DECORATING SQUARE CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Grease two eight inch sandwich tins and line bases. Measure the cocoa into a bowl, add the boiling water and mix until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined ––  this can be done in a mixer or by hand. Divide the cake mixture between the prepared tins. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about twenty-five to thirty minutes until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin. For the icing, measure the chocolate and cream together in a bowl. Stand the bowl in a pan of simmering water and stir until just melted. Remove from the heat and allow to become cold and nearly set.  Spread the tops of each cake with apricot jam. Fill the cakes with half of the icing, and spread the remainder on the top. Take a small palette knife and from the centre of the cake, draw large “S” shapes to give a swirl effect.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 3 (7- or 8-inch, 2-inch-deep) round cake pans and line bottoms with rounds of wax or parchment paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together water, cocoa, and espresso powder until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy, then add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture and cocoa mixture in batches, beginning and ending with flour and mixing at low speed until just combined.
• Divide batter among pans (about 2 1/3 cups per pan), smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes for 7-inch pans or 20 to 25 minutes for 8-inch. Cool in pans on a rack 30 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.
• Bring cream to a simmer in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan and remove from heat. Whisk in chocolate until smooth. Transfer ganache to a bowl and chill, covered, stirring occasionally, until thickened but spreadable, about 4 hours. (If ganache becomes too thick, let stand at room temperature until slightly softened.)
• Arrange 1 layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 2/3 cup ganache evenly over it. Top with another cake layer and 2/3 cup ganache, spreading evenly, then third cake layer. (Chill ganache if necessary to keep at a spreadable consistency.) Chill cake until ganache filling is firm, about 1 hour. Keep remaining ganache at a spreadable consistency, chilling when necessary.
• Spread a thin layer of ganache over top and sides of cake to seal in crumbs, then chill 30 minutes. Spread remaining ganache evenly over top and sides of cake.