Easy Peasy Chocolate Cake.

My boyfriend's birthday was last weekend and this called for chocolate cake! I made an easy peasy "all in one" method with white and dark chocolate ganache. Oooft. Aaaand marbled chocolate shards to decorate. It was simple to make, simple to put together and incredibly yummy! :)

Ingredients

Sponge:
4 Medium eggs
Softened butter
Self raising flour
Caster sugar
50g Coco powder
4 tbsp Warm milk

Ganache:
150g White chocolate
150g Dark chocolate
500ml Double cream 

Chocolate Shard Decoration:
150g White chocolate
150g Dark Chocolate


Method

1. Weigh out the 4 eggs in their shells. Note this weight as this will be the weight of the butter, sugar and flour. Now add all the ingredients for the sponge into a large mixing bowl adding the milk whilst using an electric hand mixer. 

2. Once all the ingredients have come together and you have a chocolaty batter add this to greased sandwich tins and bake in an oven at 180c for 30-35 mins. Check the sponge with a skewer after 30, if it comes out clean it is baked. 

3. For the ganache: Put 250ml of cream in each saucepan and put on a low heat to warm through. DO NOT LET IT BOIL! Whilst the cream is heating up chop up the white and dark chocolate separately.  Take the cream off the heat and add the white chocolate pieces to one pan and the dark chocolate pieces to the other and stir until the chocolate has melted. Leave to cool.

4. For the chocolate shard decoration: Lay out a 1m long piece of baking sheet. Separately melt the dark chocolate and the white chocolate. Then take 8 Tbsp of melted dark chocolate and splodge 8 separate splodges on to the baking sheet. Now take 8 Tsp of melted white chocolate and splodge these on top of the 8 dark chocolate splodges. Swirl together with a fork to create a marbled effect. Leave to completely harden.

5. Now the cake is cooked and cool place the white chocolate ganache on top of one of the sandwiches. Place the other Sponge on top and cover the entire cake with the dark chocolate ganache ensuring you cover the sides too. This will be the yummy glue to stick the chocolate shards on the side. 

6. Take a sharp knife and dip in a cup of hot water to warm. Now cut the chocolate shards to create a neat straight line on the bottom of the shards. Don't cut off the pretty feathers you've created but just find a bit that can be trimmed. Now carefully peel off and stick on to the side of the cake. Paper side to cake side and cut side on to bench.

Keep the cake covered and in the fridge as it's covered in yummy ganache!

Side view of the chocolate shard decoration.

Shiny chocolate ganache. 

The Show Stopping Jewel Box Cake.

If you are a Great British Bake Off super fan like I am then you've probably got the BBC book, "How to turn Everyday Bakes into Show Stoppers". The book is full of amazing recipes featured in the first 3 series, step by step technique guides and beautiful images accessorised with little vintage tea sets and old English wooden work tops. If you love baking and you've become the family birthday cake baker then I highly recommend this book! 

The Great British Bake off- How to turn Everyday Bakes into Showstoppers. 

There are 3 elements to the cake: the sponge, the chocolate bow and the raspberry decoration.

List of Ingredients for Jewel Box Cake. 

1. Line and grease a 20.5cm square deep cake tin.

2. Pre heat oven to 180c/350f/gas 4 then melt the chocolate for the sponge in a heat proof glass bowl over a pan of heated water on a hob. Heat gently to prevent the chocolate solids splitting from the fat.

3. Add butter to a large bowl and beat with electric whisk until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and beat until its really fluffy. Now added beaten egg a little at a time and add 1 tbsp of the flour to prevent the mixture splitting. Sift in the remaining flour and pinch of salt and fold together. Add the cooled melted white chocolate and fold into the mixture ensure its all thoroughly combined.

4. Spoon mixture into greased and lined tin and spread evenly allowing a small hollow in the centre for an even rise. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown and firm. Leave to cool for 15-20 and remove from tin and allow it cool completely on a cooling rack. 

5. Set the cake on a serving board/plate/platter and begin to make the bow. 

6. Melt the chocolate the same way as you did for the sponge, remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the liquid glucose. Leave the mixture to thicken at room temperature Once the mixture is almost set, mould into a ball- it should be almost like Starburst sweet that's gone soft and pliable. 

7. Whilst the chocolate mixture is cooling, melt the raspberry jam over a gentle heat in a pan and brush over the top and the sides of the cake.

8. Shape into a sausage and place between to baking sheets and roll out into a long. Cut out 2 strips around 30cm x 2.5cm using a ruler and sharp knife. Attach to the cake and leave to chill in the fridge for the chocolate ribbon cross to set.  

9. The the bow you need to cut 1 strip at 10cm x 2.5cm, 2 strips at 11cm x 2.5cm and 2 strips at 14cm x 2.5cm. Cut 2 small triangles at the end of the 11cm strips. Set these strips over the rolling pin to make them curved. 

10. Bend the 14cm strips into  2 loops and press the ends together ensuring the middle is over lapping - think figure of 8 on it's side. Take the 10cm strip and wrap around the middle join of the figure of 8 you've just created. 

11. To decorate the cake with raspberries start with the top of the cake sticking each raspberry hole-side down on to the sponge avoiding covering the cross you've already placed on the sponge. Continue until the whole cake is covered- you may need a little extra jam for the sides to stick the raspberries on securely.

12. Finally position the bow on top of the crossed ribbons on the cake fixing with melted chocolate or jam if necessary. Slot the bow ends (11cm strips) under the bow loops and arrange over the cake. 

The finished cake! 

I made The Jewel Box cake for my Dad's birthday and it went down a real treat! I've made it since then and turned the sponge into a sandwich and added whipped cream.