Sokolatopita: chocolate get together cake recipe | EUROtoday

This chocolate traybake appears to be like like another, proper? Not proper. It’s Greek, which might solely imply one factor: it’s drenched in syrup. Before you roll your eyes on the Greek compulsion to drizzle truffles in syrup, let me inform you one thing: simplest chocolate sponges dry out shortly.

This cake, nevertheless, is just not solely fantastically straightforward to make, however stays fantastically moist for days – actually, 5 complete days by my depend. There is much less sugar within the cake itself, so the sweetness is balanced out; truthfully, you’ll be able to’t actually inform it has a syrup. It’s not sticky, however fairly provides the sponge probably the most velvety texture. This is the proper cake for a celebration; youngsters and adults love the retro look.

Timings

Prep time: 25 minutes, plus cooling time
Cook time: 45 minutes

Serves

12

Ingredients

• 375g caster sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 50ml brandy
• 125g unsalted butter, plus additional for greasing
• 250g darkish and milk chocolate (I like half and half)
• 3 giant eggs
• 175g plain flour
• 75g cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 200ml complete milk
• 250ml double cream
• sprinkles or fruit elective)

Method

1. Place 175g of the caster sugar in a small saucepan with the cinnamon stick, brandy and 150ml water. Bring to the boil over a medium warmth, then simmer for five minutes till syrupy. Leave to chill.
2. Preheat your oven to 190C/170C fan/gasoline mark 5. Grease a deep 30 x 20cm tray.
3. Melt the butter in a small pan or microwave. Finely chop the chocolate, then put aside. Place the eggs
   within the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on a medium pace with the remaining 200g caster sugar. After a minute, improve the pace to excessive and whisk for 4 minutes, till pale and voluminous.
4. Meanwhile, in a separate mixing bowl, whisk collectively the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda
   and ½ tsp wonderful sea salt.
5. When the eggs are prepared, whisk within the milk and melted butter, then fold within the dry components and 50g of the chopped chocolate. Pour the batter into the ready tray and bake within the oven for 25-Half-hour, or till simply cooked by. When a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clear, it’s carried out. Remove from the oven and poke holes everywhere in the sponge, then evenly drizzle over the cooled syrup. Leave the cake to chill within the tin.
6. To make the ganache, place the remaining 200g of chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the double cream till it’s scorching, however not boiling. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate, depart for 30 seconds, then slowly stir till clean. Leave to chill for 10 minutes then unfold over the cake. Serve as it’s or topped with sprinkles or fruit.

Greekish: Everyday Recipes with Greek Roots, by Georgina Hayden (Bloomsbury, £26), is out now