Plain Chocolate
This chocolate has a rich, dark flavour and is used in most recipes where chocolate is called for. Plain eating chocolate can always be used but there are also some varieties of plain chocolate available which are specially recommended for cooking.
Chipped and Grated Chocolate
Chocolate can be chipped and grated either manually or in a food processor. When grating chocolate, refrigerate for 30 minutes, then hold the chocolate with kitchen paper to prevent it from melting
Cooking Chocolate
This is not to be confused with cake covering. Cooking chocolate has some cocoa butter replaced with palm kernel oil or coconut oil. Flavourings are used to make the chocolate less expensive and easy to use; it can be used for any chocolate cooking or decoration.
Featured Chocolate Cake Recipe
COOKING TIME: 45-50 minutes
OVEN TEMPERATURE: 160°C, 325°F
MAKES: 1 cake, 23cm (9 inches) in diameter
Ingredients
- 200g(7oz) plain flour
- 5ml (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
- 5ml (1 tsp) baking powder
- 30ml (2 tblsp) cocoa powder
- 150g (5oz) soft brown sugar
- 30ml (2 tblsp) golden syrup
- 2 eggs
- 150ml (¼ pint) oil
- 150ml (¼ pint) milk
Icing
- 175g(6oz) plain chocolate, chopped or grated
- 30ml (2 tblsp) single cream
To Decorate
- Walnut halves
Recipe
- Grease and line a 23cm (9 inch) cake tin.
- Sieve all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Put the sugar, syrup, eggs, oil and milk into a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
- Beat thoroughly until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave the baked cake in its tin for a few minutes and turn onto a wire rack to cool.
- To make the icing: place the chocolate and cream into a small, heavy-based pan and heat gently until melted.
- Cool slightly and pour evenly over the cake.
- Decorate with walnuts.