Name: Fail-safe chocolate and yoghurt cake
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 cup sunflower (or other flavourless) oil; 2 large eggs; 2 cup sugar (yes, it’s a lot but this is a big cake); 3 cup plain flour; 3 teaspoon baking powder; 1/2 cup cocoa; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon vanilla essence; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 cup natural unsweetened yoghurt; 1 cup strong black coffee, cooled; grated chocolate, to garnish; whipped cream, to serve (optional); Icing; 2 cup icing sugar; 50 gram butter, softened; 1/4 cup cocoa; 1-2 tsp boiling water; Ganache; 125 millilitre cream; 200 gram dark chocolate, chopped

Fail-safe chocolate and yoghurt cake

Nici Wickes' chocolate and yoghurt cake recipe is rich and keeps well for days. It’s a step up from the favourite one-egg chocolate cake, but just as easy and fail-safe. Serve with icing or ganache

Makes 26 centimetre

Cook

Marinate

20M

Ingredients

1 cup sunflower (or other flavourless) oil

2 large eggs

2 cup sugar (yes, it’s a lot but this is a big cake)

3 cup plain flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup natural unsweetened yoghurt

1 cup strong black coffee, cooled

grated chocolate, to garnish

whipped cream, to serve (optional)

Icing

2 cup icing sugar

50 gram butter, softened

1/4 cup cocoa

1-2 tsp boiling water

Ganache

125 millilitre cream

200 gram dark chocolate, chopped

Method

1.Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line the bottom of a 26cm springform tin.

2.Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a cake mixer, sieving in the dry ingredients and adding the coffee last. Beat for 1 minute until well combined.

3.Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

4.Allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes, then run a blunt knife around the edges and remove the cake ring. Turn out on a cake rack and cool completely.

5.To serve, cover with chocolate ganache or icing and grated chocolate. Reserve the excess ganache, warmed, to use as a sauce to drizzle.

Icing

6.In a food processor, blend icing sugar with softened butter and cocoa. Drizzle in boiling water to form a thick icing.

Ganache

7.Heat cream until trembling. Add chopped dark chocolate. Cover with a tea towel for 15 minutes, then whisk well until it is thick and shiny. Cool until it’s beginning to thicken and pour gradually onto the centre of the cake, allowing it to cover the top and drizzle over the sides. For a shiny finish, leave it untouched.