By Chef Thobeka Shangase
I created this cake to enter the 2013
Sunday Times Food Weekly: The Best Tasting Chocolate Cake Competition. This was
my very first food competition that I had entered and I was thrilled to have
been selected as part of the top 6 finalists, apparently 650 people had entered
and they selected my cake as part of the top 6. I was thrilled to bits!!
Being part of this competition was an
adventure for me and it allowed me the opportunity to get my fingers wet and
introduced me to the world of food competitions.
I didn’t win the competition; the only
thing I got was a cool ass Whirlpool microwave oven and a new found will and
passion for desserts and competitive cooking.
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| Thobeka at her bake off stand |
It took me 20 minutes to formulate the
entire recipe from start to finish. I wanted to keep it very simple, knowing
that a bake off would be involved and I didn't want to do anything complicated
and fussy. The cake is made up of three simple elements, the cake, drizzle and
icing. I decided to use a simple basic chocolate cake recipe that I’ve been
making for years for the cake part and because it was for a competition I
wanted to make it really special and make it a celebration cake. So I had the
idea to make mix a brandy and coke cocktail and simply pour that over the cake
and to also use the drink in the icing as well to yumify the whole cake and
make it an experience to eat.
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| Thobeka with her Brandy and Cola Cake |
This cake has an insane yum factor and I’m
pretty sure that the cake gods were with me when I was creating this cake
recipe and I’m not just saying that because it’s my creation, it’s because it
actually really is yum. Everyone I have served it to loves it.
I’m particularly proud of this recipe
because it’s my baby, it’s what started it all for me and it will forever have
a special place in my heart. I hope you all love it as much as I do.
Brandy
and Coke Chocolate Cake
125g unsalted butter, room temp
10 ml vanilla extract
375ml castor sugar
3 large eggs
125ml cocoa
125ml hot water
125ml warm milk
500 ml cake flour
10ml cream of tartar
5ml bicarbonate of soda
2 ml salt
200g dark chocolate, grated
30ml instant coffee powder
125ml coke
60ml brandy
Icing
5ml vanilla extract
45ml (3T) cocoa
30ml (2T) brandy
125ml butter
90ml (6T) coke
750ml (3 CUPS) icing sugar
Preheat your oven to 190°.
Dissolve the cocoa, coffee, and chocolate
in the boiling water, add in the warm milk, stir well and set aside to cool
slightly.
In a large bowl sift together the flour,
tartar, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl cream the butter with
a wooden spoon until it is soft. Add in the vanilla and beat with the wooden
spoon.
Gradually whisk in sugar beating
continuously until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a
time, whisking after each addition, if the mixture curdles add 1 tablespoon of
the measured, sifted dry ingredients.
Add half of the flour mixture into the
butter mixture, mix together with a spoon until just moistened, add in the chocolate
milk mixture into the butter and mix in, add the flour mix in and add milk,
whisk.
Grease a deep square baking tin well with
butter and pour in batter. Tap the batter on the counter to get rid of ant air
bubbles.
Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes. Test by
inserting a skewer in the center and it should come out clean.
Let the cake cool for 10-15 minutes and do
not remove from the tin. Poke the cake with toothpick all over it.
Combine the coke and brandy and drizzle it
over the cake well. Do not over soak the cake because that will flood it and
ruin the texture. Leave to soak up well for 10 minutes.
Icing: Place the icing sugar in a bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, melt the butter, cocoa and coke together over a medium heat.
Bring to a gentle boil stirring, remove from the heat and pour into the icing
sugar. Mix well. Add the vanilla and
brandy, mix in well again. Spread the warm icing over the slightly warm cake
and leave to cool before slicing.
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| Brandy and Cola Chocolate Cake |
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