secret to a really chocolatey cake. It doesn’t make it taste of coffee, it simply deepens and intensifies the cocoa, and using it while it’s still warm helps the cocoa release even more flavour. Yogurt adds moisture and a slight tang, and its acidity reacts with the bicarbonate of soda to give a tender, soft crumb. Using oil rather than butter keeps the cake moist for longer. Don’t worry when the batter looks thin, that’s exactly what makes the finished cake so light.
Let the cakes cool in their tins for half an hour before turning them out, then leave them to cool completely before frosting. Even slightly warm sponges will melt the frosting.
The frosting is lighter than a classic cream cheese icing because it’s folded with whipped cream. Use full-fat cream cheese straight from the fridge and beat it only until smooth, as overbeating can make it runny. Sift in the icing sugar so it stays silky, then whip the cream to soft peaks and fold it in gently to keep as much air as possible. Chilling the finished cake overnight lets the frosting firm up, giving you clean, neat slices. Take it out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before serving so the sponge softens back to room temperature.
Cherries are my favourite topping, but fresh berries, grated chocolate or a dusting of cocoa all work well. This is the perfect cake for birthdays, celebrations, dinner parties or any time you need a reliable chocolate cake that everyone will love. If you’re baking for children, decaf coffee works just as well.
To get ahead, the unfrosted sponges can be wrapped and frozen for up to a month. Once frosted, keep the cake in the fridge and eat within three to four days.
recipe
Servings:
1 large cake
Cook time:
Ingredients
Cake:
230g plain flour
260g caster sugar
100g cocoa powder
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
230ml yogurt
115ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
230ml filter coffee
Frosting:
500g cream cheese
150g icing sugar
300ml double or whipping cream
Cherries or toppings of your choice
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line two 22cm cake tins.
2. Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the yogurt, oil, eggs and vanilla.
4. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until smooth, then add the coffee. The batter will be thin; that's what makes it light.
5. Divide between the tins and bake for 35–40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Leave in the tins for 30 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.
7. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then sift in the icing sugar and mix until glossy.
8. Whip the cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the cream cheese.
9. Spread over the cooled cakes and finish with cherries or any topping you fancy.