The best recipe for chocolate cake? Here are the tips from chocolatier William Curley

The best recipe for chocolate cake? Here are the tips from chocolatier William Curley

About William Curley

Pastry Chef and Member of Relais Desserts

I have always been passionate about chocolate and fine pastry.
I always source the best ingredients only, without compromising on the quality of raw materials.
I have been called a mentor and guide for young talent in the kitchen, but my goal is to create products of the highest level and inspire ambitious pastry chefs like myself.

CAKE MIXTURE

Makes 2 x 8 portion cakes
Equipment: two loaf tins

  • Unsalted butter, softened 240 grams
  • Caster sugar 230 grams
  • Amedei Toscano 70% chocolate 200 grams
  • Plain flour 230 grams
  • Baking powder 10 grams
  • Eggs 4

GANACHE

  • Amedei Toscano 70% chocolate 250 grams
  • Unsalted butter 75 grams
    (cubed and room temperature)
  • Whipping cream 250 grams

PREPARATION

With its perfect flavour and undeniable fluffiness, the chocolate cake has always been the Italian's first choice: from adults to children, the chocolate cake gets everyone along!

So what makes one cake taste better than another? Indeed it's the chocolate, which is also why the Pastry Chef and Chocolatier William Curley, Britain's leading brand ambassador, choose Amedei chocolate for his recipe.

To start, turn the oven on to 180 degrees and then cover two cake moulds with baking paper.

Take the dark chocolate, grind it into tiny pieces, and then melt it as you prefer, either in the microwave or in a bain-marie (either option is acceptable) until it melts. Let it cool, but keep an eye on it, and stir it from time to time.

Mix the sugar with the butter cut into cubes and pour the ingredients into your planetary mixer. Blend the ingredients in the mixer at medium speed until the mixture is smooth and silky.

Now it's time to break the eggs: add them one at a time and keep whisking it to avoid any formation of lumps.

Take the dark chocolate that you have previously left to cool and pour it slowly into the planetary mixer, mix and blend everything well all together.

To season your cake, you can also add a pinch of salt, sift the flour and cocoa and mix together with the other ingredients.

Pour the mixture into the two moulds covered at the beginning. Now bake for 40-45 minutes, (if using a fan oven, bake at 160 degrees) for about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the chocolate with the pre-warmed whipping cream in another bowl, add the diced butter and let it rest at room temperature until having a shiny and velvety cream. Pour the cream in a pastry bag and when the cake is ready, have fun and decorate it!

Use a toothpick or the tip of a knife to make sure the inside remains soft. Once the cake is ready, let it cool for a few minutes and then serve with a nice cup of tea.

THE ITALIAN BEAN TO BAR FINE CHOCOLATE FOR SAINT VALENTINE

OUR BEAN TO BAR PHILOSOPHY