Jade Busse's Chocolate Cake Recipe

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“When asked to share a recipe with you, my decadent chocolate cake with rich, mousse chocolate icing popped into my mind. I am a passionate baker and I enjoy testing many different recipes. This is by far our family favourite. My dad is a chocolate-cake ‘addict’, so I baked it for one of his birthdays - and a tradition was born.”

— Jade Busse

Jade Busse’s Rich Chocolate Cake Recipe

Yields/Makes: 1 x 23cm three layered chocolate cake

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake

• 450g Champagne Valley cake flour

• 650g White Sugar

• 155g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

• 17g Bicarbonate of Soda

• 8g Baking Powder

• 11g Oryx Salt

• 4 Large Eggs

• 350ml Buttermilk

• 350ml Warm Water

• 115ml Vegetable Oil

• 10ml Vanilla Essence

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

• 340.5g Butter (softened)

• 226.8g Cream Cheese (softened)

• 155g Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

• 15 ml Vanilla Extract

• 840g Icing Sugar

• About 1/4 cup Milk if needed 

Method:

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 175 °C. Grease and line three 23cm cake tins with baking paper.

2. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt with a handheld mixer on a low speed until combined.

3. Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. This should take just a couple of minutes.

4. Divide the batter among the three pans.

5. Bake for 30-35 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

6. Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn the cakes out onto the racks and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing

1. While the cakes are cooling, in a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until fluffy.

2. Add in cocoa powder and vanilla essence. Beat until combined.

3. Beat in icing sugar, 1 cup at a time (you may need to use more or less depending on your preferred level of sweetness for the icing).

4. Add milk as necessary to make a spreadable consistency. The icing should be thick and will thicken even more when refrigerated. 

To assemble the Cake

1. Place a dollop of icing on the plate or cake stand.  This will help prevent the cake from sliding around. Place the bottom layer in the centre.

2. Using a knife or palette knife, spread a layer of icing on the first layer. Repeat this process with the remaining layers.

3. Cover the sides of the cake with icing.  

To decorate the cake

1. Using your favourite flowers, cover the stems neatly with small pieces of tinfoil or florist tape to prevent anything getting into the cake.

2. Place flowers on the cake. Finish the cake off with a sprinkle of glitter.