Individual Chocolate Cakes

Happy national chocolate cake day, I'm guessing this is the best day ever for some of you right? A day to completely indulge in not only cake, but chocolate cake. I don't particularly have a sweet tooth, I'm looking forward to national cheese day more than anything if I'm honest (roll on June 4th). But I can completely appreciate a good piece of cake, and that is why I have created cakes the perfect size for one. So there is no need to share and you can completely consume yourself in moist chocolate sponge, chocolate buttercream and a decent helping of dark chocolate topping. If you really wanted to impress your friends at a dinner party, they would be perfect for that too. Did someone say Galentines? You're welcome, enjoy!

These are made by simply baking a large sponge, then using a cutter to make your individual sponges and then individually iced. You could totally just make one giant cake if you wanted. I just thought these were a little more special, OK maybe a little more effort...but you can lick the bowl. That'll make all the extra work worth it. Also, all those little extra bits of sponge? You can eat them too, who's going to know? It is NATIONAL CHOCOLATE CAKE DAY after all.

Ingredients

For the cake sponge, serves 4, prep time 10 mins, cook time 35 mins

• 250g caster sugar
• 75g of good quality cocoa powder
• 225g of plain flour
• 2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 120ml of coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 240ml of hot water (tap is fine)
• 240ml of double cream
• 1 tsp of pink salt
• Butter (to grease cake tins)

Directions

1. Whisk sugar, flour, salt, bicarb, baking powder and cocoa powder in a bowl until combined.
2. Add dry ingredients to an electric mixer bowl, set to low speed.
3. Add water, then vanilla, then cream, then eggs one at a time, then slowly add the oil a little at a time until thoroughly combined.
4. Grease and flour 2 9 inch cake tins. This will help the cake from sticking.
5. Distribute the mixture evenly between the two. If you only have one cake tin, simply cook in batches.
6. Pre heat oven to 160c fan, 180c, 350f, gas mark 3/4 and cook for 35 mins. Check after 25 mins by inserting a tooth pick to see if it comes out clean.
7. Once cooked leave in the tin for 10 mins to cool, then place on a cooling rack until completely cool.
8. Then, using a circle shaped cutter ( I used one that's meant for dough) cut out your four individual sponges, making 8 in total.
9. Set aside whilst you make your buttercream.

For buttercream

• 200g of unsalted butter at room temperature
• 8 tblsp of icing sugar
• 125g of dark 70% chocolate and extra for the top. I used Moser Roth from Aldi.

Directions

1. Mix butter and icing sugar on high speed until combined.
2. Melt chocolate in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water.
3. Once chocolate has melted, allow to cool for two minutes, then slowly add it to your butter mixture whilst it is still beating.
4. To assemble your cakes, level them off with a sharp knife, add a spoonful of buttercream in the muddle and level. Then apply the buttercream all over your cake, it really doesn't have to be perfect. I then scraped with a toothed icing tool, but it isn't necessary. For the topping, use a knife to chop some dark chocolate finely and sprinkle over the top.
5. Leave cakes in cake container somewhere cool until serving. No need to refrigerate but you can if you wish.