Chocolate Cake with Ganache

Ingredients

• 50 g pure cocoa powder
• 150 g golden caster sugar
• 100 g dark muscovado sugar
• 125 g unsalted butter
• 225 g plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 2 tsp coffee extract
• 2 eggs
• 30 g dark muscovado sugar
• 300 g dark chocolate
• 175 g unsalted butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas mark 4. Grease and line a round 18cm tin.
2. In a saucepan mix 125ml boiling water with the cocoa powder, caster sugar and dark muscovado sugar. Mix in the butter, bring to the boil then remove from the heat.
3. In a large bowl, sieve the flour and baking powder. Add the cocoa mixture into the flour and stir well, then add the vanilla extract and coffee extract. Crack in the eggs and mix well to combine.
4. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 50 minutes. Leave to cool on a cooling rack in its tin.
5. For the ganache, in a saucepan bring 125ml water and the sugar to the boil until dissolved. Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over the hot water mixture, stirring until melted. Slowly add in the softened butter until you get a lovely glossy ganache.
6. Once the cake is cool, remove from the tin and spread with the ganache.