As the Summer days draw to a close and kids pack their bags for the school year, it's nice to have a liitle treat to keep yourself motvated during the long school days. I made this smooth rich chocolate cake as a little treat for the lunch box.
Ingredients: For the Pudding:
1/4 oz veg-gel or agar agar
2 1/2 ozs milk
5 ozs sugar
3/4 oz cocoa powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 ozs milk
2 tsps vanilla extract
For the Devils food cake:
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
¾ cup cocoa powder
2 cups caster sugar
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups of chocolate chips
For the icing:
1 cup soft unsalted butter
4 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup cream
Pudding: In a medium bowl, combine the veg-gel and the 2 1/2 ounces milk. Whisk to ensure no lumps remain. In a small sauce pan, combine the sugar, cocoa, salt and remaining milk over medium low heat. Stir continuously until smooth and the mixture beings to bubble around the edges, about five minutes.Pour the hot mixture through a sieve and into the bowl of veg-gel. Stir in the vanilla.Set the bowl, uncovered, in the fridge. After fifteen minutes cover the pudding with a sheet of cling film pressed against the surface and refrigerate until fully thickened, about 2 hours. While that's setting make the cake. Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F Gas mark 3.)Place the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the coffee, oil and buttermilk and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for another 2 minutes. Add the Pudding mixture and chocolate chips into the bowl. Pour Batter into a 26cm (10") bunt tin, bake for 30 minutes. Leave to cool for 10 minutes before transfering onto a wire tray, while it's cooling make the icing. Combine the butter, cream and vanilla, add the sugar and mix untill smooth. Spread over the cake and decorate as you please.
