Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 225 g plain flour
• 150 ml sour cream
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water
• 275 g caster sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 175 g unsalted butter, softened
• 65 g unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 300 ml double cream
• 200 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp golden syrup

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170°C fan. Grease and line the bases of two 20 cm round cake tins with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarbonate and salt into a bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl for 4–5 minutes until visibly paler and fluffy — the mixture should hold a soft ribbon when you lift the beaters.
4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each so the batter stays smooth rather than splitting. If it looks grainy, add a spoonful of the dry mix to bring it back together.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the soured cream and the dissolved espresso. Stop as soon as the batter is smooth and glossy — overworking will toughen the crumb.
6. Divide evenly between the tins, smoothing the tops. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until the sponges spring back when pressed lightly in the centre and a skewer comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold — any warmth will melt the icing straight off.
8. For the fudge icing, put the chopped dark chocolate and golden syrup in a heatproof bowl. Heat the double cream in a small pan until it's just shivering at the edges — don't let it boil. Pour over the chocolate, leave undisturbed for 1 minute, then stir slowly from the centre outwards until you have a thick, glossy ganache that falls in heavy ribbons.
9. Let the ganache cool for 5–10 minutes until it thickens to a spreadable, fudgy consistency but is still pourable.
10. Sit one sponge on a serving plate and spread a generous layer of ganache over the top. Settle the second sponge on top, pressing very gently.
11. Pour the remaining ganache onto the centre of the cake and coax it outwards with a palette knife so it spreads to the edge and drips luxuriously down the sides.
12. Leave to set at room temperature for at least an hour — the icing should firm to a soft, fudgy sheen rather than going hard. Slice with a hot, dry knife and serve at room temperature.