How to: Ultimate "Devil's Food" Chocolate Cake

Hi guys, today was one of those days where I needed some (ok, a lot) of chocolatey goodness.

I happened to be watching Nigella Lawson on television yesterday and saw her make a Devil's Food Cake and I thought I'd give it a go myself.

What you need for the cake:

50g cocoa powder

100g dark muscovado sugar

125g unsalted butter

150g caster sugar

225g plain flower

baking powder and bicarbonate of soda

vanilla extract

2 eggs

water

What you need for the frosting:

30g dark muscovado sugar

175g unsalted butter

300g dark chocolate

water

Firstly, preheat your oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4/350°F.

Put your cocoa powder and muscovado sugar into a container, boil the kettle and pour in 250ml (one cup full) of boiling water in with it. 

Mix together and set aside for later.

Make sure your butter is soft, and cream together with the caster sugar.

Add a few glugs of vanilla essence, half a teaspoon of bicarb and half a teaspoon of baking powder.

Then crack in one egg and pour in half of your flour. Mix it all together and then add the second egg and the remaining flour.

Once mixed, add in the chocolatey concoction you set aside earlier.

The consistency is very runny...don't worry!

Pour your cake mix equally into two greased cake tins. Mine are about 7/8inches diameter.

Put your cakes into your preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Now we can move onto the frosting.

In a pan add 125ml water (half a cup), the butter and muscovado sugar. Turn on a low heat and allow the butter to melt and combine.

When the mixture starts to bubble slightly, add in your chocolate. It's best to chop it up finely so it melts quickly. Take the mixture off the heat.

Once the chocolate has melted, whisk until it's smooth and glossy. Allow to cool and thicken up. This can take a good hour or more.

After 30 minutes in the oven, your cakes should be done! Leave them on a wire rack for about ten minutes to cool slightly before turning them out of their tins.

Once your cakes have cooled, turn one upside down on your cake stand/plate.

Pour on a few dollops of your frosting mix and then place the second cake on top.

My frosting mixture had stood for over an hour and was still too runny as you can see in the picture above, so I decided to pop it into the freezer for another half an hour or so and it hardened up perfectly.

Spread the remaining mixture over the cake and round the sides.

And you're done!

Rich, chocolatey, gooey heaven.

Enjoy!

x

I'm alive!

Hi guys.

I'm sorry I've been a bit MIA. I've not been feeling myself for a while and didn't really feel like doing anything - let alone blogging.

I'm just checking in to let you know I'm still alive...if there's anyone still here that is!

I've started to feel a little more human the past couple of days so actually put some effort into my makeup and outfit, only to be rained on in the downpour of rain whilst I was out buying fitness stuff.

I've decided to try and get myself into shape and keep my body and mind active. I went out and bought Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred fitness DVD, a yoga mat, some hand weights and gym clothes the other day so now I HAVE to do some exercise!

Has anybody tried Spinning? I really fancy trying it but fear I may die a fast, stationary-bicycle related death.

Anyway, I tried Tanya Burr's new makeup tutorial which you can see HERE. I think it turned out really nice and made my tired skin look a bit healthier.

I used Nars Sheer Glow foundation (FINALLY got my hands on some, ugghh love it!), Illamasqua cream blush in Brazen and YSL Touche Eclat to brighten around the eyes.

I hope you're all well.

Thank you for sticking around if you're reading this!

Love, Neeny x

Ps.

Please keep your fingers crossed for me. If I get enough good luck, I may have some amazing news to share soon.