Name: Chocolate layer cake with milk chocolate cream
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 160g unsalted butter, room temperature, chopped; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 cup caster sugar; 3 eggs; 1½ cups milk, warmed; ½ cup Dutch cocoa; 2 cups plain flour; 1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; Grated dark chocolate, to decorate; Milk chocolate cream; 220g milk chocolate; 500g cream cheese, cubed; 1½ cups icing sugar mixture, sifted; ¾ cup double cream

Ingredients

160g unsalted butter, room temperature, chopped

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1½ cups milk, warmed

½ cup Dutch cocoa

2 cups plain flour

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

Grated dark chocolate, to decorate

Milk chocolate cream

220g milk chocolate

500g cream cheese, cubed

1½ cups icing sugar mixture, sifted

¾ cup double cream

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease the base and sides of two 20cm springform tins and line with baking paper. Put butter, vanilla, brown sugar and white sugar in the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy.

2.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating between additions until just combined. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Pour warm milk into a separate bowl and sift cocoa over the top. Whisk until combined and smooth.

3.

Add cocoa mixture to cake mixture. Sift flour and bi-carb over the top and whisk until combined and smooth. Pour ⅔ of the mixture (this should weigh 1kg) into one tin and smooth the surface, then pour the remainder in the other tin.

4.

Bake together for 1 hour, removing smaller cake after 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the centre. Allow to cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before releasing tin. Cool completely.

5.

To make milk chocolate cream; put chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure bowl doesn’t touch water. Stir until melted. Cool. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add icing sugar, continuing to beat until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl regularly.

6.

Stir in cooled chocolate and cream until combined. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until firm enough to spread. Cut larger cake in half horizontally. Put one layer on serving plate and spread about ¼ of the cream mixture, leaving a 1cm border to allow for spreading when other layers are placed on top.

7.

Repeat with remaining layers and cream. Spread remaining cream around the sides of cake. Sprinkle with grated chocolate. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Allow to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Kerrie Worner

With over 20 years in magazines, Kerrie’s work has adorned HB’s pages as contributing food editor, along with BHG, Elle Cuisine, Australian Women’s Weekly and Family Circle. “It is so important to encourage people to learn simple food skills so they can learn how easy it is to fall in love with their creative side,” she says.

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